Saturday, July 26, 2008
MTV is ruining a classic
MTV is remaking the Rocky Horror Picture Show. It's scheduled to be released Halloween of 2009. Is the generation of MTV watchers ready to embrace Rocky Horror? Supposedly they are using the original screenplay but are adding some more songs (ouch.) WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SELL THE RIGHTS???
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Most Overrated Films of the 90's
Here they are (in order of course)
1. Braveheart (1995)
I think that by now you should know from my last review that I hate old war epics. This is a prime example. It's stupid, almost as if it's just trying to prove to us that Mel Gibson is manly. If you want proof, see this. It's in the same genre as 300 and I think it's safe to assume that if you're going to see 300, you want to see blood and violence. There aren't many great fight scenes in Braveheart. In fact, there aren't any great scenes in Braveheart at all. This puts it just a notch below 300 in the scale of incredibility. Need I say any more than saying that this won Best Picture over The Usual Suspects, Casino, Babe and Sense and Sensibility?
2. Dances With Wolves (1990)
Kevin Costner's "western" managed to steal 7 Oscars from Goodfellas and (the technical ones) from the Hunt for Red October. The reason I put "western" in quotes is because a film about a man who fails at killing himself and accidentally leads his army to win a battle and then breaking a language barrier is not a western. The only reason you could call it a western is because of where it takes place. It is personally insulting to me that this waste of nearly 4 hours of my life beat out Goodfellas for Best Picture. Costner proves, once again, that he can't act but he also proves that he can't direct any bit better than any film student. Find me someone who has seen Citizen Kane and I'll show you that he can direct better than Costner. Oh yeah, forgot to tell you, he managed to win best director over Scorsese. Please don't ask me how he did because I am just as baffled about the fact that this long, sprawling, boring, stupid, cliched film won so many awards, or did it? It managed to get 7 at the Oscars but 0 at the BAFTA awards, 0 at the Cesar awards and 0 at the Cannes.
3. Scent of a Woman (1992)
Al Pacino Hoo-ha's his way to a Best Actor Oscar. An obvious compensation for not winning for the Godfather or Serpico or Dog Day Afternoon or anything he's ever done. This is much different from the two previous ones. I don't have a burning dislike for this film the way I dislike Dances With Wolves and Braveheart. I would never tell you not to see this film. It's just not as great as everyone says it is. A lot of people tell me that this is a 4 star film. I would give it around 2½ or maybe even 3. It tells the story of a high school student named Charles who is hired to babysit a blind veteran (Pacino.) Pacino lives his life and is a male version of Maude from the fantastic Harold and Maude. I think that maybe critics like this film so much because when Harold and Maude taught you to get high off of life, it was too risky for them to like it. Since Pacino is in this, its okay to like it....
Well, the 90's were a great time for film. You could argue that 1999 was a better year than the highly celebrated 1939. I personally think that 1999 was great because of the numbers. you can't beat having Magnolia, American Beauty, Being John Malkovich, The Cider House Rules, The Sixth Sense, The Green Mile, Boys Don't Cry, Election, Topsy-Turvy and the Matrix all in one year (and that's just American cinema.) On that note, I will finish this with only 3 films because I truly love the 90's films and can't figure out any "great films" that I don't like. See ya.
1. Braveheart (1995)
I think that by now you should know from my last review that I hate old war epics. This is a prime example. It's stupid, almost as if it's just trying to prove to us that Mel Gibson is manly. If you want proof, see this. It's in the same genre as 300 and I think it's safe to assume that if you're going to see 300, you want to see blood and violence. There aren't many great fight scenes in Braveheart. In fact, there aren't any great scenes in Braveheart at all. This puts it just a notch below 300 in the scale of incredibility. Need I say any more than saying that this won Best Picture over The Usual Suspects, Casino, Babe and Sense and Sensibility?
2. Dances With Wolves (1990)
Kevin Costner's "western" managed to steal 7 Oscars from Goodfellas and (the technical ones) from the Hunt for Red October. The reason I put "western" in quotes is because a film about a man who fails at killing himself and accidentally leads his army to win a battle and then breaking a language barrier is not a western. The only reason you could call it a western is because of where it takes place. It is personally insulting to me that this waste of nearly 4 hours of my life beat out Goodfellas for Best Picture. Costner proves, once again, that he can't act but he also proves that he can't direct any bit better than any film student. Find me someone who has seen Citizen Kane and I'll show you that he can direct better than Costner. Oh yeah, forgot to tell you, he managed to win best director over Scorsese. Please don't ask me how he did because I am just as baffled about the fact that this long, sprawling, boring, stupid, cliched film won so many awards, or did it? It managed to get 7 at the Oscars but 0 at the BAFTA awards, 0 at the Cesar awards and 0 at the Cannes.
3. Scent of a Woman (1992)
Al Pacino Hoo-ha's his way to a Best Actor Oscar. An obvious compensation for not winning for the Godfather or Serpico or Dog Day Afternoon or anything he's ever done. This is much different from the two previous ones. I don't have a burning dislike for this film the way I dislike Dances With Wolves and Braveheart. I would never tell you not to see this film. It's just not as great as everyone says it is. A lot of people tell me that this is a 4 star film. I would give it around 2½ or maybe even 3. It tells the story of a high school student named Charles who is hired to babysit a blind veteran (Pacino.) Pacino lives his life and is a male version of Maude from the fantastic Harold and Maude. I think that maybe critics like this film so much because when Harold and Maude taught you to get high off of life, it was too risky for them to like it. Since Pacino is in this, its okay to like it....
Well, the 90's were a great time for film. You could argue that 1999 was a better year than the highly celebrated 1939. I personally think that 1999 was great because of the numbers. you can't beat having Magnolia, American Beauty, Being John Malkovich, The Cider House Rules, The Sixth Sense, The Green Mile, Boys Don't Cry, Election, Topsy-Turvy and the Matrix all in one year (and that's just American cinema.) On that note, I will finish this with only 3 films because I truly love the 90's films and can't figure out any "great films" that I don't like. See ya.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Most Overrated Films of the 2000's
Ok. Since we already established the most underrated of the 90's 80's and 70's, I'm going to do the most overrated of the 2000's 90's 80's 70's 60's 50's 40's 30's and perhaps 1900-1920.
1. Gladiator (2000)
Quite possibly the worst film to win the Oscar for Best Picture, this over-the-top, ultra-long, ultra-cliche and horribly written film stars Russel Crowe as the angriest man in the world. He wants to unite the gladiators and rise above gladiator status. Isn't that such an original idea? All the same time there's the angry king, the love interest and the younger person he takes under his wing. This creation reminds me a lot of a scene in Barton Fink. In Barton Fink the titular character tries to write a B-movie about wrestling but puts too much of the cliches into it. When he does, everyone says that he should only put in one of them (i.e. just a love interest not a love interest and a kid.) Ridley Scott, apparently, never got the memo. Another thing I despise about this film was pointed out to me in Roger Ebert's review of this. He points out that it just looks horrible. We know that this is intentional but does that make it good? In my opinion, absolutely not. If a film tries to be horrible, and is horrible, does it succeed? I don't think I need to answer that...
2. Michael Clayton (2007)
I quote critic Keith Uhlich, "Dude, there's a bomb in your car." That basically describes Michael Clayton. One laughably bad scene is when he's driving and sees some horses. He decides to get out and pet them because he's George Clooney. He does and his car blows up. That seems like one of the many similar scenes from Airplane! that are very similar to that. Another laughably horrendous scene is when Michael Clayton is talking to a potential client about how Michael will find him a trial attorney. Instead of the potential client saying, "Thanks! You saved my ass." like I imagine someone would say, he says, "I DON'T NEED A REFERRAL! I NEED A F---ING MIRACLE WORKER!!!" It's hilarious because the only good acting in this attempt at a thriller are the leading roles.
3. Children of Men (2006)
Let me throw this out there before I start this review; I do not hate this film. I just think that its just OK, 2½ stars tops. Almost every single review I have seen for this film gave it 4 stars. It is not by any means 4 stars. Unless, all of a sudden, we decide to give out 4 star reviews for incredible stunts. If so, Live Free or Die Hard should be the most acclaimed film of the decade! Children of Men features the incredible script about how in the near future, the world will be infertile and all of a sudden, a woman is pregnant. Now, all the major powers (and a few not so major) are trying to protect her. There isn't a single thing wrong with that script. Let's focus on what is wrong with it. Let's start in saying that Clive Owen was absolutely not made to do two or three minute long takes. It really shows that he is a film actor, not a stage actor. The director (Alfonso Cuaron) almost single-handedly ruins this film. He tries to make it a documentary only he overdoes the whole shakey-cam thing. He lets blood splatter on the camera at the most random times. He lets his actors seem like cardboard without telling them what they should sound like. He puts in extremely obnoxious high-pitched whines to make us feel like we just had a bomb explode in our ears. Bottom line for this film, do not be turned off by my review. I know a lot of people who love this film. I know a lot who don't like it. See it and be the judge for yourself. Even though I didn't love it, I wouldn't dream of calling it unwatchable.
4. Iron Man (2008)
I can hear everyone saying how I shouldn't blog if I don't have good taste and blah blah blah. But in my opinion, this is the only film that I can never understand why so many people like it! It's absolutely predictable. Paltrow proves that they give out Oscars in Happy Meals. Terrence Howard proves that he can't even buy a Happy Meal. Jeff Daniels and Robert Downey Jr prove that they can buy a Happy Meal even in bad movies. I don't like to use this term, but this is a "cookie-cutter-superhero-movie." It is idential to X-Men only since this is Iron Man, he's so unstoppable that the fight scenes are extremely boring. Every ten seconds they mention his Iron Man's father because every single person knew him and everyone says he was a great person and that he's just like him and how they are so sorry that he died. They really didn't give much thought to this film even thought a lot of people found it exceptional. It even tried to be an ultra-tight drama about Iraq even though it just repeats philosophies expressed in the brilliant war films of the 70's and 80's (Hair, Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Full Metal Jacket.) This isn't fresh, it isn't entertaining, and it certainly isn't great art.
5. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Once again, I do not hate this film either. But there's either something I'm missing about this film or there's something the Academy and a whole lot of critics are missing about Memento. A Beautiful Mind tells the extraordinary story of a man whit a mental disorder. I don't want to say too much but it has it's twists and turns. Russel Crowe, in my opinion, ruins the film. Memento should have swept the Oscars this year in winning best picture, best actor and best adapted screenplay (it was adapted by Nolan from his brother's short stories.)
1. Gladiator (2000)
Quite possibly the worst film to win the Oscar for Best Picture, this over-the-top, ultra-long, ultra-cliche and horribly written film stars Russel Crowe as the angriest man in the world. He wants to unite the gladiators and rise above gladiator status. Isn't that such an original idea? All the same time there's the angry king, the love interest and the younger person he takes under his wing. This creation reminds me a lot of a scene in Barton Fink. In Barton Fink the titular character tries to write a B-movie about wrestling but puts too much of the cliches into it. When he does, everyone says that he should only put in one of them (i.e. just a love interest not a love interest and a kid.) Ridley Scott, apparently, never got the memo. Another thing I despise about this film was pointed out to me in Roger Ebert's review of this. He points out that it just looks horrible. We know that this is intentional but does that make it good? In my opinion, absolutely not. If a film tries to be horrible, and is horrible, does it succeed? I don't think I need to answer that...
2. Michael Clayton (2007)
I quote critic Keith Uhlich, "Dude, there's a bomb in your car." That basically describes Michael Clayton. One laughably bad scene is when he's driving and sees some horses. He decides to get out and pet them because he's George Clooney. He does and his car blows up. That seems like one of the many similar scenes from Airplane! that are very similar to that. Another laughably horrendous scene is when Michael Clayton is talking to a potential client about how Michael will find him a trial attorney. Instead of the potential client saying, "Thanks! You saved my ass." like I imagine someone would say, he says, "I DON'T NEED A REFERRAL! I NEED A F---ING MIRACLE WORKER!!!" It's hilarious because the only good acting in this attempt at a thriller are the leading roles.
3. Children of Men (2006)
Let me throw this out there before I start this review; I do not hate this film. I just think that its just OK, 2½ stars tops. Almost every single review I have seen for this film gave it 4 stars. It is not by any means 4 stars. Unless, all of a sudden, we decide to give out 4 star reviews for incredible stunts. If so, Live Free or Die Hard should be the most acclaimed film of the decade! Children of Men features the incredible script about how in the near future, the world will be infertile and all of a sudden, a woman is pregnant. Now, all the major powers (and a few not so major) are trying to protect her. There isn't a single thing wrong with that script. Let's focus on what is wrong with it. Let's start in saying that Clive Owen was absolutely not made to do two or three minute long takes. It really shows that he is a film actor, not a stage actor. The director (Alfonso Cuaron) almost single-handedly ruins this film. He tries to make it a documentary only he overdoes the whole shakey-cam thing. He lets blood splatter on the camera at the most random times. He lets his actors seem like cardboard without telling them what they should sound like. He puts in extremely obnoxious high-pitched whines to make us feel like we just had a bomb explode in our ears. Bottom line for this film, do not be turned off by my review. I know a lot of people who love this film. I know a lot who don't like it. See it and be the judge for yourself. Even though I didn't love it, I wouldn't dream of calling it unwatchable.
4. Iron Man (2008)
I can hear everyone saying how I shouldn't blog if I don't have good taste and blah blah blah. But in my opinion, this is the only film that I can never understand why so many people like it! It's absolutely predictable. Paltrow proves that they give out Oscars in Happy Meals. Terrence Howard proves that he can't even buy a Happy Meal. Jeff Daniels and Robert Downey Jr prove that they can buy a Happy Meal even in bad movies. I don't like to use this term, but this is a "cookie-cutter-superhero-movie." It is idential to X-Men only since this is Iron Man, he's so unstoppable that the fight scenes are extremely boring. Every ten seconds they mention his Iron Man's father because every single person knew him and everyone says he was a great person and that he's just like him and how they are so sorry that he died. They really didn't give much thought to this film even thought a lot of people found it exceptional. It even tried to be an ultra-tight drama about Iraq even though it just repeats philosophies expressed in the brilliant war films of the 70's and 80's (Hair, Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Full Metal Jacket.) This isn't fresh, it isn't entertaining, and it certainly isn't great art.
5. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Once again, I do not hate this film either. But there's either something I'm missing about this film or there's something the Academy and a whole lot of critics are missing about Memento. A Beautiful Mind tells the extraordinary story of a man whit a mental disorder. I don't want to say too much but it has it's twists and turns. Russel Crowe, in my opinion, ruins the film. Memento should have swept the Oscars this year in winning best picture, best actor and best adapted screenplay (it was adapted by Nolan from his brother's short stories.)
Saturday, July 19, 2008
The Dark Knight
The Cast/Crew:
Directed by Christopher Nolan (Memento)
Written by Christopher Nolan (Memento) and Jonathan Nolan (source writer of Mement0)
The Basic Synopsis:
OK. I'll give this a shot. The Joker (the late Heath Ledger of Brokeback Mountain) wants to kill Batman (Christian Bale) or at least make him give up his identity. The Joker enjoys torturing people and putting them in crazy positions (imagine Saw only about 1000 times better) such as forcing someone to blow up a boat of prisoners instead of getting their boat blown up. At the same time, Batman's childhood friend Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gylenhall) is dating the D.A. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart.) Batman feels that gotham needs a hero with a face (Harvey Dent) and not an unnamed hero like Batman. The Joker decides that either Batman gives up his identity, or he kills at least one person until Batman reveals himself.
How it Turned Out:
I usually don't like to say things like this, but this is probably the best superhero film I have ever seen in my life. I don't believe any performance (superhero or not) of the past decade and come close to the magnitude of Ledger. He eclipses his mindblowing performance in Brokeback Mountain by reading his lines in a very strange way. I can't explain what he's doing, but he manages to pull off a very strange voice that you would never expect any sane man to pull off.
What's so great about it?
Calling it a superhero film would make you incorrect. It's more like a very dark comedy mixed with neo-noir with strange costumes. It breaks the boundaries of formula that most superhero based films are chained to. This is not only one of the best films of the 21st century, but will probably be one of the most groundbreaking. The weekend hasn't even reached Sunday, but it's probably going to be the most money a film has made on opening weekend.
The Bottom Line:
4/4 Stars. Enough said...
Directed by Christopher Nolan (Memento)
Written by Christopher Nolan (Memento) and Jonathan Nolan (source writer of Mement0)
The Basic Synopsis:
OK. I'll give this a shot. The Joker (the late Heath Ledger of Brokeback Mountain) wants to kill Batman (Christian Bale) or at least make him give up his identity. The Joker enjoys torturing people and putting them in crazy positions (imagine Saw only about 1000 times better) such as forcing someone to blow up a boat of prisoners instead of getting their boat blown up. At the same time, Batman's childhood friend Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gylenhall) is dating the D.A. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart.) Batman feels that gotham needs a hero with a face (Harvey Dent) and not an unnamed hero like Batman. The Joker decides that either Batman gives up his identity, or he kills at least one person until Batman reveals himself.
How it Turned Out:
I usually don't like to say things like this, but this is probably the best superhero film I have ever seen in my life. I don't believe any performance (superhero or not) of the past decade and come close to the magnitude of Ledger. He eclipses his mindblowing performance in Brokeback Mountain by reading his lines in a very strange way. I can't explain what he's doing, but he manages to pull off a very strange voice that you would never expect any sane man to pull off.
What's so great about it?
Calling it a superhero film would make you incorrect. It's more like a very dark comedy mixed with neo-noir with strange costumes. It breaks the boundaries of formula that most superhero based films are chained to. This is not only one of the best films of the 21st century, but will probably be one of the most groundbreaking. The weekend hasn't even reached Sunday, but it's probably going to be the most money a film has made on opening weekend.
The Bottom Line:
4/4 Stars. Enough said...
Hellboy II: the Golden Army
The Cast/Crew:
Directed by Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth)
Writted by Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth)
The Basic Synopsis:
Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is on a team to fight paranormal stuff. He possesses super strength and thats he is extremely tough. Also on his team is Liz Scherman (Selma Blair.) She manipulates fire and gets lit on fire when she gets angry. They are dating and Liz is pregnant but Hellboy doesn't know yet. Also on the team is Abe Sapien (Doug Jones.) Think of C3PO as a fish and you get Abe. A new guy is joining the team because they are made public. At the same time, Hellboy has to stop an evil prince from summoning the indestructable army known as The Golden Army. We also encounter crazy beasts such as Tooth Fairies, and Trolls that live under the Brooklyn Bridge.
How it Turned Out:
Plot-wise, it's a B+ movie. Visually, it's a perfect A+. I haven't seen a film since Pan's Labyrinth that gives such an incredible, gothic and beautiful universe. Guillermo del Toro clearly did not hold back on that aspect of directing. Now, the other aspect of directing is telling your actors how to say their lines. He does not do very well here. There are some moments between Perlman and Jones that are horrendously bad. They go off the charts in corniness and are Razzie material. Back to the directing, his art direction is Oscar material. So far, he's beating out Wall-E and Speed Racer which are the 2 competitors so far. I know we're in the summer which is No Man's Land for film, but I think it has a good chance at getting a nod.
The Bottom Line:
3½/4 Stars. The most visually beautiful film in years. See it because it is much more than a lame superhero movie.
Directed by Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth)
Writted by Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth)
The Basic Synopsis:
Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is on a team to fight paranormal stuff. He possesses super strength and thats he is extremely tough. Also on his team is Liz Scherman (Selma Blair.) She manipulates fire and gets lit on fire when she gets angry. They are dating and Liz is pregnant but Hellboy doesn't know yet. Also on the team is Abe Sapien (Doug Jones.) Think of C3PO as a fish and you get Abe. A new guy is joining the team because they are made public. At the same time, Hellboy has to stop an evil prince from summoning the indestructable army known as The Golden Army. We also encounter crazy beasts such as Tooth Fairies, and Trolls that live under the Brooklyn Bridge.
How it Turned Out:
Plot-wise, it's a B+ movie. Visually, it's a perfect A+. I haven't seen a film since Pan's Labyrinth that gives such an incredible, gothic and beautiful universe. Guillermo del Toro clearly did not hold back on that aspect of directing. Now, the other aspect of directing is telling your actors how to say their lines. He does not do very well here. There are some moments between Perlman and Jones that are horrendously bad. They go off the charts in corniness and are Razzie material. Back to the directing, his art direction is Oscar material. So far, he's beating out Wall-E and Speed Racer which are the 2 competitors so far. I know we're in the summer which is No Man's Land for film, but I think it has a good chance at getting a nod.
The Bottom Line:
3½/4 Stars. The most visually beautiful film in years. See it because it is much more than a lame superhero movie.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
The Best and Worst Remakes (Part 2)
Here's the worst remakes I can think of:
1. Psycho (1998)
"We all go a little mad sometimes"
Is that a quote from psycho or is it Gus Van Sant's excuse for making this? I am nearly speechless because I am thinking of this excuse for a movie (it doesn't deserve to be considered a film.) The best part of the original Psycho (1960) wasn't the script or the directing, but the acting. The whole point of Psycho is how tense the scenes between Norman and the Crane Sisters. It's acted so brilliantly that you feel like you're one of the characters. Not so much which the remake. The whole point of the Gus Van Sant remake is that they wanted to modernize it. In the first, Norman takes a peek and Marion Crane undressing. In the remake, he masturbates. Find that a slightly repulsive change? I know that I do.
2. Planet of the Apes (2001)
"Get your hands off me you damned dirty ape"
Rumor has it that's what the screenplay yelled at Tim Burton when he decided to direct it. The only good thing about this movie is that they at least tried to change it. They didn't just do a boring, horrible, shot-for-shot remake of the original. That's the only good thing I have to say about the remake. Now onto the bad. Mark Wahlberg (aka Marky-Mark of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch) is not by any means Charlton Heston. I don't think he ever will. He clearly possesses little to no acting talent. After you see this, you will agree. Remember how I said it was good that they changed it a bit. They changed it a lot (including the infamous twist ending.)
3. The Omen (2006)
"Why'd you have to do it?"
I don't think I have to explain this quote at all. This movie is an absolute piece of crap. The only reason it isn't number one is because the Omen (1976) < Planet of the Apes (1968) < Psycho (1960.) I'm not sure there was acting in this movie. Or if there was a screenplay. Or a director. I think they just said "Hey, lets remake the omen!" And here it is. I can't elaborate anymore than that because I already stretched a bit to get this far...
1. Psycho (1998)
"We all go a little mad sometimes"
Is that a quote from psycho or is it Gus Van Sant's excuse for making this? I am nearly speechless because I am thinking of this excuse for a movie (it doesn't deserve to be considered a film.) The best part of the original Psycho (1960) wasn't the script or the directing, but the acting. The whole point of Psycho is how tense the scenes between Norman and the Crane Sisters. It's acted so brilliantly that you feel like you're one of the characters. Not so much which the remake. The whole point of the Gus Van Sant remake is that they wanted to modernize it. In the first, Norman takes a peek and Marion Crane undressing. In the remake, he masturbates. Find that a slightly repulsive change? I know that I do.
2. Planet of the Apes (2001)
"Get your hands off me you damned dirty ape"
Rumor has it that's what the screenplay yelled at Tim Burton when he decided to direct it. The only good thing about this movie is that they at least tried to change it. They didn't just do a boring, horrible, shot-for-shot remake of the original. That's the only good thing I have to say about the remake. Now onto the bad. Mark Wahlberg (aka Marky-Mark of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch) is not by any means Charlton Heston. I don't think he ever will. He clearly possesses little to no acting talent. After you see this, you will agree. Remember how I said it was good that they changed it a bit. They changed it a lot (including the infamous twist ending.)
3. The Omen (2006)
"Why'd you have to do it?"
I don't think I have to explain this quote at all. This movie is an absolute piece of crap. The only reason it isn't number one is because the Omen (1976) < Planet of the Apes (1968) < Psycho (1960.) I'm not sure there was acting in this movie. Or if there was a screenplay. Or a director. I think they just said "Hey, lets remake the omen!" And here it is. I can't elaborate anymore than that because I already stretched a bit to get this far...
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The Best and Worst Remakes (part 1)
With Journey To the Center Of the Earth coming out very soon, I thought now would be a great time to put up a list of the best and worst remakes in cinematic history. This post will be dedicated to the three best remakes. The next will be dedicated to the three worst.
1. The Departed (2006)
Did you guys know this was a remake? Well it was. It was a remake of Internal Affairs (1990.) The Departed is a story that spins on a dime. The basic plot-line is that Matt Damon is taken under the wing of Jack Nicholson; Jack Nicholson is the leader of the Irish Mob in that area. Matt Damon then becomes a cop to give the Mob an edge over the cops; giving them an inside man. At the same time, Leonardo DiCaprio changes his accent to change his origin and becomes an undercover cop inside the Irish Mob. He is taken under the wing of Martin Sheen. At the same time, Mark Wahlberg is a cop who is suspicious of Matt Damon. They all try to find the rats and (strangely enough) Leo is in charge of looking for the undercover cop and Matt Damon is looking for the inside man in the police. Add all these actors, a brilliant script, and Martin Scorsese together and you get a great film. What I really like about this film is that the song "Comfortably Numb" plays twice in it. Why do I like that fact so much? Because in the video for that song, the character plays with a rat and gets a fever. Coincidence that The Departed is entirely about the fact that rats are dangerous?
2. A Bug's Life (1998)
Now, two things come with me putting this here. 1. What's this a remake of? 2. Where's The Magnificent Seven? Seven Samurai, and not on here. I didn't put The Magnificent Seven on here because (a) I haven't seen it (b) it's kind of bizzare to Americanize a foreign film (c) everyone puts it on their list. So, back to A Bug's Life I bet you didn't know that it was a remake of Seven Samurai. Now think about the plot; a bunch of ants find out that they are about to get attacked by grasshoppers. A brave one decides to hire warriors to protect themselves. They end up being circus performers. O.K. so that part isn't in Seven Samurai but it can't be a coincidence that there are seven bugs and that the basic plot is very similar. A Bug's Life was so great because it was one of the few films that was equally entertaining for children and adults. Most films go one way or another, but A Bug's Life managed to stay neutral.
3. Casino Royale (2006)
Have you seen the original? Do me a favor and try to forget that it exists. It was made by five directors and was an attempt at comedy. Let's put it this way; rumor has it that Peter Sellers quit early because he found out Orson Welles was going to be in it. They finished the film without him and changed the script so that he didn't appear in any other scenes. So now you know the star power the original had. Other than that, there was nothing (I mean absolutely nothing) good about this film. The remake was smart, action packed with a script co-written by Oscar Winner Paul Haggis (Best Original Screenplay for Crash in 2006.) He also wrote Million Dollar Baby and Letters From Iwo Jima. I almost feel bad calling this a remake because the resumé of this screenwriter makes it at a totally different level. The original was a trashy comedy. The second one was nominated for the Best British Film Award at the BAFTA's. Which one sounds better to you?
1. The Departed (2006)
Did you guys know this was a remake? Well it was. It was a remake of Internal Affairs (1990.) The Departed is a story that spins on a dime. The basic plot-line is that Matt Damon is taken under the wing of Jack Nicholson; Jack Nicholson is the leader of the Irish Mob in that area. Matt Damon then becomes a cop to give the Mob an edge over the cops; giving them an inside man. At the same time, Leonardo DiCaprio changes his accent to change his origin and becomes an undercover cop inside the Irish Mob. He is taken under the wing of Martin Sheen. At the same time, Mark Wahlberg is a cop who is suspicious of Matt Damon. They all try to find the rats and (strangely enough) Leo is in charge of looking for the undercover cop and Matt Damon is looking for the inside man in the police. Add all these actors, a brilliant script, and Martin Scorsese together and you get a great film. What I really like about this film is that the song "Comfortably Numb" plays twice in it. Why do I like that fact so much? Because in the video for that song, the character plays with a rat and gets a fever. Coincidence that The Departed is entirely about the fact that rats are dangerous?
2. A Bug's Life (1998)
Now, two things come with me putting this here. 1. What's this a remake of? 2. Where's The Magnificent Seven? Seven Samurai, and not on here. I didn't put The Magnificent Seven on here because (a) I haven't seen it (b) it's kind of bizzare to Americanize a foreign film (c) everyone puts it on their list. So, back to A Bug's Life I bet you didn't know that it was a remake of Seven Samurai. Now think about the plot; a bunch of ants find out that they are about to get attacked by grasshoppers. A brave one decides to hire warriors to protect themselves. They end up being circus performers. O.K. so that part isn't in Seven Samurai but it can't be a coincidence that there are seven bugs and that the basic plot is very similar. A Bug's Life was so great because it was one of the few films that was equally entertaining for children and adults. Most films go one way or another, but A Bug's Life managed to stay neutral.
3. Casino Royale (2006)
Have you seen the original? Do me a favor and try to forget that it exists. It was made by five directors and was an attempt at comedy. Let's put it this way; rumor has it that Peter Sellers quit early because he found out Orson Welles was going to be in it. They finished the film without him and changed the script so that he didn't appear in any other scenes. So now you know the star power the original had. Other than that, there was nothing (I mean absolutely nothing) good about this film. The remake was smart, action packed with a script co-written by Oscar Winner Paul Haggis (Best Original Screenplay for Crash in 2006.) He also wrote Million Dollar Baby and Letters From Iwo Jima. I almost feel bad calling this a remake because the resumé of this screenwriter makes it at a totally different level. The original was a trashy comedy. The second one was nominated for the Best British Film Award at the BAFTA's. Which one sounds better to you?
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Great Indie Films You Never Cared About (70's)
This is my final installment to my trilogy of posts. I would like to do one for the 60's, but since it was so long ago, almost all of the great movies (and a lot of not so great) are famous ones that everyone has seen.
1. Hair (1979)
"-Who are you doing it for [referring to going to war]?
-I'm doing it for you man.
-Well don't. Because if the shoe was on the other foot, I wouldn't do it for you."
The last great musical to come out of Hollywood until the 2000's. What makes Hair exception (besides the music) is that it truly captures the lives of hippies. It showed us that most of the troubles of war didn't come from the battlefield at all. The plot of Hair is that Claude Hoover Bukowski encounters a hippie tribe with names such as Woolf, Burger and Hud. We don't know most of their real names, and somehow we don't care. Anyway, Claude wants to see New York City before he goes off to war (whether he is drafted or volunteered is unspecified.) The hippies befriend him and give him a true welcome to New York. Back to the music. The music consists of classics such as "Let the Sunshine In," "Aquarius," "Hair" and "Good Morning Starshine." It's safe to say that you've heard at least two of these at some point in your life. Now that I got that out of my system, back to the plot. The ending is quite possibly the most heartbreaking ending of any musical I have ever seen (even more so than West Side Story and The Sound of Music combined.) It's fairly easy to find (it airs on TCM fairly often [once a month]) and is on Netflix and is in the library I go to. You won't have much trouble finding it.
2. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
"What ever happened to Faye Wray? That delicate, satin draped frame? As it clung to her thigh, how I started to cry, because I wanted to be dressed just the same. Give yourself over to absolute pleasure. Swim the warm waters of sins of the flesh. Erotic nightmares beyond any measure and wonderful memories you can treasure forever. Can you feel it? Don't dream it, be it."
This is one rare film where I can actually say that I laughed and I cried and I had a great time. This movie always makes me melt every time I see the last scene (the floor show.) I think that it was intended to be both campy and serious at the same time (not unlike Ferris Bueller's day off.) Now, let me try to describe the plot to those of you who haven't seen it. Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) decide to go see their friend and ex-tutor Dr. Everrett Von Scott (Jonathan Adams.) On the way, they get a flat tire and to go a nearby castle. They are greeted by a creepy, hunchbacked handyman named Riff Raff (screenwriter Richard O'Brian.) As they enter, they are greeted by the maid Magenta (Patricia Quinn.) The castle belongs to Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry.) Dr. Frank-N-Furter is a "Sweet Transvestite from Transsexual Transylvania." He is building a sex slave who he calls Rocky (Peter Hindwood.) From there, strange stuff happens. Thats the basic plot. Overall, this is an extremely strange film with a lot of fun and great music.
3. Manhattan (1979)
"Oh really you liked that? I thought it was gimmicky."
The reason I used that quote is for one reason alone; that is how the conversation usually goes when I say I like Manhattan. Time for me to quote a critic. Roger Ebert said, "Watching it again, I realize is isn't about love, but loss." That's something that most people fail to grasp. Romantic-comedies don't all have to be happy, or even about love. No one in Manhattan is happy (both the movie and the city.) I can't describe the plot more than saying that boy meets girl. Boy is 40ish, she is a teenager. That's about it. As several hundred people have said, the main character isn't Woody Allen's, Meryl Streep's or Diane Keatons, but it is the city of Manhattan. Nothing else happens except for more and more of that. What astonishes me is that Woody Allen managed to shoot it in black and white. This is something that I feel is usually forgotten. Woody Allen shot in black and white when no one else was. He kept it alive by making it the most beautiful film he has ever made.
4. Marathon Man (1979)
"Is it safe?"
That's the famous quote. there isn't much other important dialog that I would quote. What makes this suspense film exceptional is not only the performances, or the script that climaxes perfectly, or the "what's around that corner" directing, or the eerie soundtrack, but a mix of all of these concepts. For most films I like to talk on and on about, but this one, you're better off going into it without knowing anything. So for once, I'm just saying, "Go see this movie because I say so!"
5. The Fiddler On the Roof (1971)
"A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy. But here in Anatevka, you might say we are all like the fiddler on the roof. Trying to scratch out a simple tune, without breaking his neck. You might ask why he stays up there. Well, because it is our home, we are happy here. You might ask how we keep order in a society like that. That I can explain in one word: Tradition!"
That opening monologue basically tells you the whole film. The plot is that a Russian milkman must marry off his five daughters as they go from oldest to youngest they start to break the sacred tradition more and more. By this part of the list, you probably know that I like musicals a lot. I personally consider this to be the best stage musical ever created. I personally like it for how it manages to be so long without being boring, manages to have incredible music, manages to make us love all the characters (even the ones some characters hate) and accomplishes so much in it's time. That's all I can really say about Fiddler. So once again, see this movie.
1. Hair (1979)
"-Who are you doing it for [referring to going to war]?
-I'm doing it for you man.
-Well don't. Because if the shoe was on the other foot, I wouldn't do it for you."
The last great musical to come out of Hollywood until the 2000's. What makes Hair exception (besides the music) is that it truly captures the lives of hippies. It showed us that most of the troubles of war didn't come from the battlefield at all. The plot of Hair is that Claude Hoover Bukowski encounters a hippie tribe with names such as Woolf, Burger and Hud. We don't know most of their real names, and somehow we don't care. Anyway, Claude wants to see New York City before he goes off to war (whether he is drafted or volunteered is unspecified.) The hippies befriend him and give him a true welcome to New York. Back to the music. The music consists of classics such as "Let the Sunshine In," "Aquarius," "Hair" and "Good Morning Starshine." It's safe to say that you've heard at least two of these at some point in your life. Now that I got that out of my system, back to the plot. The ending is quite possibly the most heartbreaking ending of any musical I have ever seen (even more so than West Side Story and The Sound of Music combined.) It's fairly easy to find (it airs on TCM fairly often [once a month]) and is on Netflix and is in the library I go to. You won't have much trouble finding it.
2. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
"What ever happened to Faye Wray? That delicate, satin draped frame? As it clung to her thigh, how I started to cry, because I wanted to be dressed just the same. Give yourself over to absolute pleasure. Swim the warm waters of sins of the flesh. Erotic nightmares beyond any measure and wonderful memories you can treasure forever. Can you feel it? Don't dream it, be it."
This is one rare film where I can actually say that I laughed and I cried and I had a great time. This movie always makes me melt every time I see the last scene (the floor show.) I think that it was intended to be both campy and serious at the same time (not unlike Ferris Bueller's day off.) Now, let me try to describe the plot to those of you who haven't seen it. Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) decide to go see their friend and ex-tutor Dr. Everrett Von Scott (Jonathan Adams.) On the way, they get a flat tire and to go a nearby castle. They are greeted by a creepy, hunchbacked handyman named Riff Raff (screenwriter Richard O'Brian.) As they enter, they are greeted by the maid Magenta (Patricia Quinn.) The castle belongs to Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry.) Dr. Frank-N-Furter is a "Sweet Transvestite from Transsexual Transylvania." He is building a sex slave who he calls Rocky (Peter Hindwood.) From there, strange stuff happens. Thats the basic plot. Overall, this is an extremely strange film with a lot of fun and great music.
3. Manhattan (1979)
"Oh really you liked that? I thought it was gimmicky."
The reason I used that quote is for one reason alone; that is how the conversation usually goes when I say I like Manhattan. Time for me to quote a critic. Roger Ebert said, "Watching it again, I realize is isn't about love, but loss." That's something that most people fail to grasp. Romantic-comedies don't all have to be happy, or even about love. No one in Manhattan is happy (both the movie and the city.) I can't describe the plot more than saying that boy meets girl. Boy is 40ish, she is a teenager. That's about it. As several hundred people have said, the main character isn't Woody Allen's, Meryl Streep's or Diane Keatons, but it is the city of Manhattan. Nothing else happens except for more and more of that. What astonishes me is that Woody Allen managed to shoot it in black and white. This is something that I feel is usually forgotten. Woody Allen shot in black and white when no one else was. He kept it alive by making it the most beautiful film he has ever made.
4. Marathon Man (1979)
"Is it safe?"
That's the famous quote. there isn't much other important dialog that I would quote. What makes this suspense film exceptional is not only the performances, or the script that climaxes perfectly, or the "what's around that corner" directing, or the eerie soundtrack, but a mix of all of these concepts. For most films I like to talk on and on about, but this one, you're better off going into it without knowing anything. So for once, I'm just saying, "Go see this movie because I say so!"
5. The Fiddler On the Roof (1971)
"A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy. But here in Anatevka, you might say we are all like the fiddler on the roof. Trying to scratch out a simple tune, without breaking his neck. You might ask why he stays up there. Well, because it is our home, we are happy here. You might ask how we keep order in a society like that. That I can explain in one word: Tradition!"
That opening monologue basically tells you the whole film. The plot is that a Russian milkman must marry off his five daughters as they go from oldest to youngest they start to break the sacred tradition more and more. By this part of the list, you probably know that I like musicals a lot. I personally consider this to be the best stage musical ever created. I personally like it for how it manages to be so long without being boring, manages to have incredible music, manages to make us love all the characters (even the ones some characters hate) and accomplishes so much in it's time. That's all I can really say about Fiddler. So once again, see this movie.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Great Indie Films You Never Cared About (80's)
Here's the second installment of my new series
1. Blood Simple (1983)
(No Quote)
The reason I put no quote for Blood Simple is because the entire film is based around using silence to build up the suspense. It may be the most effective thriller that Hitchcock didn't make. The best part about this film is that you don't really know what's going on until the characters find out what's going on. Frances McDormand plays a two-timing wife who's husband pays someone to stalk her. In case you didn't read my first post similar to this, you should know that I will not tell you anymore than the extremely basic plot. Beyond the minimal amounts of dialog and use of silence, it took the risk of creating a modern style ultra-noir-film. A nice fact is that this is the only film I know of where the director's cut is shorter than the theatrical film.
2. Fame (1980)
"I sing the body electric. I celebrate the difference in life. I toast to my own reunion. When I become one with the earth. And I'll look back on Venus. And I'll look back on Mars. And I'll burn with the fire, of ten million stars. And in time, and in time, we will all be stars."
Those simple lyrics give me chills each time. Fame is a musical of intertwining stories that is FAR better than the play and the television show. The film contains incredible songs such as "Fame," "I Sing the Body Electric," and (my personal favorite from the film) "Out Here On My Own." Fame is brilliantly acted and the direction is even better. A film teacher of mine once said that you can look at a film in two ways; a window or a painting. Director Allen Parker forces you to see Fame like watching a window. You are slowly drawn into everyone's lives and problems until it climaxes so brilliantly that you feel like your world is going to explode. It stretches on for 134 minutes and never drags; not for a minute.
3. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
"And I quote, 'I don't believe in Beatles, I only believe in me.' Good point there, but then again, he was The Walrus."
We have all seen it. We all remember nearly laughing to death the first time we saw it. We don't remember what happens to Cameron at the end of it. You will probably think I'm crazy in saying that I believe Ferris Bueller's Day Off succeeds both as an 80's comedy, and as a coming of age drama. Cameron (in one of the last scenes) realizes that he's stuck with his father and decides to come up above it. He decides to live with whatever his father is going to do to him. It's about celebrating the people who improve our lives. Ferris causes Cameron to be more rebellious in a single day. You probably think I'm crazy already, but try watching it again with what I said in mind.
4. Stand By Me (1986)
"If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life? Easy! Cherry flavored PEZ."
Rob Reiner directed this between Spinal Tap and the Princess Bride, thus eclipsing Stand By Me. Based on Stephen King's novella "The Body" from the book Different Seasons. Stand By Me tells the story of four kids: one is an aspiring writer; another is the tough guy who's stands by the writer; another is the stereotypical fat kid; and the final one is a psychotic nerd with a shell-shocked father. They all hear about a body that was buried a far distance from where they live. They go out to find the body hoping that they become heroes but get mixed up with the teenagers who killed him. It tells us the story of friendship, loyalty, and above all, courage.
5. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
"The worst are the fundamentalist preachers, third-rate con men, telling the poor suckers that watch them that they speak with Jesus... and to please send in money. Money, money, money! If Jesus came back, and saw what's going on in his name, he'd never stop throwing up."
You're probably saying that Hannah and Her Sisters got enough acclaim. I disagree entirely. If there is a critic who didn't give this at least 3½ stars, I consider it extremely under-appreciated. It's about Hannah (Mia Farrow) and her two sisters, Lee (Barbara Hershey) and Holly (Dianne Wiest.) Holly is a wreck who is an aspiring actress and former cocaine addict. Hannah was in a play for a while successfully and now settled down with Elliot (Michael Caine.) Elliot has a crush on Lee. Lee is a mess as well and is dating an extremely boring man (Max von Sydow) much older than her who is far more intelligent than she. Hannah's ex husband is infertile and a hypochondriac (Woody Allen.) Woody Allen writes and directs. If you watch this, look out for the scene where the three sisters are at a table in a restaurant about an hour into the film. My favorite shot occurs right then. The camera circles them perfectly, each of their faces slowly unveiled. The camera keeps on moving. I think I know what it symbolizes but it's much better off for you to decide for yourself.
1. Blood Simple (1983)
(No Quote)
The reason I put no quote for Blood Simple is because the entire film is based around using silence to build up the suspense. It may be the most effective thriller that Hitchcock didn't make. The best part about this film is that you don't really know what's going on until the characters find out what's going on. Frances McDormand plays a two-timing wife who's husband pays someone to stalk her. In case you didn't read my first post similar to this, you should know that I will not tell you anymore than the extremely basic plot. Beyond the minimal amounts of dialog and use of silence, it took the risk of creating a modern style ultra-noir-film. A nice fact is that this is the only film I know of where the director's cut is shorter than the theatrical film.
2. Fame (1980)
"I sing the body electric. I celebrate the difference in life. I toast to my own reunion. When I become one with the earth. And I'll look back on Venus. And I'll look back on Mars. And I'll burn with the fire, of ten million stars. And in time, and in time, we will all be stars."
Those simple lyrics give me chills each time. Fame is a musical of intertwining stories that is FAR better than the play and the television show. The film contains incredible songs such as "Fame," "I Sing the Body Electric," and (my personal favorite from the film) "Out Here On My Own." Fame is brilliantly acted and the direction is even better. A film teacher of mine once said that you can look at a film in two ways; a window or a painting. Director Allen Parker forces you to see Fame like watching a window. You are slowly drawn into everyone's lives and problems until it climaxes so brilliantly that you feel like your world is going to explode. It stretches on for 134 minutes and never drags; not for a minute.
3. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
"And I quote, 'I don't believe in Beatles, I only believe in me.' Good point there, but then again, he was The Walrus."
We have all seen it. We all remember nearly laughing to death the first time we saw it. We don't remember what happens to Cameron at the end of it. You will probably think I'm crazy in saying that I believe Ferris Bueller's Day Off succeeds both as an 80's comedy, and as a coming of age drama. Cameron (in one of the last scenes) realizes that he's stuck with his father and decides to come up above it. He decides to live with whatever his father is going to do to him. It's about celebrating the people who improve our lives. Ferris causes Cameron to be more rebellious in a single day. You probably think I'm crazy already, but try watching it again with what I said in mind.
4. Stand By Me (1986)
"If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life? Easy! Cherry flavored PEZ."
Rob Reiner directed this between Spinal Tap and the Princess Bride, thus eclipsing Stand By Me. Based on Stephen King's novella "The Body" from the book Different Seasons. Stand By Me tells the story of four kids: one is an aspiring writer; another is the tough guy who's stands by the writer; another is the stereotypical fat kid; and the final one is a psychotic nerd with a shell-shocked father. They all hear about a body that was buried a far distance from where they live. They go out to find the body hoping that they become heroes but get mixed up with the teenagers who killed him. It tells us the story of friendship, loyalty, and above all, courage.
5. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
"The worst are the fundamentalist preachers, third-rate con men, telling the poor suckers that watch them that they speak with Jesus... and to please send in money. Money, money, money! If Jesus came back, and saw what's going on in his name, he'd never stop throwing up."
You're probably saying that Hannah and Her Sisters got enough acclaim. I disagree entirely. If there is a critic who didn't give this at least 3½ stars, I consider it extremely under-appreciated. It's about Hannah (Mia Farrow) and her two sisters, Lee (Barbara Hershey) and Holly (Dianne Wiest.) Holly is a wreck who is an aspiring actress and former cocaine addict. Hannah was in a play for a while successfully and now settled down with Elliot (Michael Caine.) Elliot has a crush on Lee. Lee is a mess as well and is dating an extremely boring man (Max von Sydow) much older than her who is far more intelligent than she. Hannah's ex husband is infertile and a hypochondriac (Woody Allen.) Woody Allen writes and directs. If you watch this, look out for the scene where the three sisters are at a table in a restaurant about an hour into the film. My favorite shot occurs right then. The camera circles them perfectly, each of their faces slowly unveiled. The camera keeps on moving. I think I know what it symbolizes but it's much better off for you to decide for yourself.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Great Indie Films You Never Cared About (90's)
I realized that a lot of incredible films that no one really cares about. I think that it makes perfect sense to recommend a few that very few people give a crap about. I start out each one with a quote from the film that I personally find incredible. Some of these won't make sense until you see the films. These are a few from the 90's
1. The Iron Giant (1999)
"You are who you choose to be. Who do you want to be?"
"SUUUUUPEEEERRR MAAAAAAN"
Why nobody cares about this film I cannot imagine. It is one of the few animated films that isn't Disney, PIXAR or Dreamworks. It tells the unforgettable story of a young boy named Hogarth who befriends a large iron giant. He hides him in his new friend's junkyard. I don't want to give anything away, but let's just say that the ending will be as heartbreaking as any film you have ever seen.
2. Barton Fink (1991)
"You think you know pain. You don't know pain! You're just a tourist with a typewriter. I live here goddamnit!"
The utterly strange and incredibly original film from the Coen Brothers tells the story of Barton Fink. Barton wrote a play that was successful in New York and then moves to Hollywood to write B-Movies. When Barton is assigned to write a film about wresting, he looks to the common man for help. He is struck with writers block and spends a lot of time with his neighbor Charley. At the same time, he meets his favorite novelist (who is involved with his secretary) and they almost become friends. Barton forges a strange relationship with the novelist's secretary. That's just the beginning. I would never even dream of explaining the quote I put for this film because it ruins the entire film.
3. The Cider House Rules (1999)
"Good night you princes of Maine; you kings of New England."
Michael Caine's performance eclipses that of Tobey MacGuire and the script and the directing. This adaptation of Irving's novel is great in the sense that it makes you feel like you're in the orphanage for the beginning segment, and by the time Tobey leaves, you feel like you have left. Once he gets to the cider house, you will be amazed at how much it can twist and turn.
4. Everyone Says I Love You (1997)
"Your son has experienced lack of blood flow to the brain. Has he exhibited any strange behavior [he recently became a Republican.]"
Woody Allen creates a flawless musical film that is fun from first frame to last. With an all-star cast of Ed Norton, Drew Barrymore, Natasha Lyone, Tim Roth, Allen Alda, and Woody Allen, this intertwining musical of rich people in love has an incredible score, brilliant dance numbers, and obviously, that razor-sharp Woody Allen humor. From great songs such as "Just You, Just Me?" and "Enjoy Yourself! It's Later Than You Think" to the genuine feeling of happiness, this is a true musical treasure.
5. Magnolia (1999)
"Are there frogs falling from the sky?"
Yes, there are. That's probably why very few people went to see this film. They heard that it starts off with the story of a boy trying to kill himself by jumping off a roof but while falling down is shot by his mom because he loaded the gun that the mom threatens her husband with; thus making him an accessory to his own murder. If that grasped you, see this film now. It is one of the best epics of my time (at 3 hours and 8 minutes long) and is quite possibly the best P.T. Anderson film. If you are willing to suspend disbelief, this film is perfect for you. Everyone is connected all by coincidence. And by the way (in case you haven't heard about this yet,) frogs fall from the sky in the end. Is it biblical? Probably. Has it happened? Yes. There was a strange moment in Florida not very long ago where a tropical storm got caught over warm water for a little while and sucked out the water, leaving the frogs in the eye. The frogs were then launched out when the tropical storm moved. Still believe in coincidence?
1. The Iron Giant (1999)
"You are who you choose to be. Who do you want to be?"
"SUUUUUPEEEERRR MAAAAAAN"
Why nobody cares about this film I cannot imagine. It is one of the few animated films that isn't Disney, PIXAR or Dreamworks. It tells the unforgettable story of a young boy named Hogarth who befriends a large iron giant. He hides him in his new friend's junkyard. I don't want to give anything away, but let's just say that the ending will be as heartbreaking as any film you have ever seen.
2. Barton Fink (1991)
"You think you know pain. You don't know pain! You're just a tourist with a typewriter. I live here goddamnit!"
The utterly strange and incredibly original film from the Coen Brothers tells the story of Barton Fink. Barton wrote a play that was successful in New York and then moves to Hollywood to write B-Movies. When Barton is assigned to write a film about wresting, he looks to the common man for help. He is struck with writers block and spends a lot of time with his neighbor Charley. At the same time, he meets his favorite novelist (who is involved with his secretary) and they almost become friends. Barton forges a strange relationship with the novelist's secretary. That's just the beginning. I would never even dream of explaining the quote I put for this film because it ruins the entire film.
3. The Cider House Rules (1999)
"Good night you princes of Maine; you kings of New England."
Michael Caine's performance eclipses that of Tobey MacGuire and the script and the directing. This adaptation of Irving's novel is great in the sense that it makes you feel like you're in the orphanage for the beginning segment, and by the time Tobey leaves, you feel like you have left. Once he gets to the cider house, you will be amazed at how much it can twist and turn.
4. Everyone Says I Love You (1997)
"Your son has experienced lack of blood flow to the brain. Has he exhibited any strange behavior [he recently became a Republican.]"
Woody Allen creates a flawless musical film that is fun from first frame to last. With an all-star cast of Ed Norton, Drew Barrymore, Natasha Lyone, Tim Roth, Allen Alda, and Woody Allen, this intertwining musical of rich people in love has an incredible score, brilliant dance numbers, and obviously, that razor-sharp Woody Allen humor. From great songs such as "Just You, Just Me?" and "Enjoy Yourself! It's Later Than You Think" to the genuine feeling of happiness, this is a true musical treasure.
5. Magnolia (1999)
"Are there frogs falling from the sky?"
Yes, there are. That's probably why very few people went to see this film. They heard that it starts off with the story of a boy trying to kill himself by jumping off a roof but while falling down is shot by his mom because he loaded the gun that the mom threatens her husband with; thus making him an accessory to his own murder. If that grasped you, see this film now. It is one of the best epics of my time (at 3 hours and 8 minutes long) and is quite possibly the best P.T. Anderson film. If you are willing to suspend disbelief, this film is perfect for you. Everyone is connected all by coincidence. And by the way (in case you haven't heard about this yet,) frogs fall from the sky in the end. Is it biblical? Probably. Has it happened? Yes. There was a strange moment in Florida not very long ago where a tropical storm got caught over warm water for a little while and sucked out the water, leaving the frogs in the eye. The frogs were then launched out when the tropical storm moved. Still believe in coincidence?
Friday, July 4, 2008
Waking Life (2001)
The Cast/Crew:
Directed by Richard Linklater
Written by Richard Linklater
Starring Wiley Wiggins (The Dreamer,) Ethan Hawke, Richard Linklater
The Basic Synopsis:
The unnamed main character who I (and most people) refer to as "The Dreamer" isn't sure if he's awake or if he's asleep. He has many false awakenings and listens to many brilliant thinkers about existentialism, dreaming, evolution and reincarnation. This is shown through what is now known as "rotoscoping." Rotoscoping is animating and then placing that on top of live-action footage.
How it Turned Out:
I personally think it is without a doubt in the top ten animated films I have seen. The synopsis probably doesn't pull you in, but I was hooked on it the moment it began. We know very little about any of the characters. In fact, there are only three characters we see more than once. We see the car-boat driver, the Dreamer and the pinball player more than once each. I think I should give you fair warning before I tell you to see this (and I will tell you to;) this is one of the most divisive films I have seen in my life. You can very easily love this film. It's even easier to hate it because of how obvious it is. Don't go in with an opinion. Just see it and wait until the very last second to decide if you like it or not.
My Favorite Part:
When Linklater gives his speech about Phillip K. Dick rewriting the Book of Acts and then deciding that time is going on at the same time as 50 AD. Linklater then says that he believes time is God asking us whether we want to move on and die. We keep saying no until we want to die and say yes. We then learn that time is all happening at once. 50AD, 2008AD and whenever are all at the same time. Imaging listening to incredibly written speeches like that for about 105 minutes and you get Waking Life.
What I Also Love About It:
Soon to be superstar Linklater directed this and was nominated for a few awarks for best director (don't forget, this is animated.) I find his directing in this to be genious and definitely deserves to be nominated (deserves to lose to Lynch for Mulholland Dr. though.)
Who's Great in It:
Wiley Wiggins is incredible as the Dreamer and Linklater gives a great (yet brief) performance as the pin-ball machine guy.
I Usually Don't Say this...:
This is one of the few films that I believe can change a person's life. There are so many ideas in this film and all of them make sense. It's up to you to choose which you believe in.
The Bottom Line:
A mindblowing, mesmerizing, brilliant, talky animated film. 4/4 Stars
Directed by Richard Linklater
Written by Richard Linklater
Starring Wiley Wiggins (The Dreamer,) Ethan Hawke, Richard Linklater
The Basic Synopsis:
The unnamed main character who I (and most people) refer to as "The Dreamer" isn't sure if he's awake or if he's asleep. He has many false awakenings and listens to many brilliant thinkers about existentialism, dreaming, evolution and reincarnation. This is shown through what is now known as "rotoscoping." Rotoscoping is animating and then placing that on top of live-action footage.
How it Turned Out:
I personally think it is without a doubt in the top ten animated films I have seen. The synopsis probably doesn't pull you in, but I was hooked on it the moment it began. We know very little about any of the characters. In fact, there are only three characters we see more than once. We see the car-boat driver, the Dreamer and the pinball player more than once each. I think I should give you fair warning before I tell you to see this (and I will tell you to;) this is one of the most divisive films I have seen in my life. You can very easily love this film. It's even easier to hate it because of how obvious it is. Don't go in with an opinion. Just see it and wait until the very last second to decide if you like it or not.
My Favorite Part:
When Linklater gives his speech about Phillip K. Dick rewriting the Book of Acts and then deciding that time is going on at the same time as 50 AD. Linklater then says that he believes time is God asking us whether we want to move on and die. We keep saying no until we want to die and say yes. We then learn that time is all happening at once. 50AD, 2008AD and whenever are all at the same time. Imaging listening to incredibly written speeches like that for about 105 minutes and you get Waking Life.
What I Also Love About It:
Soon to be superstar Linklater directed this and was nominated for a few awarks for best director (don't forget, this is animated.) I find his directing in this to be genious and definitely deserves to be nominated (deserves to lose to Lynch for Mulholland Dr. though.)
Who's Great in It:
Wiley Wiggins is incredible as the Dreamer and Linklater gives a great (yet brief) performance as the pin-ball machine guy.
I Usually Don't Say this...:
This is one of the few films that I believe can change a person's life. There are so many ideas in this film and all of them make sense. It's up to you to choose which you believe in.
The Bottom Line:
A mindblowing, mesmerizing, brilliant, talky animated film. 4/4 Stars
Half Nelson (2006)
The Cast/Crew:
Directed by Ryan Fleck
Written by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden
Starring: Ryan Gosling (Dan Dunne) and Shareeka Epps (Drey)
The Basic Synopsis:
Ryan Gosling is a teacher at a mostly black middle school. He coaches the girl's basketball team as well. He does drugs in his spare time (he just got out of rehab) and after a tough game that his team lost miserably, he decides to smoke a bit in the girls locker room. After asking if anyone is in there, he crawls into the stall and starts smoking. Drey (Epps) walks in and sees him smoking. Little do we know that Drey is related to the drug dealer who supplies Coach Dunne with his drugs. Coach Dunne tries to be a good role model for Drey, but that one encounter gets in the way. They slowly develop a strange relationship (as friends) that some people don't approve of.
How It Turned Out:
A nearly flawless film. What I loved about it (this is kind of a stupid thing to like about a film) is that there was a shot that I am certain was taken from a Norman Rockwell painting. You have all seen it; a little boy talking to a policeman and there is a satchel on the floor that belongs to the boy. All of this is shown from the back. This happens with Drey and one of her relatives. I am very uncertain about the intentions of this. Perhaps it's to show that Drey exists everywhere; that you've seen her before without knowing it. Perhaps it's to say that Drey should run away but she doesn't have a policeman to get help from. Anything is possible with this film.
What I also loved about it:
It reminds me of a Davil Lynch film because we don't really know what it symbolizes, it's all over the place and it's a lot of fun in a very sadistic way.
The best part about it:
Epps and Gosling take you into their worlds and they don't let you leave it. Gosling plays the perfect slightly creepy, all-too-realistic-teacher. Epps plays an ordinary girl who doesn't even have a last name and is never awkward in the scenes with Gosling. I don't believe she did anything huge before this, but she definitely will in the future.
A Word About the Critics:
Many critics came down very hard on how the relationship between Coach Dunne and Drey is unrealistic. As a highscool student myself, I can truly say that relationships like this (and some much more more intimate) exist.
The Bottom Line:
Flawless Directing. Nearly flawless script. Flawless acting. Nearly flawless film. 4/4 Stars
Directed by Ryan Fleck
Written by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden
Starring: Ryan Gosling (Dan Dunne) and Shareeka Epps (Drey)
The Basic Synopsis:
Ryan Gosling is a teacher at a mostly black middle school. He coaches the girl's basketball team as well. He does drugs in his spare time (he just got out of rehab) and after a tough game that his team lost miserably, he decides to smoke a bit in the girls locker room. After asking if anyone is in there, he crawls into the stall and starts smoking. Drey (Epps) walks in and sees him smoking. Little do we know that Drey is related to the drug dealer who supplies Coach Dunne with his drugs. Coach Dunne tries to be a good role model for Drey, but that one encounter gets in the way. They slowly develop a strange relationship (as friends) that some people don't approve of.
How It Turned Out:
A nearly flawless film. What I loved about it (this is kind of a stupid thing to like about a film) is that there was a shot that I am certain was taken from a Norman Rockwell painting. You have all seen it; a little boy talking to a policeman and there is a satchel on the floor that belongs to the boy. All of this is shown from the back. This happens with Drey and one of her relatives. I am very uncertain about the intentions of this. Perhaps it's to show that Drey exists everywhere; that you've seen her before without knowing it. Perhaps it's to say that Drey should run away but she doesn't have a policeman to get help from. Anything is possible with this film.
What I also loved about it:
It reminds me of a Davil Lynch film because we don't really know what it symbolizes, it's all over the place and it's a lot of fun in a very sadistic way.
The best part about it:
Epps and Gosling take you into their worlds and they don't let you leave it. Gosling plays the perfect slightly creepy, all-too-realistic-teacher. Epps plays an ordinary girl who doesn't even have a last name and is never awkward in the scenes with Gosling. I don't believe she did anything huge before this, but she definitely will in the future.
A Word About the Critics:
Many critics came down very hard on how the relationship between Coach Dunne and Drey is unrealistic. As a highscool student myself, I can truly say that relationships like this (and some much more more intimate) exist.
The Bottom Line:
Flawless Directing. Nearly flawless script. Flawless acting. Nearly flawless film. 4/4 Stars
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