Good week for movies

Being in college right now is making this project just as difficult as I imagined. I have been able to keep up with the schedule, doubling up a couple of times due to nights I don't have the time to watch, but finding time to write out my thoughts is incredibly difficult. So, here I am trying to catch up again.

The NeverEnding Story (1984)

This is such a wonderful story of a boy, Bastion, who is trying to cope with losing his mother by burying himself in books. One day, he happens upon a book that is a bit different, and the rest of the movie is the book told through his eyes.

This was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid, and really holds a special place in my heart. Being a girl who read a lot, I could definitely relate with the main character.

I had no idea that Wolfgang Petersen directed this. He made this only a few years after Das Boot. He would not have been my first choice for a director of a kids' movie.

OMG I forgot that that's the kid from D.A.R.Y.L.! I can't believe I haven't bought that movie yet.

Holy cow! Major Dad plays the kid's dad!

This is one of the only 80s movies I can think of that doesn't annoy me with its synthesizer music. For some reason, it fits perfectly. Or maybe it's because this is a German movie, so it's just not as bad.

The first scene in Fantasia still blows me away. The set design and characters are so unique and fascinating that even as an adult I was intrigued. The Rock Eater still looks cool after all these years.

If this movie has any real weakness, it's the kid who played Atreyu, the young hero in the book. Dude can't act at all. Luckily, he isn't really asked to have that great of a range, but the scene near the beginning where his horse sinks and dies was excruciating to watch. On the other hand, the kid who played Bastion was great, which is no surprise because he did a few movies I really liked (D.A.R.Y.L.!).

After 25 years, I finally know the name the kid screams out at the end, "Moon Child". Thanks to Wikipedia. No one in my family could ever figure it out. If I hadn't looked it up, I still wouldn't know. It's a bloody crime that the DVD isn't in 5.1 sound.

Silverado (1985)

Kevin Kline: the dude who doesn't like his stuff messed with
Scott Glenn: the dude who teams up with Kevin Kline
Danny Glover: the black dude who teams up with Kevin Kline
Kevin Costner: Scott Glenn's wild young brother who teams up with Kevin Kline
Brian Dennehy: Kevin Kline's former partner who is now a corrupt sheriff
John Cleese: an English sheriff
Jeff Goldblum: creepy gambler dude

This is such a wonderful 80s western which introduced me to Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn and Kevin Costner back when it first came out. It is also one of the few movies written by the dude that wrote The Empire Strikes Back. So it comes as no surprise that there is such a funny and charming interaction between all the characters.

I love westerns, but by the time this film came out, westerns were no longer popular. I think this one did well because the writing and acting are outstanding.

All of the actors are great in this movie, but I really must single out John Cleese. I had forgotten he was in this movie, and I think it was because he gives such a different performance than his normal roles. He has quite a sharp edge in this one. He also has, in my mind, the best lines in the movie.

To my surprise, my husband had never seen this movie before. It was great fun watching the film through his eyes.


Ghostbusters (1984)

Bill Murray: a scientist, so back off
Dan Akroyd: a man with an unusual affection for the Stay Puft Marshmallow man
Harold Ramis: the dude that is always serious
Sigourney Weaver: a woman with an unusual talent for levitating off beds
Rick Moranis: the typical 80s nerd

This movie never, ever gets old. I've seen it so many times that there were several moments where I started laughing before the funny part even happened. Even after all this time, it holds up very well. My husband and I got into a discussion afterwards over whether or not a film like this could even be made today. We came to the conclusion that a filmmaker today would either want to make it more serious or more silly, which is too bad. The movie is perfect as is.

It was very strange to see how young Murray, Akroyd and Ramis look in this movie; and how very thin Akroyd and Ramis are. I can't believe the film is 25 years old. Time does fly. And I can't wait to watch the second one.


Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Topol: Tevye, the papa
Norma Crane: Golda, the mama

I was forced to watch this movie several times growing up. I was usually a bit bored with it, but loved most of the music. Last week was the first time I watched the movie in more than 15 years. What a difference that time made. I actually enjoyed the story just as much as the music this time around. There were clearly a lot of things I did not understand when I was a kid, especially when it came to how Tevye kept trying to manipulate his wife. I had no idea how funny the movie is. I also knew quite a bit more this time around about the oppression of the Jews, the pogroms, in Russia during the late 19th century. This definitely helped me to understand all the dynamics.

I think it also helped to be as old as I am now to appreciate it. I don't think I truly understood the issues over how difficult it is to accept changes in custom and behavior when one reaches a certain age, and how hard one is willing to hold on to the status quo.


Clerks II (2006)

Director: Kevin Smith

Crew of slackers and misfits:

Dante
Randall
Jay
Silent Bob

Clerks was, in my mind, the movie that best explained the slacker phenomenon of the early to mid-90s. In that same vein, the sequel does a great job of illustrating what those same men and women are doing a decade later. I personally know every type of character in the film, from the dude that refuses to grow up, to the guy who is struggling with the idea that he has nothing to show for his life. Just like the first movie, this is one of those movies you either get or don't; not that this is any different from Smith's other films.

This movie shows a new side to Kevin Smith: the willingness to be sappy. It's clear fatherhood has had an effect on him. Luckily, he manages to keep the movie from going overboard. Instead, the movie is sweet and charming. Of course, as with all Kevin Smith movies, there is a ton of immature, raunchy humor and a serious display of fanboyishness. There is a hilarious argument over which is better, Lord of the Rings or Star Wars. Overall, this movie is not for everyone, but I am happy to say it is for me.