Things obviously haven't gone to plan, but here are a few more reviews.
Nightmare on Elm Street 4 (1988)
I actually saw this movie in the theater when it came out; the third one as well. My dad is a big horror film fan and took me to see stuff like this all the time. This is one of my favorite Freddy movies. It uses an interesting conceit - a high school girl has a tendency to experience vivid daydreams, and soon realizes she has a connection to Krueger (Hmm. I wonder why?). She ends up beating him by using the "special dream powers" of all the other kids he has killed in the movie. Silly, yes, but its execution is very amusing. This is the only early film in the series that doesn't even try to be serious. Yes, it's a bad movie, most in the series are, but as a fan of horror films, I think this is funny and scary enough to be enjoyable.
Stripes (1981)
Directed by Ivan Reitman
Starring:
Bill Murray
Harold Ramis
John Candy
John Larroquette
Sean Young
Judge Reinhold
Made a year after the slightly better Private Benjamin, this military comedy still holds up pretty well. The story is slightly similar to the aforementioned Goldie Hawn movie. Two guys in their thirties, played by Bill Murray and Harold Ramis, have depressing lives. One guy decides that the Army is just the thing they both need, so he talks his friend into enlisting with him. Zaniness ensues.
This is probably one of the most uneven films Reitman has ever made. It starts off really well, managing to be very entertaining, until the guys make it out of boot camp half way through and are assigned their mission: guarding a top secret military vehicle/weapon - built like an RV - in Germany. Murray gets the great idea to steal it on the weekend with his friend for kicks and take a vacation in the country. While this is going on, their commander and the rest of the soldiers hunt them down, accidentally winding up in Soviet territory - enemy country back then. Murray and Ramis find out and end up saving the day, thanks to the help of the RV and their former drill sergeant. Overall, it's not as funny as the first half.
The other problem I have is that the love interest part of the story isn't that interesting. Bill Murray and a young Sean Young really don't have much chemistry.
This movie is more than worth watching, though. The first half is filled with classic, hilarious scenes. The graduation parade is my personal favorite. More than anything, this movie is a foreshadow of the next, much better Reitman/Ramis/Murray collaboration - Ghostbusters.
Star Trek (2009)
Directed by J.J. Abrams
Starring:
Chris Pine as James T. Kirk
Zachary Quinto as Spock
Leonard Nimoy as Spock Prime
Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy
Eric Bana as Nero
Simon Pegg as Montgomery Scott
Winona Ryder as Amanda Grayson (Spock's mother)
Ben Cross as Sarak (Spock's father)
Tyler Perry as some admiral (wtf?)
Majel Barrett-Roddenberry as the voice of the Starfleet computer
I bought this movie Tuesday and decided to watch it immediately. As was made obvious back in September, I am a huge Star Trek fan. Watching this series re-boot was exhilarating back in May. However, as much as I enjoyed it, there was something about it that I didn't particularly like. It became quite clear watching it for the second time Tuesday night.
Making the decision to cast new actors for such iconic characters was a huge risk, but it definitely paid off. The actors that played Kirk, Spock and McCoy nailed their parts. Most of the rest were good as well. The only actor I didn't really care for, surprisingly, was Simon Pegg as Scotty. There was just something off about the way he decided to play the engineer.
The main problem with this film is that the first ten minutes are absolutely breathtaking in intensity and emotion. It's all downhill from there. The only thing that saves the first half is that the movie does a great job of introducing all the characters, focusing on Spock and Kirk. The execution of this is extremely entertaining. This is aided in no small part by the fact that all of the actors seem to be have had a great time playing larger than life characters, especially Pine and Quinto. The acting is the best part of this movie.
However, there is a point in this movie, a point which completely changes the time line from the original Star Trek universe, that stands as a definitive marker for when the movie starts to sour. I am not going to say what it is because it absolutely shocked me, and should not be ruined. From the beginning, it's clear that this movie was created as a new, parallel Star Trek universe. However, I did not anticipate one of the changes.
The problem is that the second half of the movie is an action-oriented movie, unlike the first half, which is much more character-oriented. Now, Star Trek is well known for its action. Unfortunately, JJ Abrams and the two screenwriters apparently did not understand what made Star Trek so popular amongst its fans: the characters. In all the Star Trek movies, and in most of the shows, all of the major fight scenes featured sarcastic dialogue and some humorous actions and facial expressions. The second half of this film features absolutely none. Zero. I am at a loss to explain why this is. The action scenes in the first half all did to great effect. To be blunt, the second half of the movie is deadly dull, which is unforgivable because it is mostly non-stop action. This is made even worse by the fact that the villain, Nero, has a number of scenes in the second half. Eric Bana did what he could with the role, but there just wasn't much to him, making his character a bit boring.
The second half of the movie also features ridiculously sloppy writing. Terrible, terrible explanations were given to explain why things were happening or needed to happen. Terrible explanations.
Overall, despite my harsh critique of the second half, I highly recommend this movie. The first ten minutes alone make it worth it. I cried both times. And if that weren't enough, the acting, with the exception of Pegg, is a pure delight. These two things are more than enough to make up for the second half.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Guess Who's Back
This has been a very busy month. Between school, getting sick, getting sick again, and a few other things, I haven't had time to post here. Luckily, I have been keeping up with my movie schedule. I decided tonight to try and post my thoughts on a movie or two a night for the rest of the month. They probably won't be as detailed or even as interesting as I would like, but I suppose I should take what I can get.
Poltergeist (1982)
This was one of my favorite movies growing up. Watching it as an adult, I have an even greater appreciation of how well-written this movie is. Spielberg really knew how to write a good movie back then. I had originally saved this movie for the last day of the month, but after spending several days fighting the flu, I wanted something fun to watch. So, I watched sooner than anticipated.
Here's some general notes I made while watching:
I can't believe JoBeth Williams got top billing above Craig T. Nelson. Even though she was the bigger start at the time, that is such a rare thing.
I cannot believe I forgot about the broadcast signoff.
This has one of the coolest opening scenes of all time. It's weird how much I forgot. And it was so similar to my childhood. My dad always watched television at night, and inevitably when the broadcast signoff would come on, he would be asleep on the couch or recliner.
Holy crap! The parents are smoking pot! I sometimes forget how cool Steven Spielberg used to be.
Oh, the station wagon. I so don't miss you.
There is an awful, awful edit cut at about the 34 minute mark. I looked it up and apparently a bit was cut out because Craig T. Nelson said "I Hate Pizza Hut" in the scene and Pizza Hut took issue.
That small woman is so awesome.
I still believe to this day that that clown is far scarier than the creepy tree.
"This house is clean." How wrong you were, lady.
This movie rocks. It's scary, funny and generally quirky. Everything a Spielberg film used to be.
Ed Wood (1994)
Johnny Depp as Ed Wood
Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi
This was a very strange movie. As a big movie fan, I've know who Ed Wood was for a while, mainly through the notoriety of his Plan 9 From Outer Space, often given the dubious award of worst movie of all time. I suppose I should have known that a guy that would make a movie that bad would be pretty quirky.
I had no idea that Bela Lugosi and Ed Wood had such a close relationship. I am glad, if only because it led to one of the most interesting relationships I've ever seen in a movie. I always though Martin Landau won the Oscar for playing Lugosi as a charity award for much a long career. After seeing the movie, I can say that he more than deserved it. I had to kept reminding myself it was Landau, because the man on the screen looked nothing like him. This is the only time I've ever seen an actor overshadow Johnny Depp.
Landau's performance really saves this movie. I can't imagine it being good without him. The movie is a bit charming, and even sweet, but without Landau the movie would be far too lightweight.
A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All (2008)
Starring:
Stephen Colbert as himself
Elvis Costello as himself
Jon Stewart as himself
John Legend as himself
Willie Nelson as himself
Toby Keith as himself
Leslie Feist as herself
George Wendt as the Godless Killing Machine
Stephen Colbert rocks! So it stands to reason that his Christmas special does as well.
One of the best parts of this special is how closely it nails the old 70s and 80s specials. My personal favorite is the fake audience applause played after Colbert introduces each celebrity. I always thought the clapping was funny when I was a kid.
All of the singing parts are great. I love Jon Stewart's ode to Hanukkah, and Willie Nelson's voice is just as good as it has always been. But my absolute favorite is the call center angel.
The best part of watching this, though, is finding out it was better the second time around. The first time, though I did enjoy it, I found it a bit underwhelming. I suppose that going in this time with no expectations allowed me to just sit back and enjoy it for what it is.
The DVD has some great extras, too. It offers a few alternate endings, a couple of them even better the one they went with. There is also a DVD advent calendar, which was fun to go through.
Over all, this was well worth the money.
Poltergeist (1982)
This was one of my favorite movies growing up. Watching it as an adult, I have an even greater appreciation of how well-written this movie is. Spielberg really knew how to write a good movie back then. I had originally saved this movie for the last day of the month, but after spending several days fighting the flu, I wanted something fun to watch. So, I watched sooner than anticipated.
Here's some general notes I made while watching:
I can't believe JoBeth Williams got top billing above Craig T. Nelson. Even though she was the bigger start at the time, that is such a rare thing.
I cannot believe I forgot about the broadcast signoff.
This has one of the coolest opening scenes of all time. It's weird how much I forgot. And it was so similar to my childhood. My dad always watched television at night, and inevitably when the broadcast signoff would come on, he would be asleep on the couch or recliner.
Holy crap! The parents are smoking pot! I sometimes forget how cool Steven Spielberg used to be.
Oh, the station wagon. I so don't miss you.
There is an awful, awful edit cut at about the 34 minute mark. I looked it up and apparently a bit was cut out because Craig T. Nelson said "I Hate Pizza Hut" in the scene and Pizza Hut took issue.
That small woman is so awesome.
I still believe to this day that that clown is far scarier than the creepy tree.
"This house is clean." How wrong you were, lady.
This movie rocks. It's scary, funny and generally quirky. Everything a Spielberg film used to be.
Ed Wood (1994)
Johnny Depp as Ed Wood
Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi
This was a very strange movie. As a big movie fan, I've know who Ed Wood was for a while, mainly through the notoriety of his Plan 9 From Outer Space, often given the dubious award of worst movie of all time. I suppose I should have known that a guy that would make a movie that bad would be pretty quirky.
I had no idea that Bela Lugosi and Ed Wood had such a close relationship. I am glad, if only because it led to one of the most interesting relationships I've ever seen in a movie. I always though Martin Landau won the Oscar for playing Lugosi as a charity award for much a long career. After seeing the movie, I can say that he more than deserved it. I had to kept reminding myself it was Landau, because the man on the screen looked nothing like him. This is the only time I've ever seen an actor overshadow Johnny Depp.
Landau's performance really saves this movie. I can't imagine it being good without him. The movie is a bit charming, and even sweet, but without Landau the movie would be far too lightweight.
A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All (2008)
Starring:
Stephen Colbert as himself
Elvis Costello as himself
Jon Stewart as himself
John Legend as himself
Willie Nelson as himself
Toby Keith as himself
Leslie Feist as herself
George Wendt as the Godless Killing Machine
Stephen Colbert rocks! So it stands to reason that his Christmas special does as well.
One of the best parts of this special is how closely it nails the old 70s and 80s specials. My personal favorite is the fake audience applause played after Colbert introduces each celebrity. I always thought the clapping was funny when I was a kid.
All of the singing parts are great. I love Jon Stewart's ode to Hanukkah, and Willie Nelson's voice is just as good as it has always been. But my absolute favorite is the call center angel.
The best part of watching this, though, is finding out it was better the second time around. The first time, though I did enjoy it, I found it a bit underwhelming. I suppose that going in this time with no expectations allowed me to just sit back and enjoy it for what it is.
The DVD has some great extras, too. It offers a few alternate endings, a couple of them even better the one they went with. There is also a DVD advent calendar, which was fun to go through.
Over all, this was well worth the money.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
DVD Extras
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
Angela Lansbury - Miss Price; not a rich witch
David Tomlinson - forever the dad from Mary Poppins
When I was growing up, my parents had two Disney movies on VHS tape that my sister and I used to watch over and over again: Pete's Dragon and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Not surprisingly, though they are two of the lesser known Disney films, they are my favorites. When I made my schedule for October, Bedknobs and Broomsticks was one of the movies I was most excited to watch. This is why I am so very disappointed to admit that I did not enjoy watching the movie.
And this leads me to a bit of a tangential comment. I am not that big of a fan of Ridley Scott. I have a couple of his movies, but I think he peaked with Alien. This is primarily because of his more recent style. I blame him for ushering in the era of shots that don't last for more than 3 or 4 seconds (I'm looking at you, Gladiator). I can't stand that. However, a couple of years ago, I began to respect Scott's artistic integrity. When DVDs finally replaced VHS, special features became a big deal. Movie studios realized that if they put in a ton of special features, they could put out a special edition and charge a higher price, something for which many were willing to pay. This led to the "extended edition" DVD. For some reason that I will never understand, Ridley Scott was asked to give an intro to the extended edition DVDs of Gladiator and Alien. The reason I don't understand is because he was quite explicit in stating that the extended editions were not in any way the way he envisioned his movies. He stated that the deleted scenes were cut for a reason: they hurt the movie. Ever since I saw that, my opinion of Ridley Scott has improved a great deal.
And this leads me back to Bedknobs and Broomsticks. I did not know when I bought it that the only edition of Bedknobs and Broomsticks available is the so-called uncut version. This is why the movie is such a disappointment. The newly-added music scenes are terrible, which is probably why they were cut. Did you know that the professor's introductory scene was actually supposed to be a song? Ugh. I can see that they may have been put back in because it made the story more coherent, especially the relationship between Miss Price and the Professor, but the songs themselves were bloody awful. They completely destroyed the experience of watching a movie I have adored for more than 25 years. The most insulting aspect is that, unlike most films, Disney did not even offer the choice of watching the original version.
Angela Lansbury - Miss Price; not a rich witch
David Tomlinson - forever the dad from Mary Poppins
When I was growing up, my parents had two Disney movies on VHS tape that my sister and I used to watch over and over again: Pete's Dragon and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Not surprisingly, though they are two of the lesser known Disney films, they are my favorites. When I made my schedule for October, Bedknobs and Broomsticks was one of the movies I was most excited to watch. This is why I am so very disappointed to admit that I did not enjoy watching the movie.
And this leads me to a bit of a tangential comment. I am not that big of a fan of Ridley Scott. I have a couple of his movies, but I think he peaked with Alien. This is primarily because of his more recent style. I blame him for ushering in the era of shots that don't last for more than 3 or 4 seconds (I'm looking at you, Gladiator). I can't stand that. However, a couple of years ago, I began to respect Scott's artistic integrity. When DVDs finally replaced VHS, special features became a big deal. Movie studios realized that if they put in a ton of special features, they could put out a special edition and charge a higher price, something for which many were willing to pay. This led to the "extended edition" DVD. For some reason that I will never understand, Ridley Scott was asked to give an intro to the extended edition DVDs of Gladiator and Alien. The reason I don't understand is because he was quite explicit in stating that the extended editions were not in any way the way he envisioned his movies. He stated that the deleted scenes were cut for a reason: they hurt the movie. Ever since I saw that, my opinion of Ridley Scott has improved a great deal.
And this leads me back to Bedknobs and Broomsticks. I did not know when I bought it that the only edition of Bedknobs and Broomsticks available is the so-called uncut version. This is why the movie is such a disappointment. The newly-added music scenes are terrible, which is probably why they were cut. Did you know that the professor's introductory scene was actually supposed to be a song? Ugh. I can see that they may have been put back in because it made the story more coherent, especially the relationship between Miss Price and the Professor, but the songs themselves were bloody awful. They completely destroyed the experience of watching a movie I have adored for more than 25 years. The most insulting aspect is that, unlike most films, Disney did not even offer the choice of watching the original version.
68 Down
It's weird to realize that I can no longer say I have more than 300 unopened movies. As of yesterday, I've watched 68 movies, on top of 9 television shows/miniseries/volumes.
I did much better in October than November. The only movie I didn't watch was Boys Don't Cry, though it had nothing to do with time; I was done with everything else by yesterday morning. This has been a rough month, and I just couldn't bring myself to watch one more depressing movie this month. I've never actually seen it before, but I am well aware of what it contains. I didn't realize until halfway through that a bunch of movies were just depressing; even ones I really liked had, at best, bittersweet endings.
This month's list is more upbeat. Here we go:
Monday, November 2: Ed Wood
Tuesday, November 3: A Colbert Christmas
Wednesday, November 4: Sweeney Todd
Thursday, November 5: Mighty Joe Young (the original)
Friday, November 6: Armageddon
Saturday, November 7: Ship of Fools
Monday, November 9: Strangers on a Train
Tuesday, November 10: The American President
Wednesday, November 11: Fantasia
Thursday, November 12: Ravenous
Friday, November 13: The Right Stuff
Saturday, November 14: The Scarlet Pimpernel
Monday, November 16: Closer
Tuesday, November 17: Nightmare on Elm Street 4
Wednesday, November 18: I've Loved You So Long
Friday, November 20: Stripes
Saturday, November 21: A Face in the Crowd
Monday, November 23: Gone With the Wind
Tuesday, November 24: The Americanization of Emily
Wednesday, November 25: V for Vendetta
Thursday, November 26: Finding Neverland
Friday, November 27: Iron Man
Saturday, November 28: Imaginary Heroes:
Monday, November 30: Poltergeist
It's a fairly good list. I've got a lot more popcorn movies this month than last one. The only thing I'm not too happy about are the 3 TV DVDs I've got:
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1
Highlander Season 1
Olver's Travels
Individually, they aren't that bad, but combined, it's pretty boring fare. I've already started watching Star Trek. God, it's so cringe-worthy.
Here's hoping I can get through another month.
I did much better in October than November. The only movie I didn't watch was Boys Don't Cry, though it had nothing to do with time; I was done with everything else by yesterday morning. This has been a rough month, and I just couldn't bring myself to watch one more depressing movie this month. I've never actually seen it before, but I am well aware of what it contains. I didn't realize until halfway through that a bunch of movies were just depressing; even ones I really liked had, at best, bittersweet endings.
This month's list is more upbeat. Here we go:
Monday, November 2: Ed Wood
Tuesday, November 3: A Colbert Christmas
Wednesday, November 4: Sweeney Todd
Thursday, November 5: Mighty Joe Young (the original)
Friday, November 6: Armageddon
Saturday, November 7: Ship of Fools
Monday, November 9: Strangers on a Train
Tuesday, November 10: The American President
Wednesday, November 11: Fantasia
Thursday, November 12: Ravenous
Friday, November 13: The Right Stuff
Saturday, November 14: The Scarlet Pimpernel
Monday, November 16: Closer
Tuesday, November 17: Nightmare on Elm Street 4
Wednesday, November 18: I've Loved You So Long
Friday, November 20: Stripes
Saturday, November 21: A Face in the Crowd
Monday, November 23: Gone With the Wind
Tuesday, November 24: The Americanization of Emily
Wednesday, November 25: V for Vendetta
Thursday, November 26: Finding Neverland
Friday, November 27: Iron Man
Saturday, November 28: Imaginary Heroes:
Monday, November 30: Poltergeist
It's a fairly good list. I've got a lot more popcorn movies this month than last one. The only thing I'm not too happy about are the 3 TV DVDs I've got:
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1
Highlander Season 1
Olver's Travels
Individually, they aren't that bad, but combined, it's pretty boring fare. I've already started watching Star Trek. God, it's so cringe-worthy.
Here's hoping I can get through another month.
Friday, October 23, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Rollin' right along
Joyride (1996)
Tobey Maguire as the bored and disillusioned teenager
Wilson Cruz as the slightly less disillusioned teenager
Adam West as the dude that pimps out his daughter
Anne Hathaway as the pimped out daughter
Benecio Del Toro - smart, quirky detective or stoner detective?
Here's a tip: if you are going to go to the trouble of casting some fairly good actors in your movie, make sure the actress that plays your hit woman has better acting skills than a porn star. Dear God, she has got to be one of the worst actresses of all time. She completely ruined what could have been an interesting movie about bored teenagers who, fed up with being made to feel powerless, get in way over their heads when they steal a hit woman's car; with a dead man in the trunk. I literally spent the last half of the movie ticked off at the actress' terrible, terrible acting.
A side note: I had no idea how small Tobey Maguire is. Apparently once he became a fairly big star, directors did him a favor by using favorable angels. I checked imdb, and he's only 2 and a half inches taller than Elijah Wood. He even looked like Wood in this movie.
And I have nothing more to say about such a disappointing movie.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce asWatson
This movie is an absolute classic. I've seen a lot of Sherlock Holmes movies and television series, but in my mind, while I do not think this is the best Holmes movie, Basil Rathbone played the best Sherlock Holmes. His intensity, aloofness, and apathy to anyone but the mystery is fascinating to watch. In fact, I am surprised at how well the acting is in a movie that is seventy years old. While I do not care for Bruce's Watson, I do have to admit that he held his own with Rathbone. Overall, though, even despite the acting, I thought the story was a bit uneven. Rathbone is the only reason to watch it.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Michael Caine as Scrooge
This movie surprised me. First, for some reason I had thought I'd seen it before; turns out I hadn't. Second, it is much better than I thought it would be. I had a wonderful time watching this movie. None of the songs are that good, and I found it disturbing watching Michael Caine performing sappy kids' songs with muppets, but overall, this movie is incredibly charming. Even on an adult level this movie was a pleasure to watch, not to mention very funny. Definitely better than Muppet Treasure Island.
Phenomenon (1996)
John Travolta
Robert Duvall
Kyra Sedgwick
Forest Whitaker
This movie was much better the first time I saw it in the theater more than a decade ago than it was last week. John Travolta plays a man of below-average intelligence who experiences some type of strange phenomenon that causes more parts of his brain to activate than the average human. The only part I found interesting is the way certain people start treating him because he becomes more intelligent than them. In the beginning of the movie he plays chess with the doctor, played by Robert Duvall, and he is no match for the doctor. The night the phenomenon occurs, he easily beats him. It was interesting to see that, for a moment, the doctor was upset. It wasn't due to the usual annoyance a sore loser displays; he was upset to have been beaten by someone he considered of inferior intelligence.
There was the usual story of people becoming scared of him, blah blah, etc. It annoyed me that for someone so intelligent and more understanding of human behavior, Travolta's character didn't understand why. The acting was actually pretty good; it was the script I found lacking. The writer clearly had no concept of how someone so highly intelligent would behave, act or understand people. The movie tried to show that raising the man's intelligence did little more than raise his confidence, yet it didn't ring true. Overall, this feel good movie felt pretty shallow.
Tobey Maguire as the bored and disillusioned teenager
Wilson Cruz as the slightly less disillusioned teenager
Adam West as the dude that pimps out his daughter
Anne Hathaway as the pimped out daughter
Benecio Del Toro - smart, quirky detective or stoner detective?
Here's a tip: if you are going to go to the trouble of casting some fairly good actors in your movie, make sure the actress that plays your hit woman has better acting skills than a porn star. Dear God, she has got to be one of the worst actresses of all time. She completely ruined what could have been an interesting movie about bored teenagers who, fed up with being made to feel powerless, get in way over their heads when they steal a hit woman's car; with a dead man in the trunk. I literally spent the last half of the movie ticked off at the actress' terrible, terrible acting.
A side note: I had no idea how small Tobey Maguire is. Apparently once he became a fairly big star, directors did him a favor by using favorable angels. I checked imdb, and he's only 2 and a half inches taller than Elijah Wood. He even looked like Wood in this movie.
And I have nothing more to say about such a disappointing movie.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce asWatson
This movie is an absolute classic. I've seen a lot of Sherlock Holmes movies and television series, but in my mind, while I do not think this is the best Holmes movie, Basil Rathbone played the best Sherlock Holmes. His intensity, aloofness, and apathy to anyone but the mystery is fascinating to watch. In fact, I am surprised at how well the acting is in a movie that is seventy years old. While I do not care for Bruce's Watson, I do have to admit that he held his own with Rathbone. Overall, though, even despite the acting, I thought the story was a bit uneven. Rathbone is the only reason to watch it.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Michael Caine as Scrooge
This movie surprised me. First, for some reason I had thought I'd seen it before; turns out I hadn't. Second, it is much better than I thought it would be. I had a wonderful time watching this movie. None of the songs are that good, and I found it disturbing watching Michael Caine performing sappy kids' songs with muppets, but overall, this movie is incredibly charming. Even on an adult level this movie was a pleasure to watch, not to mention very funny. Definitely better than Muppet Treasure Island.
Phenomenon (1996)
John Travolta
Robert Duvall
Kyra Sedgwick
Forest Whitaker
This movie was much better the first time I saw it in the theater more than a decade ago than it was last week. John Travolta plays a man of below-average intelligence who experiences some type of strange phenomenon that causes more parts of his brain to activate than the average human. The only part I found interesting is the way certain people start treating him because he becomes more intelligent than them. In the beginning of the movie he plays chess with the doctor, played by Robert Duvall, and he is no match for the doctor. The night the phenomenon occurs, he easily beats him. It was interesting to see that, for a moment, the doctor was upset. It wasn't due to the usual annoyance a sore loser displays; he was upset to have been beaten by someone he considered of inferior intelligence.
There was the usual story of people becoming scared of him, blah blah, etc. It annoyed me that for someone so intelligent and more understanding of human behavior, Travolta's character didn't understand why. The acting was actually pretty good; it was the script I found lacking. The writer clearly had no concept of how someone so highly intelligent would behave, act or understand people. The movie tried to show that raising the man's intelligence did little more than raise his confidence, yet it didn't ring true. Overall, this feel good movie felt pretty shallow.
Are you a Mexican or Mexican't?
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
Shot, chopped, scored, written and directed by Robert Rodriguez
Antonio Bandera as El Mariachi
Johnny Depp as the crazy CIA dude
Salma Hayek as Mariachi's love interest and all-round kickass chick who's regrettably dead and only seen in flashbacks
Interesting bit characters actors:
Mickey Rourke and chihuahua
Willem Dafoe
Cheech Marin
Danny Trejo as the crazy Mexican dude that is in all Robert Rodriguez movies
Right off the bat, this movie gets total geek honors for actually including a Clash of the Titans lunchbox. That is one of the coolest things I've ever seen in a movie.
This movie is the third of a trilogy, following El Mariachi and Desperado, about a hitman, El Mariachi, who is famous for killing people while playing guitar. This plays out on the biggest canvas. Crazy CIA dude, Johnny Depp, wants to hire the best hitman in Mexico to assassinate a Mexican general. He is led to the mariachi, who is already pissed off at the general for killing his love interest. Let the games begin.
I love Robert Rodriguez' movies. The Spy Kids movies, From Dusk Till Dawn, the mariachi movies, and Planet Terror are all great fun. All of his movies are imbued with a sense of humor that appeals to me, especially the corniness. He's also interested in style more than reality, and physics. Thus, all of his movies feature characters that are capable of doing super human acts. Once Upon a Time in Mexico is the same. There is nothing on the level of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon choreography, but there are a few wire stunts that are tons of fun.
Johnny Depp is the highlight of this film. He goes through a ton of identities and costumes, often complete with different accents. The Marlon Brando voice he uses while pretending to be a padre is hilarious. He and Robert Rodriguez are perfect for each other. Depp is very good at making the crazy stuff he does very funny. Much of the humor comes just from the various t-shirts Depp wears through the film. At one point he shows up wearing a CIA t-shirt. After a few minutes the camera dips low enough that you can see the letters actually stand for Culinary Institute of Art. It's stuff like that that makes me love this movie.
I originally saw this in the theater when this movie came, and I was curious to see if I would enjoy it just as much this time, mainly because I remembered much of the entertainment coming from the surprises. I am happy to say that the movie was just as enjoyable this time around. Definitely a keeper.
Shot, chopped, scored, written and directed by Robert Rodriguez
Antonio Bandera as El Mariachi
Johnny Depp as the crazy CIA dude
Salma Hayek as Mariachi's love interest and all-round kickass chick who's regrettably dead and only seen in flashbacks
Interesting bit characters actors:
Mickey Rourke and chihuahua
Willem Dafoe
Cheech Marin
Danny Trejo as the crazy Mexican dude that is in all Robert Rodriguez movies
Right off the bat, this movie gets total geek honors for actually including a Clash of the Titans lunchbox. That is one of the coolest things I've ever seen in a movie.
This movie is the third of a trilogy, following El Mariachi and Desperado, about a hitman, El Mariachi, who is famous for killing people while playing guitar. This plays out on the biggest canvas. Crazy CIA dude, Johnny Depp, wants to hire the best hitman in Mexico to assassinate a Mexican general. He is led to the mariachi, who is already pissed off at the general for killing his love interest. Let the games begin.
I love Robert Rodriguez' movies. The Spy Kids movies, From Dusk Till Dawn, the mariachi movies, and Planet Terror are all great fun. All of his movies are imbued with a sense of humor that appeals to me, especially the corniness. He's also interested in style more than reality, and physics. Thus, all of his movies feature characters that are capable of doing super human acts. Once Upon a Time in Mexico is the same. There is nothing on the level of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon choreography, but there are a few wire stunts that are tons of fun.
Johnny Depp is the highlight of this film. He goes through a ton of identities and costumes, often complete with different accents. The Marlon Brando voice he uses while pretending to be a padre is hilarious. He and Robert Rodriguez are perfect for each other. Depp is very good at making the crazy stuff he does very funny. Much of the humor comes just from the various t-shirts Depp wears through the film. At one point he shows up wearing a CIA t-shirt. After a few minutes the camera dips low enough that you can see the letters actually stand for Culinary Institute of Art. It's stuff like that that makes me love this movie.
I originally saw this in the theater when this movie came, and I was curious to see if I would enjoy it just as much this time, mainly because I remembered much of the entertainment coming from the surprises. I am happy to say that the movie was just as enjoyable this time around. Definitely a keeper.
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