Damn, I only have time to watch movies on weekends part 04: the happiness of the second-semester senior
Submitted by AJDaGreat on Tue, 01/27/2004 - 13:11
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- 1. Our Man Flint (1966) - I decided I've been watching too many dark, depressing dramas lately, so I decided to spice it up with a comedy. However, this movie was even more depressing in how disappointing it was. "Our Man Flint" is a bad movie, but it had so much going for it! They had money to burn, they had great talent in James Coburn and Lee J. Cobb, and they had a great premise - a James Bond spoof for 1966, before the concept had been spoofed to death so much that Bond movies began spoofing themselves. However, the movie wastes all of these assets. The money is spent on complex, colorful sets that do add something to the movie; too bad they couldn't buy anything interesting to happen. James Coburn refuses to have any fun in the role of Derek Flint, and his wooden acting really drags the movie down. Worst of all, the "Bond spoof" premise is totally wasted. Most Bond movies are funnier than this mess, which is attempting to set a world record for "fewest jokes in a parody." It really baffled me. Watching the movie, I had no idea what I was supposed to be laughing at. I wondered how anyone could ever call this a spoof. So on we trudge through this laughless comedy, across the first half-hour which is some of the most utterly boring and useless footage ever put on film, past a sea of colors and scantily clad women and past the very occasional action setpiece.
- But here is the most utterly baffling thing about the movie. The villains have been controlling the weather for a good portion of the movie before we hear their demands. Then, we see them demand that the world leaders destroy all their weapons. Keep in mind that this demand is that ALL weapons are destroyed internationally; no country will have an advantage to attack other countries. When Flint is captured, the evil organization shows him that they are a peace-seeking group; note how you can't find any guns anywhere in their top-secret HQ. Then later as Flint is defeating the bad guys (which should be no spoiler), three scientists tell him that their weather machine could create excellent improvements for the world, regulating the temperature where it was unsuitable for life, turning wastelands into beautiful areas. Flint begins destroying their weather-controlling machine, and the scientists panic. One says, "Ours would be a perfect world! Why?" Flint replies, "Because it's YOUR idea of perfection, gentlemen. Not mine!"
- (pause)
- HUH??????
- That's the kind of movie this is. The villains make more sense than the heroes.
- 2. The Limey (1999) - Steven Soderbergh seems to be experimenting with a different style here, and as a result, the direction / editing of the movie is very uneven. Sometimes, it does work; there are some magnificently crafted shots - some subtle, some stylish - that prove that Soderbergh is a masterful director. One technique this movie uses a lot is a rapid cutting of images over the dialogue. This works sometimes. Personally, I think this device only works if it's meant to show a character's thoughts and not just the director showing you cool footage. So, when Terence Stamp imagines different ways of himself killing Peter Fonda at the part, that works. But, when two bad guys are talking about Stamp and their conversation is intercut with footage of Stamp that we've already seen, that doesn't work because they haven't met Stamp yet, so they couldn't be thinking about him. Other times, the movie utilizes more unnatural cutting, direction that is attempting to be stylish but just feels hokey. We see Stamp talking, and without his speech being interrupted, the camera shifts angles repeatedly in a very jarring, obvious way. It's what's normally used to show passage of time, but not here. At other times, it's even more annoying: one character is talking, but we don't see his lips moving. Then we cut to a different angle of him talking towards the very end of his line. Worst of all, in some of the most ludicrous examples of the ridiculous direction, a conversation starts in one location, continues from the exact word in another location, and then goes back to another location. What, does Soderbergh have ADD or something? This frantic cutting isn't stylish, it's just plain stupid.
- Well, there I've gone ranting about the direction for too long when the excellent script, very good performances, and plenty of good direction (I especially liked the decision to show footage of a younger Stamp) really keeps this a "pretty good" movie. It's kept from greatness by some of those lame directorial decisions. Really, I expect better of Soderbergh.
- 3. Hollywood Shuffle (1987) - My quest for good escapist entertainment continues. This is a half-decent, sometimes funny movie. It is best when it skewers the true fact that, yes, African-Americans are relegated by Hollywood to roles of street hoods, pimps, and criminals. It is worst when it dives into spoof setpieces that last for way, way too long. At one point, Robert Townsend fantasizes about a parody of Siskel and Ebert that literally lasts ten minutes. That's 1/8 of the movie's running time. And it stops being funny long before the ten minutes are up. I am convinced that there is a good comedy on the premise of a black actor who wants to break free of the stereotypes that Hollywood has for him. I am also convinced that there is a good sketch comedy movie in the style of "Kentucky Fried Movie" that could be united by the theme of a black actor playing various un-stereotypical roles. But I don't think I can bring myself to recommend this one, a movie that is only 80 minutes long but could be 25 minutes shorter.
- 4. L.A. Story (1991) (watched again) - "L.A. Story" plays like a roast to Los Angeles. Steve Martin takes some playful, hilarious jabs, but in his heart, we can truly see the deep love and admiration he has for L.A. The satire is dead-on and hilarious, and the romantic comedy plot is very touching and realistic, combining for a very good film. You may ask why it is only in my Second Tier (and shall remain there after this second viewing), and the reason is that the whole corny signpost thing doesn't really work for me. It doesn't fit into the L.A. satire, because it's too fantastical to be a comic exaggeration of anything about L.A., and it doesn't fit into the romantic comedy because it interferes with the likable, realistic characters. I would still recommend this often-wonderful movie, but don't fall into the same trap that I did the first time I saw it: don't actually try to unscramble "HOW DADDY IS DOING." In the end, it doesn't matter much.
- 5. National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) (watched again) - On my list reviewing the AFI's top 100 comedies, I gave this a semi-lukewarm review. However, it's been a while since I've watched it, and when I watched it again at a party tonight, I found myself enjoying it far more. Many parts of the movie are absolutely hilarious, and the parts that aren't still maintain the anti-establishment spirit of this wonderful movie. We watched part of "Old School" afterwards (though not enough to put it on this list), and I could really tell the difference in quality. Since "Animal House" should be the yardstick by which other raunchy college comedies should be judged, "Old School" really suffers by comparison. There might be an "Animal House" for my generation, but "Old School", it's not.
- 6. Chasing Amy (1997) - Throughout the movie, there are hints of talk about Ben Affleck breaking free of his "Bluntman and Chronic" formulas and doing a more personal work. Interestingly enough, I think that Kevin Smith has done just that here. Before I watched this, I had only seen the hilariously vulgar "Clerks" and "Dogma." "Chasing Amy" is less funny, but if a little humor is sacrificed for the sincerely touching moments, the movie is better off for its heart. I was almost shocked to hear such touching, realistic conversations about relationships, from a guy who earlier wrote "Clerks" in which . I think that Kevin Smith must have gone through a similar situation as in the movie. He seems to really know what he's talking about. And sure enough, a quick visit to the IMDB trivia section claims: "Kevin Smith wrote the script to Chasing Amy inspired by his experience with then girlfriend Joey Lauren Adams." If you too have only seen Smith's brilliantly irreverent films, come here and see the other side of Smith. It is truly his most personal work.Spoiler: Highlight to viewa slut gives oral sex to a dead Jewish guy
- 7. The Maltese Falcon (1941) (watched again) - A screenplay based on a hit crime novel. An alluring femme fatale in Mary Astor. An intriguing cast of colorful characters. The toughest man's man every to appear on the silver screen - Humphrey Bogart. The ingredients were all there for a great film-noir. How they managed to turn it into such a masterpiece is a mystery to me. I don't know who decided to take a chance with rookie director John Huston, but I owe that person my gratitude. He directs very noirishly with the skill of an experienced filmmaker. A second viewing has proven that my memory is still true. This is not just one of the greatest films of all-time, but also one of my personal favorites.
- 8. Breathless (1960) - Well shut my mouth. Six entries ago, I talked about how I thought the frantic cutting in "The Limey" was irritating. Now I see this acclaimed Godard film, to which Soderbergh was certainly paying homage, and I think I might have just not understood the direction the first time around. I said that the direction is usually used to show passage of time, but now I realized that this jump cutting is showing passage of time, just in smaller doses. It goes with the minimalism of the French new wave movement, advanced greatly by Godard - handheld cameras, actors fed lines to retain spontaneity, and more talking than action. The minimalism continues in the same vein with the editing, in that the jump cuts edit out split seconds. At times, we don't see the pauses between dialogue because they aren't necessary; we only need to see the dialogue itself. Now, I would hardly describe "The Limey" as minimalist, so maybe my criticism would be still apt there, but Godard uses the style more effectively, I think. It is used to bolster up an already engaging story with some excellent performances. The premise is supposedly about a man who shoots a policeman and goes on the lam, but the story is definitely more about a relationship between the criminal and his girlfriend. It hooked me in and didn't let go until the haunting climax.
- 9. A Clockwork Orange (1971) - Stanley Kubrick is jblack's favorite director. While I like some other directors better than Kubrick, it would be hard to disagree with Jeff based on the merits of "A Clockwork Orange." What a bold move, to have the horrifying violence in the movie not as a moral man would see it, but as the violence-obsessed gang members would see it; not cast against a dark, seedy backdrop, but against a psychedelic wash of vibrant colors and music. The result is a movie that is so alive yet still so haunting. "Dr. Strangelove" may still be my personal favorite Kubrick movie, but "A Clockwork Orange" is an unequaled directorial triumph. But hey, the actors contribute to the movie's success as well, especially Malcolm McDowell. He is excellent as the lead, portraying both the sadistic glee and the painful terror pitch-perfect. Of course the story is great too, commenting on the nature of violence, the absurdity of government, the morality of mental conditioning, etc. etc. I might have to read the Burgess book.
- 10. City of God (2002) - An unflinching portrait of a violence-ridden Brazilian city that holds nothing back... and yet, this film is surprisingly a delight to watch. I'll admit, I was expecting an extremely violent film that, in spite of its skill, would be very difficult to sit through and often make me cringe. Not so at all. The merits of the movie make this easy to watch without trivializing the horrific violence. That's mainly due to the wonderful screenplay and fantastic direction. I'd call the direction Tarantino-esque, but that would be undermining the work of Katia Lund and Fernando Meirelles, who find their own unique style, a flashy style that works very well contrasted with the realism of the performances (most given by non-actors). Meirelles won't win the Oscar for his direction, but you'll have a tough time convincing me that he doesn't deserve it. A wonderful story told through the eyes of the quintessential observer - a photographer.
- 11. The Shining (1980) - In rebellion against the spirit of Valentine's Day, a couple friends and I decided to watch the most anti-romantic movie we could think of. There are probably movies with less love / romance in them, but "The Shining" definitely comes close. Kubrick's bleak, sterile style for which he is famous really complements this horror story quite well. Also many kudos to Jack Nicholson who is an amazingly versatile actor. He is fantastic in this movie just as he was fantastic in the last Jack Nicholson movie I saw: "Something's Gotta Give", a geriatric romantic comedy. I won't be sleeping too well tonight...
- 12. The Seven Samurai (1954) - Watching the battle scenes in this movie, I thought of "The Matrix Revolutions." The Zion battle scenes in "Matrix" were CGI-fests full of expensive shots and plenty of explosions. The battle scenes in "Samurai" mainly consist of people getting poked with pointy sticks. But naturally, the latter was far more interesting. I guess that means that it doesn't matter how powerful your computers are; if you don't have a good script or characters we can connect with, your action scenes still won't be very interesting. But "Seven Samurai" is so much more than an action movie. It is a grand epic in every sense of the word. It is a portrait of an ordinary village, but even moreso, it is a portrait of an era, an era where small farmers were overrun by marauding bandits unless they had the protection of the noble samurai and their pointy sticks. The result is a simply astonishing movie.
- After a ridiculously long hiatus from this list, I'm not only back, but I'm back in Florida for spring break. Expect reviews at a more rapid pace.
- 13. House of Games (1987) - This is only my second Mamet-directed movie, and I can definitely see why Jim doesn't like his direction. It doesn't bother me nearly as much though. Mamet is a guy who started off in the theater, and his direction is more theatrical than most. I've always thought Mamet's writing was brilliant, and here he shows again that he is a master of dialogue. As for the plot itself, however, I have mixed feelings. I don't know. I shall think on it some more.Spoiler: Highlight to viewThe con that takes up most of the second half of the movie is really rather predictable. I'm horrible at guessing plot twists, but I got this one very early on. It would be OK, however, if Lindsay Crouse, the victim of the con, would believably not realize it. Here is where I have mixed feelings. Part of me says that hell, she's a psychologist, she should know when she's being duped. The other part of me says that maybe this is the point of the movie, that even a psychologist can be (a) tricked by a skilled con man's deceitful charm and (b) lured into crime, when she seems to have a predisposition for doing bad things.
- 14. The Ladykillers (1955) - Dark comedy par excellent. My third Ealing comedy, and it is probably my favorite one so far (though I think I'm subconsciously saving the best - "Kind Hearts and Coronets" - for last). What I like about the Ealing comedies is that they are able to pull off two different kinds of humor so effectively. There are hilarious setpieces of physical comedy, but in between, the dialogue is often very witty. It's like combining a post-Love-and-Death Woody Allen film with a Farrelly brothers film. All the actors are very funny in this offbeat dark comedy. I can see why the Coen brothers want to remake this. I doubt it'll live up to the original.
- 15. The Right Stuff (1983) - I thought this was going to be a sleep-inducing three-hour film with maudlin attempts at patriotism. Man, was I wrong. This is an exhilirating film, a true delight to watch, and never manipulative because it is concerned more with telling the story than including forced heroism. The special effects are stunning, and they are put to good use, but some of the more low-key moments are wonderful as well, such as John Glenn's wife's refusal to let the press into the house, or the test to keep the ping pong ball hovering. The acting is good all around, especially Ed Harris as John Glenn.
- 16. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966) - My last film in the Man With No Name trilogy, and now I really see what jgandcag sees in them Westerns. This is a GREAT film, drenched in Sergio Leone's style but accompanied by some fantastic performances by Clint, Lee, and Eli. The script is soaked in macho dialogue, and Leone never runs out of things to happen. My favorite part: Spoiler: Highlight to viewTuco sees that the approaching army is wearing gray uniforms - the color of the Confederacy. He starts cheering on the Confederates, shouting "Down with General Grant! God hates the Union!" But when the army approaches, one officer hits the dust off his clothes, revealing a blue uniform - the color of the Union.
- 17. Belle de Jour (1967) - Cold, sterile, bizarre... erotica? A movie about weird sexual fetishes and fantasies. I liked it, but just barely. It is slow and rather plotless. Some of the bizarre moments are somewhat interesting. For an interesting explanation of the film (replete with spoilers), click here.
- 18. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - I've seen many action / adventure movies in my day, some of them as much fun as this one, but few have had such great scripts. Any film can have such thrilling action sequences, but few action films have such great dialogue. That's what elevates this film to classic status. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg working for you. They really add to the fun. However, I cannot bring myself to put this movie above the second tier, because the ending is really very disappointing. Spoiler: Highlight to viewThe movie, if often implausible, is at least realistic up until the end, but then this bizarre supernatural event comes along to rescue Indy and Marion. If that's not deus ex machina, I don't know what is. Worse, this phenomenon isn't even explained or anything. It completely comes out of nowhere and then vanishes as if nothing ever happened.
- 19. Monster (2003) - Last year, the AFI did a list of the greatest 50 heroes and 50 villains of movie history. Thinking about ranking villains caused me to ponder. The best villains, of course, aren't cookie-cutter, one-dimensional, black-wearing, maniacally-laughing, handlebar-moustache-twirling crooks. The best villains have some depth to them, they're characters with backstories to them. But think about this. If we begin to see the villain's past, we begin to see why he or she did bad things. And then the character seems less villainous and more sympathetic. So the best villains inherently become not particularly villainous.
- I don't know how, but this movie truly made me feel sympathy for this serial-killing prostitute. She had her own moral standards; she was acting out of love; she was trying to preserve some hope for sweet, naive Christina Ricci, to show her that even someone as screwed-up as Charlize Theron could make it in this world. Of course, if you know the true story of Aileen Wuornos, you'll realize what an emotionally shattering and disturbing movie this is. It's a great film, depressing as all hell, but very well made, featuring two outstanding performances as well as a great script.
- 20. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - The IMDB has had this one ranked as #2 on the top 250 list - just under "The Godfather" - for as long as I can remember. Oh, sure, the "Lord of the Rings" movies threatened its status, but "Shawshank" held its own. Why do audiences love it so much? Well, I hate to say this, because it is such a truly great film, but it is good at manipulating its audience. In the pretense of a hard-edged prison drama, this is one of the sweetest, most optimistic films I've seen in a while (a few deaths notwithstanding). I was expecting something so much more gritty, based on how long my dad prevented me from seeing this film. I think he was just scared off by the rape (which doesn't even occur onscreen). This is no gritty film, this is a hopeful one, a film inspired by a more innocent time in American history. We need films like this one. Films that are optimistic but so well-made that no one could ever accuse them of being naive. The performances are pitch-perfect, the script is awesome. The direction is fantastic. Does all this make it the 2nd-best film ever made? Maybe not, but it's one of the most inspiring movies I've seen in a while.
- 20 1/2. Double Feature: Monster and The Shawshank Redemption - I never intended this as a double feature, but it is such a perfect duo of films to watch together. Both are about characters who feel like they're too far gone to ever get back on their feet in life. And while "Monster" has the characters disgusted that they ever believed in the American dream, "The Shawshank Redemption" is incredibly effective in inspiring hope. If you're an optimist, watch "The Shawshank Redemption" last. If you're a pessimist, watch "Monster" last.
- 21. Persona (1966) - Definitely my favorite Ingmar Bergman film so far. It is surreal at times, but at times very human. I can't really explain why it had more success with me than the other two Bergman films I've seen, because his films defy normal explanations. They just astound with their images. This one is probably the most straightforward of the three I've seen, but there were definitely moments of bizarreness.
- 22. The Battleship Potemkin (1925) - In tribute to this, one of the greatest silent films ever made, I'm going to do this review in pantomime. (AJ gives two thumbs up, smiling) (AJ kisses his hand like an Italian chef) (AJ holds up left hand and circles right hand as if using a camera; then holds two thumbs up) (AJ takes a few steps, and you realize he is indicating the Odessa steps sequence; then holds a hand to his heart) (A title card pops up saying, "And it's incredibly influential too!") (AJ points to you, then points to his eye; you realize he is recommending that you watch the movie too) (Then AJ falls down comically in homage to Chaplin) (A title card pops up saying "THE END.")
- 23. The Man Who Would Be King (1975) -
- Take up the White Man's burden--
- Send forth the best ye breed--
- Go bind your sons to exile
- To serve your captives' need;
- To wait in heavy harness,
- On fluttered folk and wild--
- Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
- Half-devil and half-child.
- ...
- The ports ye shall not enter,
- The roads ye shall not tread,
- Go mark them with your living,
- And mark them with your dead.
- - segments from "The White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling
- Rudyard Kipling was a racist and an idealist. His poem "The White Man's Burden" describes imperialism as not just a noble deed, but as a responsibility that white men have to civilize "the fluttered folk and wild" - i.e., those savages who aren't white. He was an idealist in that the most imperialist countries at the time were certainly not doing it for the non-white people; they were doing it for profit. In any case, I couldn't help being reminded of this poem as I watched "The Man Who Would Be King", not just because it is based on a Kipling short story, but because it featured Rudyard Kipling as a prominent character. The story is about two men who go into Kafiristan and try to teach the Kafiristani how to fight, but soon, the Indians begin to think Sean Connery is a god, and he exploits this power for profit. Based on this plot summary and what I've told you about Kipling, can you tell what's going to happen? That's right, bad things happen. A lot of Kipling shines through in the movie. At times, it is downright racist. When Connery and Caine first arrive in Kafiristan, the leader treats the English soldiers like Godsends. "Oh, how we need the help of you brave white men! We are such pathetic fighters without you! Our enemies are too powerful!" I also didn't like the scene where Caine is trying to teach the Indians how to use rifles, and one's incompetence is played for laughs. Some of the movie was good. John Huston is a damn good director, and here he looks like he's trying to emulate "Lawrence of Arabia." The camera work isn't that good, but it is still pretty cool. I really did like much of the drama that resulted from Connery's con. But something just felt wrong about the portrayal and treatment of the Kafiristani. And the first half-hour is a real bore.Spoiler: Highlight to viewAnd at the end, when Caine and Connery are running away from the stampede of Indians and the English soldiers are shooting down many innocent Kafiristani, that just felt wrong to me.
- 24. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) - I'm not naive enough to think that this is how politics (or the press) really works, but as a film, it is a delightful piece of bald-eagle apple-pie Americana. Jimmy Stewart gives an outstanding performance as the naive, wide-eyed American who has his ideals crushed, and Jean Arthur is fun to watch as well. The ending feels a little forced, but oh well, I know it's just a fantasy. Actually, I could just quote what I said about "The Shawshank Redemption": "Films that are optimistic but so well-made that no one could ever accuse them of being naive."
- 25. Three Colors: Blue (1993)
- Plot summary (from back of DVD): "Juliette Binoche is a young woman left devastated by the unexpected death of her husband and child. She retreats from the world around her, but is soon reluctantly drawn into an ever-widening web of lies and passion as the dark, secret life of her husband begins to unravle. With each startling discovery and heart-stopping surprise, Blue is sure to entertain you from beginning to end."
- San Francisco Chronicle: "Cool, gorgeous, and mysterious!"
- The New Yorker: "Mysterious... sexy!"
- Fellow Listologists, this is one of the most inappropriately marketed movies I have ever seen. It is neither mysterious nor sexy. The plot summary is intentionally misleading. There is no "web of lies" that Juliette Binoche is "reluctantly drawn into." The first three-quarters of the movie is not spent dealing with this secret at all. With about 20 minutes to go, she does find out a secret about her husband, but this is wisely not played for mystery or suspense. I say "wisely" because the secret is pretty predictable. You can probably guess it. Here's a woman who truly loves her dead husband. She discovers a shocking secret about him. Think about what the secret might be. What you are thinking of is probably true. Now just extend that secret with an added complication, and you might have already guessed all the secrets this movie has to offer. Now as for the "passion" part. I don't know where the New Yorker gets off telling me the movie is sexy. It is not. There is one sex scene towards the very end of the film. And there is one scene that shows two people just about to have sex (but for weird reasons, not passionate ones). That's about it. So what is this film? It's a sophisticated, artsy, methodical independent film. If you think classical music is sexy, this is a film for you. If you think people walking around doing nothing is mysterious, this is definitely a film for you.
- Now. As an artsy independent film, it does work rather well. It is Godawfully slow, but it is also gorgeous (the San Francisco Chronicle was 1 for 3). Kieslowski and the cinematographer have created a truly beautiful film. Juliette Binoche gives a fantastic low-key performance, and she just has a natural appeal which makes her character so engaging. That is key, because this movie is a character study, and is thus mostly plotless. It is also very, very slow. I liked "Blue", but I think when I see the other movies in this trilogy, I won't bother to read the DVD box.
- 26. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) - I was actually surprised at the underlying (though obvious) message in this movie. I thought that all these 50's scifi films were just anti-Russian propaganda, but this one actually has a message of peace. No efforts are made to bash communism, and the movie is all the better for it (at least today). As for the plot, it is somewhat interesting, but it's mainly just an excuse for the preachiness. Individual moments are great, however. Still, a good deal of the movie works. I'd recommend it for some fun, light fare.Spoiler: Highlight to viewThe montage of people around the world dealing with no electricity is brilliant. And I really liked how one guy pointed out the exceptions: hospitals, planes in flight. I was actually wondering if Klaatu had just killed all people who needed electronic machines for life support in hospitals.
- 27. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - To those of you who don't really like Charlie Kaufmann, or are losing faith in him, I'll warn you that this movie is just as much of a mind-f**k as his other movies. But you can't do a romance without a little heart, and this movie does have that touch of humanity there to affect you emotionally. Amidst all the bizarre memory-shifting, there was something there that made me care about the characters. Maybe it was the great performances by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. They bring a lot of life to these characters. However, as great as the Jim / Kate stuff is, I must put this in my second tier, because there is a subplot here which is less interesting, and as we see from the payoff, it is just a plot device. Spoiler: Highlight to viewI am talking about the Kirsten Dunst / Tom Wilkinson thing. It seems like just a means for Jim and Kate to get their tapes back. I did like the other subplot about Kate and Elijah Wood.
- 28. Das Boot: Obscenely Long Director's Cut (1981 - director's cut released 1997) - Imagine if Leonardo da Vinci were somehow resurrected today. Now imagine that he demanded the Mona Lisa back from the Louvre and took it home with him. He then returned it, but had extended the canvas and added more scenery around it. He explains, "I really liked this added scenery I painted, but I was advised to cut it out back in the 1500's or whenever the hell I painted the Mona Lisa. Now you can see the fully restored Mona Lisa!"
- Sounds ridiculous, right? And yet, when Wolfgang Petersen says he wants to add 60 minutes to his critically acclaimed, two-and-a-half-hour 1981 release, it sells. This director's cut is rather unfocused and, more importantly, overlong. Why does he need three and a half hours to tell a story that was successful as a two and a half hour film? It's such a shame because the direction is so good, it's so realistic, it's intense, it's gripping... sometimes. Other times, it's downright boring. I am going to imagine this film with the one hour of superfluous footage edited out... yup, top tier film. But the version I saw is going on my second tier.
- 29. Panic (2000) - This is indeed a wonderful, underrated film. I don't know why no one has seen it. The plot is a bit like a classical tragedy, but it is never too heavy - it stays a delight to watch throughout. The direction is fun and stylish, and there is some great subtle humor. The script is fantastic, especially in dialogue between Neve Campbell and William H. Macy. And the performances are excellent; somehow, Henry Bromell has managed to coax a very good dramatic performance out of Tracey Ullman! So you can only imagine how good the other actors are. Highly recommended.
- BTW, if you haven't figured it out, I'm not in Florida anymore.
- 30. The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons From the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003) - My history teacher has been absolutely raving about this film. I didn't like it as much as him, but I can see why he would like it. This is a film for history nuts. For people who know everything about the Cold War and the Vietnam War and this era, or better yet, for people who lived through this era, "Fog of War" will add an interesting human component. It shows the decision-making process of the war, and it also shows an emotional level of former Secretary of Defense McNamara. McNamara is an interesting man and seems like a nice guy. However, as someone who's not much of a history buff and who was only five years old when the Cold War ended, I'm sure I didn't appreciate it as much as I could've. Still, it's an often interesting documentary, well-shot, with some brilliant moments in it. Recommended.
- 31. Friends Season 6 (1999-2000) - A season of many moods. It starts off with Monica and Chandler moving in together and Ross obsessing over Rachel again. But Ross is easily distracted from all that once Janine (Elle MacPherson) moves in. She is one of three huge-name guest stars in the season, the others being Reese Witherspoon as Rachel's sister and Bruce Willis as Paul, Ross's girlfriend's father, both of whom are great; Willis especially is a very good sport about having to look like an idiot. Some really hilarious moments from the series are in this season, such as Rachel making a disgusting dessert with meat in it for Thanksgiving, Ross flip-flopping as to whether or not he wants Monica and Chandler to move in together, or Joey coming up with lamer and lamer ways to get people to pay for a new fridge. This season also contains what is probably the most touching moment in the entire series - Chandler's proposal to Monica. There are plenty of lame moments / episodes in this season, such as Chandler and Ross arguing over who made up a joke, or Joey pretending to own a Porsche, or the lame flashback episode. But luckily, this season provides plenty of laughs and is far more consistent than some of the recent ones. A good fun watch.
- 32. Nashville (1975) - A wonderful portrait of the country music capital of the world, through its bizarre, egotistical characters. Altman uses his realistic style and his trademark overlapping dialogue to good effect here in creating his one-quarter-satire, three-quarters-human-drama movie. It's a little like "Short Cuts" and a little like "McCabe and Mrs. Miller", but the things I didn't like in the latter are cleaned up here. There is a story; it's not the focus of the movie, but there is a story. The performances are great for Altman's style; I especially liked Keenan Wynn and Gwen Welles. Great 70's movie.
- 33. Futurama Season 3 (2001-2002) - If you argued that "Futurama" is far inferior to "The Simpsons", I would not disagree with you, but I would refer you to the episode "Roswell That Ends Well." It is a brilliant, Emmy-award-winning episode that is in this DVD set. I can think of only a handful of Simpsons episodes that could top that one. The writing is top-notch, the animation is gorgeous as always, and the voice actors hit all the right notes. This one episode shows that the "Futurama" team CAN really pull it together sometimes. Other great episodes include "Parasites Lost", "The Luck of the Fryrish", and "Time Keeps on Slipping" (the last one isn't as funny as some of the others, but the story is captivating and bittersweet, wonderfully written). But most of the rest of this DVD set is very uneven. I hate to say this, because I love the character of Bender, but I don't think that Bender can sustain his own plot by himself. The episode "Bendin' in the Wind" and the Bender segment of "Anthology of Interest II" are just plain awful, and "30% Iron Chef" and "Bendless Love" have subplots which are much funnier than their main Bender-related plots. But really, though, this DVD set is really representative of the average episode of "Futurama" - it has its hilarious moments and its dull spots. Take, for example, "The Cyber House Rules", the episode where Leela gets plastic surgery done to make her have two eyes and then starts going out with her plastic surgeon Adlai (whom she knew from the orphanage where she grew up) while Bender adopts 12 orphans for the government stipends. This episode is hilarious in dealing with the ordinary, average nature of Adlai and Leela (once she gets the operation done). I couldn't help cracking up when he told her, "Leela, you're nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine in a million." But most of the rest of the episode is only mildly interesting, occasionally chuckle-inducing. Overall, not a bad watch, and I'll probably end up getting season 4 since I've hardly watched any episodes in that season. As for you, I'd recommend finding a friend who has it, asking him / her to borrow it, and watching "Roswell That Ends Well." If that doesn't hook you, "Futurama" never will.
- 34. Sunrise (1927) - The fusion of the German expressionism of F.W. Murnau and the straightforward optimism of 1920's American films, "Sunrise" is a masterpiece that was truly eons ahead of its time. It's the kind of film where everything just really seems to work. It is visually stunning, both for 1927 and for 2004, but it is still focused on maintaining a comprehensible plot. It mixes comedy and tragedy effortlessly. It is a critically acclaimed classic that still really hits home for its audiences. It is beautiful, poignant, and incredibly influential. Never before has such a broad range of emotions been conveyed so well through silence. I've seen many silent movies that are funnier than "Sunrise" (and I do so enjoy the comedies), but I have not seen one better. Why it has not seen a real DVD release yet it beyond me, but I am very glad that I caught a revival of it at the art house.
- 35. What Time Is It There? (2001) - TSAI MING-LIANG'S FOOLPROOF FILMMAKING FORMULA: Focus your camera, a steady shot of one character. (S)he is sitting still or performing some bizarre action. Things might be going on around him / her, but (s)he remains still, isolated and distant from the world. Focus on this shot, never moving or zooming in or out, for about a minute. Repeat 120 times, being sure to place the characters in an artsy way and to use lighting and colors than makes the film look cool and stylish. Be tender occasionally, be darkly humorous occasionally, but above all, be stylish. Every shot should be visually dazzling. If you think this sounds kinda cool, you're right. If you think this sounds really freakin' slow, you're also right. But still, there were enough interesting moments here that I could call this the second-best silent movie I've seen today.
- 36. Breaking the Waves (1996) - Here I find myself dazzled by this movie and yet I find myself with nothing much to say. So here are some random thoughts about "Breaking the Waves." It is a fascinating, heartbreaking film. Lars von Trier tackles questions of faith and love and the limits of each, while still confining himself to the story of Bess and Jan. The handheld camera stuff adds the layer of realism, while the beautiful scenes introducing each chapter really stand out as jarring. Jan's request of Bess seems bizarre, but I think that the explanation is: In any case, great movie.Spoiler: Highlight to viewI think at some point one of the doctors says that Bess is suffering from delusions. That doctor might have actually been right. What if Bess only imagined Jan telling her to whore herself to other men? She'd certainly be shocked enough to be in such a mental state.
- 37. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) - Details are explained. Scores are settled. There are great moments of action, there are great moments of poignancy. Tarantino directs with his usual flair; while the first film was influenced mainly by Japanese martial arts flicks, the second film clearly has a great influence from spaghetti westerns. Much of the film, of course, is pure Tarantino. I cannot commend the man's ambition enough. This is a big, showy film with brilliant subtle details. All of the twists and outcomes are immensely satisfying. Two hours and fourteen minutes never went by so fast.
- 38. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) (watched again) - My brother bought the DVD. I couldn't help myself. I was sucked in again to this exhilarating ride. Quite honestly, I'm not sure which one I prefer. But both movies are part of a greater entity. It was probably good for my attention span that the film was chopped in two, but thematically, the story of the Bride is epic. And Tarantino is one of the greatest directors still working today.
- 39. Family Guy Series 2 (2001-2002) - I feared that this show had jumped the shark towards the end of the second season, but as the third season has proven, this show can still be very, very funny when it's at its best. Often the show just goes for shock value, but even that is done well here. It's great how the show cuts away to brief sequences that are somewhat related to the plot. But what I really admire about "Family Guy" is its ability to completely negate comic timing, and you keep laughing because you can't believe how ridiculous it is that the joke is going on for so long; for example, in "From Method to Madness" when Stewie spends a full minute mocking Olivia for using the "Weakest Link" catch phrase as an insult. In any case, some of the episodes are really quite hysterical, like "Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington", "Death Lives", "To Love and Die and Dixie", and "Ready, Willing, and Disabled", just to name a few. The season does have some lame moments; quite a few episodes take a wrong turn at the end of the show. "Lethal Weapons" ends in one huge fight between the whole family that isn't funny at all; the end of "From Method to Madness" is stupid; and the ending twist of "Screwed the Pooch" is a cop-out that is just really bizarre. And some of the episodes are just not any good except for one or two good jokes, such as "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas." But all in all, this show is far funnier than most of the other crap on TV, and I will be very happy to see it return to the airways. To conclude, I will spoil one of my favorite quotes. Brian (the dog) has been feeling very horny lately, and when the family goes off on vacation, Brian decides to stay home and relax, get his mind off things. He turns on the TV resolved to calm his libido, and the TV announcer says, "We now return to The World's Sluttiest Dogs, only on FOX!"
- 40. Crossfire (1947) - This is a rather obscure movie that I still really enjoyed seeing. Robert Mitchum is great as always in this dark yet fun murder mystery. One may criticize the movie for stating its message too directly, but given the format that the dialogue takes (), I don't think it comes across as too heavy-handed. My one complaint was that a couple characters come across as too underdeveloped, as the movie is far more focused on questioning and investigating the murder than really establishing backstory. But we do see into the lives of the characters somewhat through subtle details. If you find this one on TCM, go ahead and watch it; at only 86 minutes, it goes by like a flash.Spoiler: Highlight to viewi.e., explaining hate and anti-Semitism to a simple, naive hillbilly in easy-to-understand terms
- BTW, sorry for the slow pace of this list. I've been obsessed with 24 lately, and that's basically an 18-hour movie, so...
- 41. 12 Angry Men (1957) (watched again) - A rewatch has solidified this movie in my mind as an underrated masterpiece as well as one of my favorite movies of all-time. Usually when a play script is adapted to the screen, the screenwriter tries to eliminate the innate limitations of theater by adding more characters, more locations, etc. But screenwriter Reginald Rose was faced with a dilemma: here was an absolutely brilliant play script, but it wouldn't make sense to shoot very much outside of the jury deliberation room. In theory, it seems like the project was doomed to fail; movies are about action, moving around, not just talking. But the movie retained its appeal because the script is just so damn fantastic. It establishes 12 distinct characters, each one with his own life and traits; it creates a murder mystery without using anyone involved in the murder as characters; it comments on the dangers of prejudice and the nuances of the American justice system. Not to mention the wonderful dialogue. The script floats through all of these tasks effortlessly, never feeling forced for any one. Of course, I would certainly be short-changing the movie to put all the credit to the script. Sidney Lumet's direction is really quite skilled, showing the tense isolation of the room closing in on the men as the day goes by. Without his directorial touches, the movie would probably fail as well. And then there's the acting - every man hits the right notes for his particular character. Fonda as the clever, moral Juror #8; Cobb as the biased Juror #3 who feels like the decision is a battle; Sweeney as the old Juror #9 who has seen his better days; Warden as the wise guy Juror #7 who would just rather be at the ball game; Marshall as the cold, logical Juror #4; Voskovec as the foreign Juror #11 who thinks about the American justice system far more than any of the Americans. I could go on. It's just the kind of movie where everything seems to go right. I've complained about the last 60 seconds of the film before, but even that didn't bother me too much this time around. Why this film is not held as a true American classic, I'll never know.
- 42. 24: Day One (2001-2002) - You know the yogurt chain called I Can't Believe It's Yogurt? I've got one for 24 - I Can't Believe It's Television. TV is cheap laughs, cheap thrills, cheap shots, and, for middle-aged housewives who watch weepy soap operas, cheap sobs. TV isn't this emotionally grounded, it isn't this intellectually satisfying, it isn't this visually stylish. It also isn't this wide. I didn't know you could get away with widescreen on network television. Of course, these are general, exaggerated statements with plenty of exceptions. But 24 is the biggest exception I've ever seen. It juggles its plotlines so well, uses split screen (!) - how many film directors are bold enough to do that? It generates genuine suspense and keeps you deeply caring about the characters' decisions. It's almost like listening to a great rock album, one where a lot of great songs add up to a dazzling bigger picture, in that each episode is somewhat self-contained, but for the whole story, you've gotta watch everything. Watch the show, buy the DVDs - let's encourage the makers of 24. Or do it for yourself; there's nothing else like this on television. To conclude, I'd like to mention three of my favorite moments in the show, spoilerized of course:Spoiler: Highlight to viewI can't think of another DVD that features an alternate ending where the ending they didn't use is the happy one.Spoiler: Highlight to view(1) When the fake Alan York kills Janet York and we realize he's not really her father for the first time, and then later when Teri realizes it in the car; (2) Keith's conversation with Carl, and then when he pulls out the tape and plays it back; (3) the whole plotline about Elizabeth Nash.
- 43. Troy (2004) - Roger Ebert's review of this movie contains the line, "By treating... the characters as if they were human, instead of the larger-than-life creations of Greek myth, director Wolfgang Petersen miscalculates." I am not sure why Ebert things it's a bad thing to try to give the characters some more dimension, in a film that is not trying to evoke ancient times, but to be a modernized adaptation of the myth. I can respect that, and I can forgive the silly things about the movie, such as the fact that Eric Bana, Brad Pitt, and Orlando Bloom constantly find the need to go shirtless. Also, can someone tell me who decided that to make a good epic picture, everyone has to have British accents? I don't understand. If you're not going to to ancient Greek accents, why do accents at all? Hey - I can forgive those things, but here is what I cannot forgive: Ebert wasn't right about the movie, but he was close. I don't object to the very principles of giving mythical characters more emotional depth, but at times, these emotions are not grounded and fairly nonsensical. I refuse to believe that King Priam would actually utter the words (and I'm paraphrasing): "I've fought many wars. Some were for power, some were for money, some were for pride. I guess love is a better cause than any of those." I can't believe that Priam is actually fighting this war so that his son can have his damn wife. It was handled better with Agamemnon and Menelaus, when it was a matter of pride. And I'm sorry, but Paris is just a total wimp. I think the problem with the movie is that it simultaneously relies on us knowing the story of the Iliad and NOT knowing the story of the Iliad. If we understand the story better, we can understand the motivations of the characters better when the filmmakers got too lazy to explore them. However, if we understand the story too well, we notice all the inaccuracies about the movie, such asSpoiler: Highlight to viewAlso, the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus was not well developed enough to justify Achilles's rage when Patroclus is killed. There should've been more there.Some acting is good, some dialogue is pretty good, fight scenes are cool, blah blah blah. But really, there's not much here to separate this from every other epic.Spoiler: Highlight to view(1) Menelaus is killed by Hector; in Greek myth, he gets back to Greece; (2) Agamemnon is killed by Briseis; in Greek myth, he gets back to Greece and is killed by Clytemnestra for sacrificing their daughter; (3) some random soldier kills Priam; in Greek myth, Achilles has a son Pyrrhus who kills Priam; etc. etc. etc.
- P.S. I've really been rambling on lately. This is the third review in a row that I've really blabbed on about.
- 44. Go (2001) - My friend Alan assured me that this was mainstream Japanese cinema, that if there was a Japanese Hollywood, this would be it. I think I've been living in the wrong country. This has the style and freshness of an American independent film. Of course, it could be seen as really cliche to someone who's more familiar with contemporary Asian film, but it feels new to me, and I thought it was a great movie. Yosuke Kubozuka does a great job as the lead Korean, alienated from Japanese society because of his race. It's witty, enjoyable, romantic, and really very well done.
- 45. American Psycho (2000) - I am at a loss for words in reviewing this movie. It's bizarre to the point of total surrealism, but of course that's the point. It's a satire of the 80's - we see your regular 80's guy, a head honcho at a corporation, a regular sleazeball. And then he starts engaging in the most gory, perverse fantasies imaginable. In the end, I have no clue what was supposed to be real, if anything, and what was supposed to be fantasy, if anything. I didn't even know if Patrick Bateman was his real name - everyone calls him something different. I guess it doesn't matter. If he has these horrible desires pulsing inside him, it doesn't really matter if he actually follows them or not. All this put together doesn't really make a great movie, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy some parts of it. It may partially be because of Christian Bale's great performance as the detestable asshole. He holds all the weird elements together in a manner that's - well, I don't wanna say believable, but I will at least say appropriate.
- 46. Better Luck Tomorrow (2002) - I'll never forget the day that one of the biggest overachievers at my school gave his senior speech on not having any direction in life. He said he didn't know what he was going to do at all, he was just drifting through life. I wondered how this over-studying, social-lifeless, future Princeton student could get motivated to do all this work with no direction in life. What if it turned out his highest ambition in life was to work at a Burger King? Then he would've wasted a hell of a lot of time.
- I bet he could identify with these overachieving Asian-American students in "Better Luck Tomorrow." These guys are all working hard to get into a good college, but they never think about why they want to get into a good college. They do their extracurriculars and studying not because they want to, but because if feels like it might be the right thing to do to get ahead. So it only follows that they get involved in drugs, crime, etc. - not considering the consequences too much, it just seems like a good way to earn money and kick back a little. The end of the movie feels totally unresolved, but I think that's okay. In fact, I think it's the point of the film: they're just drifting through life. Sure, maybe some of this stuff is stuff I've seen before, but I think that everything is firmly glued into the characters and not based on cinematic conventions. It's certainly a lot fresher and more entertaining that 99% of teen movies that Hollywood has put out lately. Aside from the character interactions, though, this is a quite dead-on satire of the college process. If it's not a great movie of last year, it's certainly a very good one.
- 47. Wings of Desire (1987) - I would have a hard time recalling another film where so little happens and yet which is over so quickly. I guess I just got wrapped up in the dialogue, in the beautiful cinematography, in the originality of the concept of guardian angels who drift about Berlin comforting the lonely without ever directly interacting with them. Ironically, the movie really reminded me of a quote from a far worse movie: "Troy", when Achilles tells Briseis that gods envy humans, explaining that one's mortality makes every moment more precious and every image more beautiful. While it would be nice to have divine powers, I think most of the time I am glad to be a human.
- 48. Decalogue 1: "I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (1988) - I decided to embark on this miniseries, but this first chapter didn't particularly inspire me to continue. It's talky and quite heavy-handed in delivering its message. And I don't really like the vindictive God portrayed in this fable, where it seems like . I am going to try some more chapters because the film is well-acted and very well-directed. But if they all portray this outdated depiction of the harsh, vengeful God, I'm giving up pretty soon.Spoiler: Highlight to viewa man's son dies as punishment for his [i.e., the man's] (a) having modern views on religion and (b) believing what a computer tells him.
- 49. Friends Season 4 (1997-1998) - I thought about calling this one of the weaker seasons of Friends I've watched, but I think that I am biased. These episodes have all been syndicated to death, so much so that some of my favorite moments seem dull to me now. There's only so many times I can watch Chandler in a box, or the game show of who knows who best, or Monica have an orgasm by numbers (don't ask), or Chandler pretend to move to Yemen, or Rachel don her cheerleading outfit. But I look back on these times with nostalgia, as if the six were my own personal friends, and we were thinking back to when these events originally occurred. Hey Ross, remember the time you said the wrong name at your wedding? Yeah, that was funny.
- P.S. Ross: "You know how you through your jacket on a chair at the end of the day? Well, it's like that, only instead of a chair, it's a pile of garbage. And instead of a jacket, it's a pile of garbage. And instead of the end of the day, it's the end of time, and the only thing that has survived is garbage!"
- 50. Decalogue 2: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" (1988) - Ah, this was much better. The characters feel more real here, rather than just objects to get the message across. And the concept of God is not nearly so Medieval. Again, it is very well acted, and Kieslowski is a master of visual composition. I guess I'll check out the rest of the Decalogue.
- 51. Decalogue 3: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" (1988) - I'm not sure this one really gets the message across too well, but I guess it would be hypocritical of me to say that after complaining that the first film was too focused on the message. I'm not complaining. This is a very interesting entry into the series.
- 52. Spirited Away (2001) - It's May 25th, and that means that in a few weeks, we'll begin to be bombarded by some crappy summer blockbusters which spent millions of dollars on CGI and $23.50 on the script. Ironic, that animation that looks most realistic can often lead to the most unrealistic, lifeless characters. Luckily, we still have Hayao Miyazaki creating the most enchanting fantasy world and the most likable, sincere characters through that same old 2D animation. This is a dazzling animated movie, a visual extravaganza that never stops being endearing, either in its fantastical realms full of quirky characters or in its simple coming-of-age story for our young heroine. Wonderful movie. I am eager to try more Miyazaki.
- 53. 24: Day 2 (2002-2003) - I have decided that I have got to stop trying to exercise to shows that rely so heavily on coherent storylines that run throughout the season. I hardly got any work done with this one, and I watched the whole season in no time at all. I'm not a patient man. I can't take the suspense. This is another fantastic season of one of the freshest, most original shows to come on the air in a long time. I would be tempted to call it better than the 1st season, were it not for the incredibly stupid, go-nowhere Kim Bauer plotline that runs throughout the season. Though the show is most often very, very grounded in reality, I find it hard to believe that it would even be possible for Kim to keep getting into one stupid dangerous misunderstanding after another. But I will certainly admit that there are elements of this show more brilliant than anything from the first season. I think the 10:00 PM-11:00 PM episode () is one of the most amazing television episodes I've ever seen. Brilliant acting from Kiefer Sutherland and Xander Berkeley on that one, and it's one of the few times when I was actually interested in what Kim was doing -Spoiler: Highlight to viewthe one where the bomb goes off at the endIt proves that Elisha Cuthbert is a good actress, but given nothing to do... alas. I loved a lot of other stuff about this season, but I'm sure you don't want to hear me ramble on. So I'll spare you on one condition: recommend some other TV shows currently out on DVD that are great but don't have much of a storyline tying one episode to the next. Mystery, comedy, drama, whatever. If the DVD's at a good price, all the better.Spoiler: Highlight to viewthe conversation she has with Jack is heartbreaking.
- 54. Decalogue 4: "Honor thy father and thy mother" (1988) - A bit more perverse than what I've seen so far, but I think it's good that this series started delving into something like this, this bizarre new relationship that emerges between Anka and the man she realizes is not her father. I'll tell ya, Kieslowski has a knack for subtle plot twists. You hardly ever see those from Hollywood. And of course, beautifully shot, acted, etc. Actually, this would be my favorite one so far, if not for...
- 55. Decalogue 5: "Thou shalt not kill" - This is a brilliant examination of society's laws of murder and the eye-for-an-eye concept fo the death penalty. The lawyer's speech is beautifully written, and it makes the inevitable ending all the more heartbreaking. Miroslaw Baka gives a fantastic performance as the disturbed youth, and Krzysztof (damn, it's like "John" over there) Globisz is wonderful as the lawyer. Kieslowski still kicks ass.
- 56. Decalogue 6: "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (1988) - This entry had so much going for it - a fascinating relationship between a peeping Tom, and his subject, a promiscuous girl who gradually becomes more and more interested in him. It had one minor flaw and one major flaw. The minor flaw is that there's not really any adultery in the movie, which confuses me given the commandment it applies to, but I could let that one slide. The major flaw is that in the last act, there's so much build-up, and then the ending is just so abrupt and unsatisfying. Subtlety is fine, but this is not. I continue to be impressed by the performances and the cinematography, but if only if the ending were better.
- 57. Decalogue 7: "Thou shalt not steal" (1988) - I had a revelation during this film, and now I think I finally grasp the point of the series. I was going to talk about this in my review, but ash_campbell said it better than I could have below. I suggest you read the thread. This entry, however, does follow the commandment it applies to pretty aptly, as I've read that many Bible scholars believe that "stealing" in the ten commandments did specifically refer to stealing children / people, not objects, on the basis that breaking the ten commandments was punishable by death in Biblical times, and so was kidnapping - but stealing objects wasn't. A great entry to the series.
- 58. Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection (1975, 1979) - All the elements of a brilliant farce are here. Zany characters, plenty of opportunities for misunderstanding and deception, a main character who just can't get a break, and supreme British actors who nail their characters beautifully. And the show is even greater than the sum of its parts. It's really a shame this only lasted 12 episodes. Few other sitcoms can ever go this far, few can drag their characters so much deeper... and deeper...
- P.S. German: Will you stop mentioning the war? / Basil: Well, you started it! / German: We did not start it! / Basil: Yes you did, you invaded Poland!
Author Comments:
Here we go again. Comments are of course welcome.
Everyone needs an unexpected compliment from time to time, right?
After rereading your first 2 "Damn" lists for your polls, then reading these recent reviews, it's really obvious how much you've improved as a reviewer and critic. Seriously AJ, nice job. I'm impressed. :-)
:-) Thank you, Amber! Just glad I could provide more interesting reviews to read.
Ah....
You are absolutely right about The Maltese Falcon. I have many friends who like it, but they also tend to dismiss it from any bid to greatness because they see it as simply a superior genre flick. I don't really believe in such a thing as 'simply a superior genre flick'. A great film is a great film, period, and The Maltese Falcon is easily one of the fifteen best films I've ever seen.
Without a doubt in my mind, Orson Welles and John Huston made the most incredible film debuts in history. Neither would ever top their first film, though both had many masterpieces left to create. Incredible.
I think people today have a tough time realizing just how amazing Bogart is. Just look at the man! He was no pretty boy. Listen to his voice! Yes, we all are addicted to it now, but studio heads once told him that voice would keep him from ever becoming a leading man. More than any other actor I know of, Bogart became a star by sheer force of will and pure, unadulterated charisma. He not only made it big, he became a sex symbol, and remained one into his 50s! Photographs make this seem nearly impossible; his performance in The Maltese Falcon makes it seem inevitable. I am always in awe of the man.
Of course, Breathless is also a stellar debut, and it also displays an unlikely star winning an audience over by his unique, sexy personality (hunky Richard Gere didn't even stand a chance against Jean-Paul Belmondo in the remake). Of course, his Michel worships Bogart, so the likeness isn't unintentional. Breathless may not be Maltese, but it still one of my 100 favorite films.
Er, sorry to hijack this space. Just thinking about these two films excites me! Man, I wish I was watching The Maltese Falcon right now!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I especially found your ideas linking The Limey with Breathless very interesting. I really need to finish watching The Limey some day, if only to see how the whole thing fits together.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Ha! One last waste of space -
Bogart really does amaze me. Here is one of my favorite quotes from The Big Sleep:
"I don't mind if you don't like my manners, I don't like them myself. They are pretty bad. I grieve over them on long winter evenings. I don't mind your ritzing me drinking your lunch out of a bottle. But don't waste your time trying to cross-examine me."
As much as I try I can't read that paragraph without sounding like a dope. Humphrey spits it out in mere seconds and sounds so incredibly cool doing it.
Ah, well. That's why he's the man, and me, I'm just L. Bangs...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Thanks, lbangs! Your comments are always welcome. I agree - Bogart was simply astounding. He was far and away the best at what he did.
Your comment about the quote from "The Big Sleep" reminds me of something...
AJ, where were you lucky enough to see City of God at? Great reviews, BTW. :-) You've made some excellent viewing selections here.
Thank you! Glad you enjoy them!
Surprisingly, "City of God" didn't return to the art house theater that's 25 minutes away from me. It returned to the plain old Loews theater, the closest theater to my house. I'm not sure why they decided that it would be a good idea to bring it back, but I'm sure glad they did! There weren't many people there, but I guess it was a pretty good crowd for a Friday afternoon matinee at a fairly small theater.
I hope some of the other Listologists get the chance to check this one out. I'd love to hear everyone's thoughs!
I'm quite envious of your run of great movies from The Maltese Falcon through The Seven Samurai. The ones I've seen I love, and the ones I haven't I plan to. Here's a tricky one for you: which is your favorite of those six movies?
That's a decision that I don't think anyone should be forced to make. Each movie is amazing at what it is trying to accomplish. I guess if it came down to a matter of personal preference, I would not be able to choose between executions and just cop out by picking which premise I would most enjoy seeing. So, "The Shining" is an excellent film as well as a horror film, but based on my personal bias, horror is not really my genre.
Using this method, I guess I could narrow it down to two favorites: I prefer the film-noir of "The Maltese Falcon" and the psychedelic study of violence with bizarre comedic twists of "A Clockwork Orange" to the three-and-a-half-hour epic of "The Seven Samurai", the artsy character drama of "Breathless", and the violent portrait of a city of "City of God." But as I said, this is all based on personal biases for or against genres. If you asked me what the BEST film of the six was, I would have no clue how to answer you.
That's probably a very unsatisfying answer, but alas... :-)
Well, with all the great movies you've been watching I figured it would be unanswerable. Sorry for the curve ball. :-) Of course, I'll have to see them all.
No problem Jim. Life would be much less interesting without the curveballs.
Hey AJ, The Shining is not a bad choice for Anti-Valentine Movie but if I was going to pick such a movie I would go with War of The Roses. A truly underrated movie of vile and hate. I mean that in the most complimetary manner possible.
Hmm... I guess "War of the Roses" would be a good choice for showing love / marriage in a very dark context, but "The Shining" has so few moments where anything besides contempt or terror is occurring onscreen. The closest it comes is when Jack Nicholson makes out with that woman who turns out to be a disgusting naked old dead woman. He's hardly ever nice to his family.
At least the first act of "War of the Roses" would be in the spirit of Valentine's Day. Douglas and Turner seem pretty loving there. That said, I must admit I'm not a big fan of "War of the Roses", though I figure I owe it a rewatch. I've made a striking realization about that movie. When I first saw it, I thought that Turner was appropriately malevolant for the war but that Douglas was mistreated ("he still loves her, for God's sake!"), and the movie didn't play well based on that. But now I am thinking that it was really more equal than I originally thought. The movie is excellent at polarizing genders on either side of the war. The women are rooting for Turner to get revenge on that bastard who is crushing her dreams and humiliating her, while the men are rooting for Douglas because he just seems like a nice guy and is the subject of much Turner-inflicted pain, especially in the groin area.
I am reminded of a Simpsons quote. Marge is emotionally hurt and Homer asks her, "Marge, why are you crying? You're not in any physical pain, the only kind of pain a man can understand." (pause) Okay, maybe not. Anyway, this is all just a long, rambling way of saying that I should probably rewatch "War of the Roses" sometime.
Welcome back after a very long break! Did you really not watch any movies during that stretch, or did you just not write 'em up?
Nope, I write up every movie I see. I guess with the waves of Rhinoceros rehearsals and homework, I've been too busy and burned out to watch full movies at a time, choosing instead to play video games, talk to people online, or just listen to music. But I'm gonna do some serious movie-watching in the next week, I assure you.
Well it's certainly nice to have you return to your movie-viewing ways! Your thoughts on The Right Stuff mirrored my own. I approached it with some trepidation, but lordy were my misgivings unfounded! A three-hour film that zooms right by. I'd happily watch it again. I too enjoyed Ed Harris, but who doesn't? The man's been nailing roles for a long time now. I also really liked Sam Shepard and the whole Yeager parallel story, which I really knew very little about before seeing the movie (not that seeing the movie now qualifies me for knowing much about it, but at least I feel like I know a little more).
I enjoyed your reviews.
I disagree with the beginning of your review of The Limey. I saw this movie about 3 years ago and lately re-watched it. I enjoy the way the jump-cutting acts more as rhythm than story-telling. It's like watching a musical, but the editing is the music. I relish such experimentation in film.
oh, yeah,
I read a good review of Godard, the critic called his style deconstructionist filmamking. I thought that was interesting. Ah, more useless knowledge.
I am recommending a film you may or may not want to watch, The Mirror by Tarkovsky. I would like to know what you think of this film.
I saw "The Mirror" last summer and wrote up a review. I admit it is a pretty half-assed one:
"My first experience with Andrei Tarkovsky was largely hit or miss for me. Some parts I thought were brilliant, other parts just confused me. Then again, it's generally considered a classic, so what do I know?"
Same reaction here. I think it's supposed to be a visual representation of the way memory distorts certain memories, focuses on others and disipates time-line. However, I had to watch it twice and I stopped it near the middle both times. It's a tough movie to watch. But where is the review, it's a digital jungle out there, point me in the right direction.
You mistake, sir... that IS the review.
Whut? hmmmmmmm, I do not enjoy your ruse, sir. :~)
Great to have you back in full force, AJ. Two things: [1] thought you might find this Monster review interesting, and [2] while I don't share in it, I can relate to your disappointment in the Raiders ending. It doesn't come entirely out of the blue though: there's Indy's whole briefing of the CIA guys as to the power of the Ark, and then later we see it burn the label off its crate.
Raiders: But don't those happen afterwards? There's no supernatural element foreshadowing the ending, which is why it is such an abrupt divergence from the movie. Oh, sure, Indy talks about how in ancient times, God did stuff with the ark, but I just took that as a description of Biblical beliefs, not something that could realistically happen today. And afterwards, I wanted some kind of explanation. Why did that happen? Why did Indy and Marion avoid danger just by closing their eyes? I still have no idea.
Monster: Yeah, you can go up to just about any movie and point out the holes when you compare it to reality. I've been to enough movies to realize that any movie that is "based on a true story" is largely untrue. I've given up caring about when a movie alters reality; I just look at it as a story. I didn't go into "Monster" hoping to learn a history lesson on Aileen Wuornos. I went into it looking for a good story. And "Monster" provides one.
Raiders: The scene in the classroom happens near the beginning, when the CIA guys ask what the light coming out of the Ark is and Indy says "wrath of God stuff" or something like that, and Brody says "an army that carries the Ark before it would be invincible." Everybody takes that very seriously, esp. should the Ark fall into Hitler's hands, so despite Indy's skepticism I think we're to believe it's a plausible threat. As for the burning of the Nazi label on the crate (and the rats writhing away to that droning sound), that happens when the Ark is being transported via ship, before the finale.
Monster: I wasn't trying to detract from the film; I just thought the review raised some interesting points I wasn't aware of. Particularly in the casting of Christina Ricci, and how that potentially creates a very different dynamic, and how the audience perceives the relationship.
Raiders: Fair enough, but I still think it's a big shift.
Monster: I knew you weren't trying to detract from the film, but at first, I thought the writer of the review was. However, I didn't read the last few lines of the review then, and there I think she says something similar to what I said about movies based on true stories. So I guess she agrees with me. What do you think about accuracy for movies based on true stories? I seem to recall that you reviewed "The Hurricane" a long time ago by saying you really liked it until you found out about all the inaccuracies (unless I'm just crazy)? Do you still feel that way?
P.S. Have you seen "The Shawshank Redemption"?
It's true that while I allow for some wiggle room, I generally don't like inaccuracies in "based on a true story" movies. At some point you cross the line from "dramatized" to "fictionalized", and since most folks don't view such movies as pure fiction, I think it's harmful. Of course, anybody that gets their history solely from the movies deserves to be woefully misinformed, but it still bugs me. At some point you lose the right to say "based on a true story", but where that point is is fuzzy. None of this relates to Monster, which I have not seen yet.
I have seen The Shawshank Redemption, and remember liking it quite a bit. A bit less that you, I think, but quite a bit nonetheless. I'll have to rewatch it and list it somewhere.
Ha! Love the Potemkin review! Very creative.
I second that, and I'm glad you had the chance to watch the fantastic film!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
The Potemkin review is a hoot, and true to boot. :)
I'm glad too! Thanks for the kind words, jim, lbangs, and stooky!
Glad you liked Panic AJ! I think Listology must have the highest percentage population of fans (or at least viewers) of that movie of pretty much any group. Okay, except maybe fan clubs for the various involved actors.
I felt the same way about 24. I didn't realize there was an alternate ending on the DVD, but I'm glad they chose the one they did. So when do you start season 2?
The alternate ending simply shows Jack spinning Teri around and she's perfectly fine. The weird thing is that Kim goes with Jack at first, but when Jack sees the dead guard, he tells Kim to stay behind. But then when he finds Teri alive, Kim runs up and joins them. Producer Joel Surnow has an interesting commentary on the alternate ending where he admits the scene construction was pretty poor and says that they eventually decided that Teri dying was in some way a more satisfying ending for their viewers.
I should start season 2 soon enough!
Thanks for the summary! They definitely made the right call, and makes for a more interesting dynamic in season two.
Of the Family Guy episodes, "Lethal Weapons" is my favorite, along with "The Thin White Line." I thought that ending fight was somewhat funny, but not great, but then it ends with the funding of the show being cut and Peter choppily leaving the house - gold! Oh yeaaaahhh!
Yeah, there are some great moments in "Lethal Weapons", but that fight was just way too long and not funny, IMHO. "The Thin White Line" is a great episode. I love Peter's attempt to come up with a fake name.
Homicide. Rent Homicide. Fantastic pilot, and the more you watch, the better it gets (for the first two or three seasons at least). One of the best shows ever, IMO.
Glad you liked Day 2 of 24. Kim was actually the weak link for me in Day 1 as well, but in Day 2 it's truly glaring at times. Still, I think I preferred Day 2, for Xander Berkeley (who you also note) if nothing else. I never would have thought I'd find him so memorable after Day 1, but man did he deliver.
Jim, I am eager to catch some Homicide, but I have avoided it because it has been rather pricey. I think the list price is 70 bucks, and that's a lot to pay for 13 episodes, even if they do span two season. I guess I could try Blockbuster, but it kinda annoys me that they make you rent one disc at a time. I don't know why; I guess you can only watch one at a time anyway. I see that deepdiscountdvd.com has it for $40 though, which isn't too bad. Maybe my parents would contribute if I convinced them it would benefit my health. But I'll probably just end up renting it from Blockbuster.
I didn't mind Kim in Day 1. Maybe I liked her better when she was more integral to the main plot. Though, come to think of it, I did think it was pretty stupid how she turned to Rick when she was in trouble. Didn't she have anywhere else to go? But I actually did like watching the drug deal that turned out to be a bust, and the jail scenes.
Hey, here's something interesting I noticed about 24. I guess it might be considered a spoiler. At least from the two seasons I've watched, the only characters to appear in every episode are Jack Bauer and David Palmer. Tony Almeida and Kim Bauer each miss by one episode. I'm not sure who'd be next in line, but my guess would be either Mike Novick or Sherry Palmer. Or possibly Nina.
BTW, Jim, how close am I to hitting the character limit for this list?
You're currently at 59,827, so you have a little over 5,000 to go. Don't worry about it though; once you exceed the limit you'll be told and you'll have an opportunity to copy/paste the runover (new feature).
Ooh, that sounds like a good one!
Yeah, buying it used at Amazon is a more affordable option as well. I'd forgotten how expensive that series is (which is odd, considering I recently looked it up).
One thing about the Decalogue that might clear up some confusion: the films don't match up to the commandments, on purpose. I'm not exactly sure why Kieslowski wanted to do that, but I think the overall picture is supposed to be how a complex universe with layers of morality (represented by the apartment complex) can't be easily categorized into ten small boxes (ie. a single, rigid law code). That's why some of the chapters feel like they contain multiple commandments, some seem like they don't specifically cover any, and also why characters overlap into different chapters (the silent outsider being just the most obvious). This comes down in how you think about the whole group; you've taken the approach of ten separate films; I've tried to think about it as a single, overlapping, mini-series. I hope that doesn't sound pretentious, but I got more out of them when I stopped trying to categorize and just felt the ebb and flow.
Believe it or not, I finally realized something very similar to what you said about the "layers of morality" after the seventh entry, that the point of each entry is not to create some sort of fable that portrays each commandment, but to show that in our modern society, we can't see things in such black and white as the ten commandments portray. The message of the seventh is not "don't steal"; it's "when is it moral to steal?" And I'm not sure Kieslowski professes to know the answer to this question.
I think you're right about grasping the entire series as a whole being better than looking at each one individually too. I just decided to review each one individually because each segment is a different story with different main characters, I like some more than others, and it would short-change some segments if I just reviewed them all together.
You're right though, I shouldn't criticize segments for not following strictly with the commandment they're supposed to match up with. I'll stop doing that. I'm just not sure why they're named what they're named in the first place.
One last thing, I think there's some Polish/Eastern Bloc Communist history involved here that I just am not familiar enough to notice or understand.
It's an interesting series, if a little uneven (I think Murder is the least appealing in both thinking and filming aspects).
Really? I think "murder" is one of my favorites, personally. Actually, "murder" is one of the lowest-rated ones on the IMDB as well, which also surprised me. I think the lawyer's speech is really profound, and it presents an interesting juxtaposition of the two "murders" that occur in the film. Is it moral to kill someone as punishment for killing someone?
This list remains required reading for me. I agree with most of your comments concerning 24, I am thrilled you enjoyed Fawlty Towers, and I am guessing that I really should get a hold of the Decalogue at some point...
Thanks for the insights!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
You should definitely check out the Decalogue, lbangs. I think it'd be right up your alley.