Boo! Happy Halloween everyone! Ok, technically I am writing this on November 1st, but I did watch a scary movie yesterday with enough scares and jumpy moments to last me a time. However, while the film did have scary moments, it was in the end not the best, so here is the review of not only Paranormal Activity 3, but the entire Paranormal Activity series.
**Spoilers Ahead**
Paranormal Activity
Unlike a lot of people who have seen these films, I like the first Paranormal Activity. While there are a lot of found footage films out there today (Cloverfield, [REC] etc.) PA is different. The way the scenes are filmed feel very real. The constant, static camera shots (which are a mainstay for the entire series) make you feel like you are watching the tapes later after all the action has happened, which is how found footage films should feel. Another reason I like this film is its building in the suspense and its subtlety. The tension raises as the film progresses, with the beginning activity being just a door moving or a shadow moving across the room. It then builds to the Ouija board fire and the foot prints in the baby powder, to the eventual dragging of Katie out of the room and Micah's murder.
The film does have some faults. The main problem are the characters. Micah is a f@*king idiot. Why the hell would you provoke the creature? Also, the demonologist told you NOT TO BUY A OUIJA BOARD! WHY WOULD YOU STILL GET ONE AND MAKE EVERYTHING WORSE! Also, as my dad points out, some of the performances are kind of forced, especially the demonologist at the end of the film. However the performance of Katie is great. The scenes where she is just standing over Micah really sold the possession by the demon.
Also, the ending is kind of lame, like the director was trying to throw in one last scare to the audience. The original ending, Katie just being possessed and being shot by the police was much better, but doesn't set up a sequel at all like the theatrical ending.
The film feels real and the subtle activities make the film not only creepy but genuinely terrifying.
Final Score: 7/10
Paranormal Activity 2
This is when the series really takes off and produces a great film. This film takes the premise of the first, and while keeping with the building suspense throughout, the film takes it one step further and creates a great ending which had me actually looking forward to the 3rd installment. The difference between this film and the first was that this film actually went into the story of why the demon was haunting these people. It basically added a story to the filming gimmick. Giving the demon motive, especially wanting the baby as the motive, made his haunting and activity even more scary.
I also like how this film ties in with the first, with Kristie sending the demon to Katie, and Katie coming back and killing everyone, thus creating the premise of the first film, and an ending to the entire series. Which probably why this is the best film of the three. As I stated before, this film creates a background and a story for the entire haunting, which the first was lacking.
This film also had the scariest moment of all three films. It happened when the daughter was sleeping on the couch. The TV goes to static, and the rumble of the demon begins. You then see a shadow slowly crawl across the couch and right when it's about to reach her head, she wakes up. The shadow disappears in an instant and the TV goes back to normal, as if nothing has happened. Very creepy.
So in general, this film is the best of the series. It created the story and mythology of the series which would continue in the third, but not for the better...
Final Score: 8/10
Paranormal Activity 3
This is the weakest of the there movies by far. It lacks the subtlety of the first and while it has the story like the second, it's jumble and confusing. My first problem with this one is there is no build up. There are scares from the beginning, which is not how these films work. They start off slow, and then builds to the climax when something intense happens. And while this films does have a high ending, which I will discuss later, its high throughout, it doesn't feel right.
Also, the activities in this film are kind of cheesy. The hair pulling and being under the sheets, while being cool are kind of stupid in the end. I did however like the part in the earthquake with the dust, aka the subtle part of the film.
Now on to the story. What is happening? Something about witches? Is the grandmother a witch? Why did she kill her own daughter? Is Kristie getting married to the demon or something? Nothing is really answered, this just creates more questions than it answers. The second film had more answers, with the demon wanting the first born male child. But this film didn't explain anything. I implore anyone to tell me what is going on in this film.
Ok, now the ending. This ending came out of nowhere, and very quickly. They go to the grandmothers house, and after one night WHAM! everyone is dead. WHAT!?! Why? I still don't understand what's going on in this story. I do like the part where you can see a bonfire outside of the window, and the filmmakers don't draw attention to it, but they just threw that out the window with the back crack murder.
This film needed a better story. I was so looking forward to this film, I wanted to know where the demon came from and finally find out why it's terrorizing these people. But it dropped the ball. It could have been better is all I'm saying. Not looking forward to a fourth.
Final score: 4.5/10
So there's the reviews and scores. While the first and second films are interesting to say the least, the last is just a disappointment. Until next time this is me signing off.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Film Review "Source Code"
Ok, I haven't done one of these in a while, have to get warmed up. (Stretching of fingers and critiquing skills commences). Now I'm ready. Going into this film I had high expectations. This film received critical praise from reviews and also made profit at the box office, but I don't care about any of that. My biggest concern was the director, Duncan Jones. Before Source Code, Jones has directed only one other film, but it is one of my favorite films of all time, Moon starring Sam Rockwell. After learning that Jones was directing this, I knew I had to see this film. Would Source code live up to its predecessor? (predecessor as in Jones' first master piece).
Sadly, it does not. It is not a bad film, I did enjoy watching it. The idea of sending someone back in time over and over again to find a killer is a cool concept. It reminds me of the film Deja Vu starring Denzel Washington. I also like films that repeat themselves in a way, like the films Run Lola Run and 11:14, but this film was different, in that it was the same character going back in time, and reliving the past again and again. Sort of like Groundhogs Day. Ok, I just noticed I cited a lot of different films there, but this film is not just a cookie cutter version of those films. This film in a way is a mystery on 2 levels. The first, ** Spoilers Ahead** is finding out who planted the bomb on the train. The second is what is going on at the facility that the source code program is being run, which allows a person to travel back into someone else's memories for 8 min. In this case, Jake (not gonna try to spell his last name, lets call him Steve, his character's name), must go into the body of Sean, a school teacher who was aboard the train and died in the explosion. The process of sending him back is very secretive and not told to the audience until the very end (reminds me of the film Buried, sorry last reference) which I liked, it was like Moon in that most of the secrets aren't told till the end. Also the mystery of who the bomber was also interesting.
Time for some negatives. First, casting Steve in the main role was bad. I'm not the biggest Steve fan, and don't really like many films he has been in. Second, the plot seemed to fast. They had a great idea, sending someone back in time over and over to stop a bombing. But eventually they cut to a montage of him going back? Why? Make it so that every time he goes back he discovers some new clue that leads to solving the case. Why the montage? That just makes the film seemed rushed. Next, the idea that Steve was actually dead the whole time. Why reveal that so nonchalantly like it was nothing. It could have been a good reveal, but instead turned into somewhat of a disappointment. Lastly, then ending. What the hell was that all about? How the hell can he change the future from peoples past memories? Did he just create another new world in his own head? Or did he actually create a whole new universe? And why the happy ending? This was a film that didn't need one. Look at Moon and Buried, I love those films because they feel real, not in a reality sense, but they show the audience that life isn't always happy. Now, I'm not saying that every film should not have a happy ending, but when you have your main character be in a dark room which is essentially his death room, how can you have a happy ending? It doesn't make sense.
This film had a some good things going for it. A great director, interesting science, and a good plot device in the source. However it falls apart at the end, and could have been rewritten to be more interesting, rather than your normal American action film.
Final Grade: 6/10 Possibly even a 5/10
Great Film Aspect: Good Director
Recommendation:If you liked any of the movies I quoted from before, you will probably like this film as well.
Sadly, it does not. It is not a bad film, I did enjoy watching it. The idea of sending someone back in time over and over again to find a killer is a cool concept. It reminds me of the film Deja Vu starring Denzel Washington. I also like films that repeat themselves in a way, like the films Run Lola Run and 11:14, but this film was different, in that it was the same character going back in time, and reliving the past again and again. Sort of like Groundhogs Day. Ok, I just noticed I cited a lot of different films there, but this film is not just a cookie cutter version of those films. This film in a way is a mystery on 2 levels. The first, ** Spoilers Ahead** is finding out who planted the bomb on the train. The second is what is going on at the facility that the source code program is being run, which allows a person to travel back into someone else's memories for 8 min. In this case, Jake (not gonna try to spell his last name, lets call him Steve, his character's name), must go into the body of Sean, a school teacher who was aboard the train and died in the explosion. The process of sending him back is very secretive and not told to the audience until the very end (reminds me of the film Buried, sorry last reference) which I liked, it was like Moon in that most of the secrets aren't told till the end. Also the mystery of who the bomber was also interesting.
Time for some negatives. First, casting Steve in the main role was bad. I'm not the biggest Steve fan, and don't really like many films he has been in. Second, the plot seemed to fast. They had a great idea, sending someone back in time over and over to stop a bombing. But eventually they cut to a montage of him going back? Why? Make it so that every time he goes back he discovers some new clue that leads to solving the case. Why the montage? That just makes the film seemed rushed. Next, the idea that Steve was actually dead the whole time. Why reveal that so nonchalantly like it was nothing. It could have been a good reveal, but instead turned into somewhat of a disappointment. Lastly, then ending. What the hell was that all about? How the hell can he change the future from peoples past memories? Did he just create another new world in his own head? Or did he actually create a whole new universe? And why the happy ending? This was a film that didn't need one. Look at Moon and Buried, I love those films because they feel real, not in a reality sense, but they show the audience that life isn't always happy. Now, I'm not saying that every film should not have a happy ending, but when you have your main character be in a dark room which is essentially his death room, how can you have a happy ending? It doesn't make sense.
This film had a some good things going for it. A great director, interesting science, and a good plot device in the source. However it falls apart at the end, and could have been rewritten to be more interesting, rather than your normal American action film.
Final Grade: 6/10 Possibly even a 5/10
Great Film Aspect: Good Director
Recommendation:If you liked any of the movies I quoted from before, you will probably like this film as well.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Film Review "The Hangover Part II"
Saw the second part of The Hangover; well it’s not really a second part as it is a retelling of The Hangover. Stu, Phil, and Alan wake up after a crazy night of partying, they do not remember what happened the night before, and they have to find their friend before Stu’s wedding. Basically the same story as the first one; kind of repetitive.
Most of the critics are calling that repetitiveness the film's major flaw and the possible cause of its downfall, but is the repetitive such a bad thing? We all know that this is not the greatest movie series, as in these are not film masterpieces. The Hangover films are a fun time filled with stupid jokes that will make you laugh, and Zach Galifianakis one liners that you will repeat for the weeks following the film’s release. Walking into this film, I didn’t have the highest expectations, I had about the same as I did for the first thinking it was just going to be a funny film, and this is what this is, your basic comedy. The audience shouldn’t expect to see the greatest film they have ever seen when they see these films; just go and have a good time. If you are expecting to see the same as The Hangover, you will not be disappointed. The jokes are hilarious, Galifianakis does not disappoint and *Spoilers* it all wraps up nicely in the end. However, if you are walking into this film expecting a completely different film from the first part, you will be disappointed in the end because the plot is basically the same as the first. However as I stated before, if that is what you want, which is what I expected, it is an enjoyable film.
Final Grade – 7/10
Great Film Aspect – None
Recommendation- If you like The Hangover, and want to see The Hangover in a different setting, go see the film.
Most of the critics are calling that repetitiveness the film's major flaw and the possible cause of its downfall, but is the repetitive such a bad thing? We all know that this is not the greatest movie series, as in these are not film masterpieces. The Hangover films are a fun time filled with stupid jokes that will make you laugh, and Zach Galifianakis one liners that you will repeat for the weeks following the film’s release. Walking into this film, I didn’t have the highest expectations, I had about the same as I did for the first thinking it was just going to be a funny film, and this is what this is, your basic comedy. The audience shouldn’t expect to see the greatest film they have ever seen when they see these films; just go and have a good time. If you are expecting to see the same as The Hangover, you will not be disappointed. The jokes are hilarious, Galifianakis does not disappoint and *Spoilers* it all wraps up nicely in the end. However, if you are walking into this film expecting a completely different film from the first part, you will be disappointed in the end because the plot is basically the same as the first. However as I stated before, if that is what you want, which is what I expected, it is an enjoyable film.
Final Grade – 7/10
Great Film Aspect – None
Recommendation- If you like The Hangover, and want to see The Hangover in a different setting, go see the film.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Film Review "Thor"
The road to Joss Whedon’s The Avengers continues with this summer’s WWII period piece Captain America: The First Avenger, and the Norse mythological adventure which is Thor. Thor is the story of Thor, duh, the son of Odin and brother of Loki.
* Spoilers Ahead*
In the beginning of the film, Thor is a hot headed warrior who thinks only with his fists and hammer. He is one of those “shoot first” kinds of guys. An attack by a set of Frost Giants befalls the realm of Asgard during Thor's initiation to becoming King and fearing further attacks, Thor retaliates against the Giants by attacking the Giant’s home world head on. Upon his return, Odin punishes Thor for his ignorance and lack of careful planning by banishing him to Earth. Upon arrival, Thor meets Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and after trying and failing to retrieve his hammer, and after his brother tells him that Odin has died (he hasn’t), Thor tries to make the best of his new life on Earth. Back in Asgard, Loki is revealed to be the one who allowed the Frost Giants to enter Asgard and attack, and also reveals that he wants to impress his father and be rid of his better brother Thor, so he sends a type of giant robot to earth to kill him. In the end, Thor defeats the robot thing, returns to Asgard, defeats Loki, and accidently throws him into the universe. Then there are some scenes of filler between this film and The Avengers.
All and all this is a good film. The visuals are very well done; the film industry has come a long way in C.G.I. Also the fight scenes are well choreographed. The acting is also very good, with Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, and Tom Hiddleston all playing Thor, Odin and Loki very well.
The thing is, this film doesn’t sit well with me story or pace wise. I do not know the story of Thor, I will admit that. But I think the second act of the film was way too fast, and Thor’s character development from the hot headed, angry, kind of an ass warrior to the helpful, loving superhero was rushed. It seemed like one minute he’s one way then bam, he is another in the next scene. There was no time for character development, and yet it happened anyway, way too quickly. The first and third acts were very well paced; it is just the middle that I do not like at all. I think for this to have been a better movie, it needed to be longer. If they expanded the middle more, showing the change in Thor, it would have been a better story and more believable (although, this is a superhero movie, how believable does it need to be). It needs to be believable in its own world, and the characters just aren’t believable. Maybe there is a director’s cut with more in the middle, but all and all this film is lacking and could have been better. Did it do its job and make me excited for The Avengers film? Yes, but that is all it seems to be, just filler and marketing for another film. As a standalone film, it doesn’t stand on its own story wise, and could have been better.
Final Score – 7/10
Great Film Aspect: None, except it makes me want to the Avengers movie.
Recommendation – If you like superhero movies, and are looking forward to the Avengers, go see it. If not, rent.
* Spoilers Ahead*
In the beginning of the film, Thor is a hot headed warrior who thinks only with his fists and hammer. He is one of those “shoot first” kinds of guys. An attack by a set of Frost Giants befalls the realm of Asgard during Thor's initiation to becoming King and fearing further attacks, Thor retaliates against the Giants by attacking the Giant’s home world head on. Upon his return, Odin punishes Thor for his ignorance and lack of careful planning by banishing him to Earth. Upon arrival, Thor meets Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and after trying and failing to retrieve his hammer, and after his brother tells him that Odin has died (he hasn’t), Thor tries to make the best of his new life on Earth. Back in Asgard, Loki is revealed to be the one who allowed the Frost Giants to enter Asgard and attack, and also reveals that he wants to impress his father and be rid of his better brother Thor, so he sends a type of giant robot to earth to kill him. In the end, Thor defeats the robot thing, returns to Asgard, defeats Loki, and accidently throws him into the universe. Then there are some scenes of filler between this film and The Avengers.
All and all this is a good film. The visuals are very well done; the film industry has come a long way in C.G.I. Also the fight scenes are well choreographed. The acting is also very good, with Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, and Tom Hiddleston all playing Thor, Odin and Loki very well.
The thing is, this film doesn’t sit well with me story or pace wise. I do not know the story of Thor, I will admit that. But I think the second act of the film was way too fast, and Thor’s character development from the hot headed, angry, kind of an ass warrior to the helpful, loving superhero was rushed. It seemed like one minute he’s one way then bam, he is another in the next scene. There was no time for character development, and yet it happened anyway, way too quickly. The first and third acts were very well paced; it is just the middle that I do not like at all. I think for this to have been a better movie, it needed to be longer. If they expanded the middle more, showing the change in Thor, it would have been a better story and more believable (although, this is a superhero movie, how believable does it need to be). It needs to be believable in its own world, and the characters just aren’t believable. Maybe there is a director’s cut with more in the middle, but all and all this film is lacking and could have been better. Did it do its job and make me excited for The Avengers film? Yes, but that is all it seems to be, just filler and marketing for another film. As a standalone film, it doesn’t stand on its own story wise, and could have been better.
Final Score – 7/10
Great Film Aspect: None, except it makes me want to the Avengers movie.
Recommendation – If you like superhero movies, and are looking forward to the Avengers, go see it. If not, rent.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Film Review "The Room"
When you think of the greatest movies in the history of time, what comes to mind? Citizen Kane? Casablanca? The Godfather? The Shawshank Redemption? All pieces of s#%t compared to the visual and storytelling masterpiece that is Tommy Wiseau's The Room. If you want your mind literally blown and your eye's to melt out of your head out of sheer enjoyment of what you're watching, see this film. This film will have make the pleasure centers of your mind explode and have you screaming for more. Lets being the analysis of what can be called the film industry's magnum opus.
*Spoilers Ahead*
The film begins with the greatest tragic hero of our time, Johnny, just Johnny (simple and elegant), as he comes home from work to the most beautiful woman in the world, his future wife Lisa. After a few classic moments of small talk, their semi-adopted child prodigy Denny arrives for some hilarious banter until Johnny and Lisa begin making love which could only be compared to the upside down kissing scene in Spiderman and the pottery scene in Ghost in erotic nature, but this and the 3 others that follow blow all previous love making scenes out of the water. As the story progresses, Lisa begins to see the bad side in Johnny and the good side in his best friend Mark, creating complex character development. We are introduced to some of the greatest side characters in film and all of art history, and in the end, Lisa goes with Mark, and Johnny has to conclude his life in order to repent for the sins of his ex future wife.
Now am I saying that Johnny is basically a Christ figure. Possibly. What I am saying is that this film works on so many levels it is hard to keep track. For example, each character exhibits qualities of each of the 7 deadly sins:
Lust - Lisa - She can not be with just one man, she must have them all in a very erotic nature.
Wrath - Chris R - After Denny doesn't pay the money he is owed, Chris R must take his revenge on the boy.
Envy - Denny - Denny wants Lisa to himself, and is envious of Johnny's life.
Sloth - Mark - Does he work? We never see him work at all. Interesting...
Greed - Claudette - All she talks about is Lisa marrying Johnny to get his money and live the easy life.
Gluttony - Mike - All he ever does in this film is eat chocolates and cake.
Pride - Peter - Mister high and mighty, thinking he knows everything all the time.
And where does this leave Johnny, as the Shepard leading these characters through their sinful acts until he must sacrifice himself in order to absolve them from their sins. This film has a very strong religious theme that persist throughout. But it is also the greatest love/revenge stories of all time, with the complex love triangle between Mark, Johnny and Lisa creating a dysfunctional utopia that in the end is so life like, mirrors our own society and becomes the social commentary of our time.
Final Score - Over 9000/10
Great Movie Aspect - Everything you ever wanted to see in your life is in this film. You can die after watching this film, your life is complete.
Recommendation - If you haven't seen this film, go out and rent it, break into the nearest house you can find, and force the family living there to watch this masterpiece with you.
Final word - April Fools. This movie is terrible. ;-)
*Spoilers Ahead*
The film begins with the greatest tragic hero of our time, Johnny, just Johnny (simple and elegant), as he comes home from work to the most beautiful woman in the world, his future wife Lisa. After a few classic moments of small talk, their semi-adopted child prodigy Denny arrives for some hilarious banter until Johnny and Lisa begin making love which could only be compared to the upside down kissing scene in Spiderman and the pottery scene in Ghost in erotic nature, but this and the 3 others that follow blow all previous love making scenes out of the water. As the story progresses, Lisa begins to see the bad side in Johnny and the good side in his best friend Mark, creating complex character development. We are introduced to some of the greatest side characters in film and all of art history, and in the end, Lisa goes with Mark, and Johnny has to conclude his life in order to repent for the sins of his ex future wife.
Now am I saying that Johnny is basically a Christ figure. Possibly. What I am saying is that this film works on so many levels it is hard to keep track. For example, each character exhibits qualities of each of the 7 deadly sins:
Lust - Lisa - She can not be with just one man, she must have them all in a very erotic nature.
Wrath - Chris R - After Denny doesn't pay the money he is owed, Chris R must take his revenge on the boy.
Envy - Denny - Denny wants Lisa to himself, and is envious of Johnny's life.
Sloth - Mark - Does he work? We never see him work at all. Interesting...
Greed - Claudette - All she talks about is Lisa marrying Johnny to get his money and live the easy life.
Gluttony - Mike - All he ever does in this film is eat chocolates and cake.
Pride - Peter - Mister high and mighty, thinking he knows everything all the time.
And where does this leave Johnny, as the Shepard leading these characters through their sinful acts until he must sacrifice himself in order to absolve them from their sins. This film has a very strong religious theme that persist throughout. But it is also the greatest love/revenge stories of all time, with the complex love triangle between Mark, Johnny and Lisa creating a dysfunctional utopia that in the end is so life like, mirrors our own society and becomes the social commentary of our time.
Final Score - Over 9000/10
Great Movie Aspect - Everything you ever wanted to see in your life is in this film. You can die after watching this film, your life is complete.
Recommendation - If you haven't seen this film, go out and rent it, break into the nearest house you can find, and force the family living there to watch this masterpiece with you.
Final word - April Fools. This movie is terrible. ;-)
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Film Review "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind"
My journey to watch every Hayao Miyazaki film continues with Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and man was I emotional about this one. The film is the story of Princess Nausicaä as she tries to save her village from both invading dictators and poisonous insects/forests. As with most Miyazaki films, there is a strong connection between man and nature, with the poison forest being the direct result of man. Spoiler Ahead. In the end, the village is almost destroyed, and Nausicaä is killed but brought back to life and everyone begins to grow new forests.
This film really angered me, and probably not for the reasons people may think. This film is great; as always the visuals are amazing, the female lead is a very strong character and the story is very well though out and sweet at times. The reason I am so angry are the secondary characters, mainly the people of Tolmekia and Pejite. These people are f*#king idiots (pardon my language). If it wasn't for them, nothing in this film would have happened, which would be fine. The Valley of the Wind was a peaceful place, albeit that there was a poison forest not to far away, but the princess had solved the problem and seeing how the people of the valley listened to her, they forest would probably eventually go away. But no. The queen of Tolmekia had to come along and f*#k it up for everyone. If the Tolmekian's just stayed where they were and minded their own business, the village, and countless number of people would have been saved. But she had to just try to destroy the forest which she did not understand anything about and ruin every one's lives. And don't think the people of Pejite are much better. Why send the Ohums through the valley, killing all the villagers in the process, just to kill all the Tolmekian soldiers? That seems extreme, just outright genocide to kill one army. Man.
Ok, I calmed down a little. Basically this film is really good. I like to think that Miyazaki films fall into 2 categories; the cute children films and the epic fantasy action films. This is definitely an epic fantasy, along the lines of Princess Mononoke. It is a good film, but you can see that it is early in Miyazaki's film career, with it being a little rough around the edges, which he has smoothed out with each film he directs.
Final Score: 8/10
Great Film Aspect: Makes you want to look away.
Recommendation: I recommend this film again if you like Miyazaki films, and anime films of this nature. Also if you really want to get angry at some people.
This film really angered me, and probably not for the reasons people may think. This film is great; as always the visuals are amazing, the female lead is a very strong character and the story is very well though out and sweet at times. The reason I am so angry are the secondary characters, mainly the people of Tolmekia and Pejite. These people are f*#king idiots (pardon my language). If it wasn't for them, nothing in this film would have happened, which would be fine. The Valley of the Wind was a peaceful place, albeit that there was a poison forest not to far away, but the princess had solved the problem and seeing how the people of the valley listened to her, they forest would probably eventually go away. But no. The queen of Tolmekia had to come along and f*#k it up for everyone. If the Tolmekian's just stayed where they were and minded their own business, the village, and countless number of people would have been saved. But she had to just try to destroy the forest which she did not understand anything about and ruin every one's lives. And don't think the people of Pejite are much better. Why send the Ohums through the valley, killing all the villagers in the process, just to kill all the Tolmekian soldiers? That seems extreme, just outright genocide to kill one army. Man.
Ok, I calmed down a little. Basically this film is really good. I like to think that Miyazaki films fall into 2 categories; the cute children films and the epic fantasy action films. This is definitely an epic fantasy, along the lines of Princess Mononoke. It is a good film, but you can see that it is early in Miyazaki's film career, with it being a little rough around the edges, which he has smoothed out with each film he directs.
Final Score: 8/10
Great Film Aspect: Makes you want to look away.
Recommendation: I recommend this film again if you like Miyazaki films, and anime films of this nature. Also if you really want to get angry at some people.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Spring Break Films
So, as my spring break comes to an end...and since I am lame and didn't to go Mexico or somewhere exotic and party until I couldn't see straight, I watched movies instead. Let us see what I watched. *1001 Film to See Before You Die
Unknown - Good Liam Neeson action thriller, like Taken. 8/10
The Goonies - Classic film. One of the best. HEYYYYY YOU GUYYSSSSS! 10/10
*Princess Mononoke - Already reviewed this. 8/10
Ponyo - A cute Miyazaki film. Not one of his best, but a cute little film. 7/10
*The Sting - Good con film. Paul Newman and Robert Redford are top notch. 8/10
*Big - Classic film. Tom Hanks is perfect in this film. Has kind of aged a bit, but some funny scenes make up for this. 7/10
Rango - Greatest animation I have ever seen. But, not the greatest animated movie. Story is kind of weak, kind of cliche western, but not so much that it is not a very enjoyble film. Johnny Depp is great, and Bill Nighy is always one of my favorite actors. 8/10
Kiki's Delivery Service - Another cute Miyazaki film, again not one of his best, but a cute little film. 7/10
So there you go, highest is The Goonies with a 10/10 as it should be because it is a great film. So for now, this is me signing off.
Unknown - Good Liam Neeson action thriller, like Taken. 8/10
The Goonies - Classic film. One of the best. HEYYYYY YOU GUYYSSSSS! 10/10
*Princess Mononoke - Already reviewed this. 8/10
Ponyo - A cute Miyazaki film. Not one of his best, but a cute little film. 7/10
*The Sting - Good con film. Paul Newman and Robert Redford are top notch. 8/10
*Big - Classic film. Tom Hanks is perfect in this film. Has kind of aged a bit, but some funny scenes make up for this. 7/10
Rango - Greatest animation I have ever seen. But, not the greatest animated movie. Story is kind of weak, kind of cliche western, but not so much that it is not a very enjoyble film. Johnny Depp is great, and Bill Nighy is always one of my favorite actors. 8/10
Kiki's Delivery Service - Another cute Miyazaki film, again not one of his best, but a cute little film. 7/10
So there you go, highest is The Goonies with a 10/10 as it should be because it is a great film. So for now, this is me signing off.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
1001 Movies You Must See Review "Princess Mononoke"
Hayao Miyazaki probably one of, if not the, best animation director that has ever graced film screens. With such visual epics as Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, Miyazaki has created some of the best mythical, story driven animated epics ever. That being said, here comes his 1997 epic Princess Mononoke. This is arguably his most epic (sorry I use the word epic so much, but it is the only word that fits) and large scale of all the films I have seen by him. Also in that sense, it is also very different. *Spoilers Ahead* The story follows Ashitaka, a young prince from a small village in the mountains somewhere in a mythical land. One day, a wild boar cursed with a demon attacks the village, but Ashitaka kills the beast. In the process however, he is also cursed, and is told that if he does not have the curse removed, he will die. This is thus that his journey begins; he must travel to find the forest spirit in order to remove the curse. Along the way he comes upon a city called Iron Town, which is run by an evil woman who is cutting down the forest to produce iron for sale. What follows is a story of war, hatred, love and environmentalism. In the end Ashitaka falls in love with a girl named San who was raised by a wolf guardian of the forest, and they bring peace to the world of both men and the forest.
On the surface, this film seems like one of those environmental, look at how evil man is movies, in the same frame as Avatar and FernGully. But this film is different from those. The main character is against the forest, or isn’t on the side of the evil humans and must be taught about the importance of the forest; he already knows and respects the forest. The environmental aspect is not shoved in your face, but it is also not subtly added to the story. The main plot is about the environment, but also about war and death. Ashitaka isn’t on either the side of humans or the forest; he just doesn’t want war and wants to relieve hatred from the land. In this sense he is a great character, he helps both sides of the fight tries to stop all the fighting. But, although his character is good, to me there didn’t seem to be any growth to the character. He starts out loving the forest and hating hatred, and he leaves the story the same way. In a discussion on the film Casablanca, the character of Laszlo was determined to be perfect in character and the only way his character could go is down, with no character improvement. Ashitaka is the same way; he is a perfect person and he cannot develop anymore. The only character that truly grows is San. She realizes that, though her relationship with Ashitaka, that not all humans are bad, and she begins to love and trust him. The characters Jigo and Lady Eboshi could also be said to have grown, they begin anew and decide to start again on a better path. But, I didn’t really believe their transformation. I could see them going back to their evil, disrespecting the environment and the forest spirit ways. Miyazaki creates some of the best female characters in any film, and San is a good example in this respect, with her growth as a character.
The animation in this film is amazing. The visual aesthetic of this film is brilliant, just like Miyazaki’s other film. The world he creates in this film is right up there with his other films. As I stated in my review of Black Swan, there are two things that make a great film in my mind; one that make you want to see more, and one that makes you want to turn away. This is number 2. Whenever a guardian is attacked by the demons, it made me want to look away and not watch. The creepy, worm like creatures freaked me out a little, and disgusted me in the same way, but I couldn’t not watch (double negative, sorry). And this concept does not only apply to visuals, I didn’t want to see a lot of the characters get hurt the way they did in this film. When a film can do that, make you connect with the characters and make you not want to watch them get hurt, they are doing something right. Also as a side note, there was a lot of blood in this film, a lot, more even then what was the most violent anime film I have ever seen, Akira. I mean, Ashitaka shoots at least 2 guy’s heads off with a bow and arrow. Crazy violence in this film.
Ok, on to some criticism. One of the problems I had with the film was I could not figure out what Ashitaka’s intentions were until the very end. It was hard to tell if he was on the human or the forest’s side of the fight. And while I realized at the end that he was on the side of peace, just the fact that it took me so long to figure it out, had me second guessing the whole film as I watched. Also, I did not like how Jigo and Lady Eboshi survived in the end. This might just be my American standards of film, but I prefer my villains to get what’s coming to them in the end. I’m not saying that this ending was bad; it’s good that they learned their lesson in the end, and I don’t think it would have improved with their deaths; it just didn’t sit right with me for some reason.
All and all, this is a great film from a great director. The visuals were very creative, the mythology had a lot of depth, and this is how you do an environmental movie. And some negative aspects took things away from the film in my mind; this was still a very enjoyable film in the end.
I am going to try a new rating system now, hopefully it is good.
Final Rating – 8/10
Great Film Aspect – Makes you want to look away
Recommendation – Watch this film if you like Miyazaki’s films, and if you want to watch a very enjoyable film. I recommend it.
So for now, this is me signing off.
On the surface, this film seems like one of those environmental, look at how evil man is movies, in the same frame as Avatar and FernGully. But this film is different from those. The main character is against the forest, or isn’t on the side of the evil humans and must be taught about the importance of the forest; he already knows and respects the forest. The environmental aspect is not shoved in your face, but it is also not subtly added to the story. The main plot is about the environment, but also about war and death. Ashitaka isn’t on either the side of humans or the forest; he just doesn’t want war and wants to relieve hatred from the land. In this sense he is a great character, he helps both sides of the fight tries to stop all the fighting. But, although his character is good, to me there didn’t seem to be any growth to the character. He starts out loving the forest and hating hatred, and he leaves the story the same way. In a discussion on the film Casablanca, the character of Laszlo was determined to be perfect in character and the only way his character could go is down, with no character improvement. Ashitaka is the same way; he is a perfect person and he cannot develop anymore. The only character that truly grows is San. She realizes that, though her relationship with Ashitaka, that not all humans are bad, and she begins to love and trust him. The characters Jigo and Lady Eboshi could also be said to have grown, they begin anew and decide to start again on a better path. But, I didn’t really believe their transformation. I could see them going back to their evil, disrespecting the environment and the forest spirit ways. Miyazaki creates some of the best female characters in any film, and San is a good example in this respect, with her growth as a character.
The animation in this film is amazing. The visual aesthetic of this film is brilliant, just like Miyazaki’s other film. The world he creates in this film is right up there with his other films. As I stated in my review of Black Swan, there are two things that make a great film in my mind; one that make you want to see more, and one that makes you want to turn away. This is number 2. Whenever a guardian is attacked by the demons, it made me want to look away and not watch. The creepy, worm like creatures freaked me out a little, and disgusted me in the same way, but I couldn’t not watch (double negative, sorry). And this concept does not only apply to visuals, I didn’t want to see a lot of the characters get hurt the way they did in this film. When a film can do that, make you connect with the characters and make you not want to watch them get hurt, they are doing something right. Also as a side note, there was a lot of blood in this film, a lot, more even then what was the most violent anime film I have ever seen, Akira. I mean, Ashitaka shoots at least 2 guy’s heads off with a bow and arrow. Crazy violence in this film.
Ok, on to some criticism. One of the problems I had with the film was I could not figure out what Ashitaka’s intentions were until the very end. It was hard to tell if he was on the human or the forest’s side of the fight. And while I realized at the end that he was on the side of peace, just the fact that it took me so long to figure it out, had me second guessing the whole film as I watched. Also, I did not like how Jigo and Lady Eboshi survived in the end. This might just be my American standards of film, but I prefer my villains to get what’s coming to them in the end. I’m not saying that this ending was bad; it’s good that they learned their lesson in the end, and I don’t think it would have improved with their deaths; it just didn’t sit right with me for some reason.
All and all, this is a great film from a great director. The visuals were very creative, the mythology had a lot of depth, and this is how you do an environmental movie. And some negative aspects took things away from the film in my mind; this was still a very enjoyable film in the end.
I am going to try a new rating system now, hopefully it is good.
Final Rating – 8/10
Great Film Aspect – Makes you want to look away
Recommendation – Watch this film if you like Miyazaki’s films, and if you want to watch a very enjoyable film. I recommend it.
So for now, this is me signing off.
Monday, February 28, 2011
And the Winner Is...
So the Oscars are done and gone, and it is time to reflect on the winners and losers, and although this was one of my worst Oscar prediction nights (I was 11/22, which is terrible for me) here are my reactions to the show.
1. David Fincher didn't win best director? The King's Speech deserved its Best Picture win, but Fincher was probably the best director this year with The Social Network.
2. Alice in Wonderland won 2 awards? What is this crap? Now I know the visuals and costumes were good in that film, but really? That was a terrible movie. In the words of my roommate, "True Grit: 0, Black Swan: 1, Alice in Wonderland: 2...Something is wrong with that." So true.
3. I thought Hailee Steinfeld was going to pull off the win. Although Melissa Leo was the front runner to win, I though Hailee Steinfeld did a better job. I can't really explain it, I just though she would win.
4. Why was Tron: Legacy not nominated for best visual effects? I'm not sure that it would win over Inception, but I though Tron was the most visually pleasing film of the year. And on that note...
5. Why was Daft Punk not nominated for best Original Score? Come on, it's Daft Punk.
6. I sort of wish Exit Through The Gift Shop would win, just to see what Banksy would do. I know everyone was saying that, I wanted to see it too.
7. Franco and Hathaway did a very good job this year. I like the opening with them immersed into the films. It reminded me of what MTV does for the Movie Awards. It was really funny and great.
8. Where was Ben Stiller? I always look forward to Ben Stiller's presentation, from his Avatar costume last year, to dressing up like Joaquin Phoenix the year before that. Where were you Ben?
9. Lastly, congratulations to all the winners. You all did a good job, and I applaud you.
That's it. So until next time, this is me signing off.
1. David Fincher didn't win best director? The King's Speech deserved its Best Picture win, but Fincher was probably the best director this year with The Social Network.
2. Alice in Wonderland won 2 awards? What is this crap? Now I know the visuals and costumes were good in that film, but really? That was a terrible movie. In the words of my roommate, "True Grit: 0, Black Swan: 1, Alice in Wonderland: 2...Something is wrong with that." So true.
3. I thought Hailee Steinfeld was going to pull off the win. Although Melissa Leo was the front runner to win, I though Hailee Steinfeld did a better job. I can't really explain it, I just though she would win.
4. Why was Tron: Legacy not nominated for best visual effects? I'm not sure that it would win over Inception, but I though Tron was the most visually pleasing film of the year. And on that note...
5. Why was Daft Punk not nominated for best Original Score? Come on, it's Daft Punk.
6. I sort of wish Exit Through The Gift Shop would win, just to see what Banksy would do. I know everyone was saying that, I wanted to see it too.
7. Franco and Hathaway did a very good job this year. I like the opening with them immersed into the films. It reminded me of what MTV does for the Movie Awards. It was really funny and great.
8. Where was Ben Stiller? I always look forward to Ben Stiller's presentation, from his Avatar costume last year, to dressing up like Joaquin Phoenix the year before that. Where were you Ben?
9. Lastly, congratulations to all the winners. You all did a good job, and I applaud you.
That's it. So until next time, this is me signing off.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Oscar Picks 2-28-11
So I went through the Oscar ballot and pick each of my choices. So, here they are... (Note for some categories where I didn't know any of the nominee, I went with the experts pick *).
Best Actor - Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
Best Supporting Actor - Christian Bale (The Fighter)
Best Actress - Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Best Supporting Actress - Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
Best Animated Feature - Toy Story 3
Best Art Direction - Harry Potter and the Deathly Part 1
Best Cinematography - The Social Network
Best Costume Design - The King's Speech
Best Full Length Documentary - Exit Through The Gift Shop
*Best Documentary Short - Strangers No More
Best Film Editing - The Social Network
Best Foreign Language Film - Biutiful
Best Make Up - The Wolfman
Best Original Score - The Social Network
Best Original Song - "We Belong Together" (Toy Story)
Best Animated Short Film - Day & Night
*Best Live Action Short - Na Wewe
Best Sound Editing - Tron: Legacy
Best Sound Mixing - The Social Network
Best Visual Effects - Inception
Best Adapted Screenplay - The Social Network
Best Original Screenplay - The King's Speech
Best Director - David Fincher (The Social Network)
Best Picture - The Social Network
Those are my picks, will have to see what happens tonight.
Best Actor - Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
Best Supporting Actor - Christian Bale (The Fighter)
Best Actress - Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Best Supporting Actress - Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
Best Animated Feature - Toy Story 3
Best Art Direction - Harry Potter and the Deathly Part 1
Best Cinematography - The Social Network
Best Costume Design - The King's Speech
Best Full Length Documentary - Exit Through The Gift Shop
*Best Documentary Short - Strangers No More
Best Film Editing - The Social Network
Best Foreign Language Film - Biutiful
Best Make Up - The Wolfman
Best Original Score - The Social Network
Best Original Song - "We Belong Together" (Toy Story)
Best Animated Short Film - Day & Night
*Best Live Action Short - Na Wewe
Best Sound Editing - Tron: Legacy
Best Sound Mixing - The Social Network
Best Visual Effects - Inception
Best Adapted Screenplay - The Social Network
Best Original Screenplay - The King's Speech
Best Director - David Fincher (The Social Network)
Best Picture - The Social Network
Those are my picks, will have to see what happens tonight.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Film Review "Black Swan"
This film is brillant. Everything about this movie is good. Where to begin. First I'll star with the story. *Spoilers to follow* The story is of a girl named Nina (Natalie Portman) who is trying out for the roll of the Swan Queen in Swan Lake. She is a really good dancer, and while she is perfect for the role of the white swan (innocent, pure, almost virginistic) she can not get the feeling of the black swan (powerful, lustful, courauges). While she is practicing for the role, a new girl enters into the show, Lily (Mila Kunis). She is perfect for the role of the black swan, and is Nina's exact opposite in every way. While Nina is kinda shy and passive, Lily is sexual and forceful, things like that. To make a long story short, Nina embraces the role of the black swan, but in doing so, loses her innocence and also her sanity. I like the line that Vinncent Cassel speaks towards the end when he says, "You have to lose yourself in the role." And although he had been saying that throughout the entire film, you don't notice until the very end that that is what Nina is doing, she is losing her self, and becoming the black swan. In doing so, she loses her mind. In esscense this film is a sort of coming of age/loss of innocence story, but with a very dark twist. Nina loses her innocence, yes, but in doing so she goes completly mental, and in the end loses her life because of this insanity. I think the story also has to do with the idea of stress. I don't think it was a main theme, but I got the feeling of stress throughout the entire film, if it's not a theme, it is at least a sort of undertone. Now on to visuals. Darren Aronofsky is at the top of his game in this film. While his previous film, The Wrestler, visually was just your standard, run of the mill film, this is getting back to his Requium For A Dream days. It almost felt like a horror film the way in which it was shot. I jumped acouple of times while watching, and Nina's hallucinations are amazingly done. Sound design was again really good. I again got the sense of a horror film while watching. There are scratching and feather sounds in the film that will make your skin crawl, and that is what a good film will do, make you have an emotional response and really get into it. I believe a great film envokes 2 feelings in the viewer, one that is wanting more and one that is I can't watch because I don't want this to happen. This is the latter, it's almost a cringing feeling, that you don't want to watch, because if makes you feel weird...but you can't look away. The last time I felt this was during The Dark Knight, I didn't want The Joker on screen because I knew he would do something bad, but I also wanted to see what he would do next. That sort of feeling. Natalie Portman is really good in this film. I always say her best role was in Leon The Professional, this performance is right up there with Leon. Her descent into madness is one of the best depictions of downfall I have ever seen. It is right up there with Emil Jannings in The Last Laugh, which is the best performance of a broken down man I have ever seen. Ok, now on to some critasism, and there is not much. Although Natalie Portman is great in her role, I am question weither it is actually her that is great, or the way the film is shot. I almost have a sense that the way the scenes are shot make the downfall more amazing. Also, was Lily real? I think I read somewhere that she is not, and it is sort of like a Fight Club sceneiro, but not all the way like that. All in all, the film is great and everyone should watch it. One last thing I just remembered, kudios to Mr. Aronofsky for the visual dichotmoy of Lily and Nina, with with 2 colors black and white, I thought that was great. Conclusion time, go see this film. 9/10
Film Review "Winter's Bone" and Oscar Picks 2-26
Why is this film nominated for best picture? Of the nominees, this is probably the worst, and one of the weirder films I have seen in my life. Spoilers beyond this point. The film is about a girl named Ree, played by Jennifer Lawrence, who is trying to find her father so a bails bondsman doesn't take her house. This family lives out in the boonies/woods with her younger brother and sister and her catatonic mother. That's the first issue I have with this film. The mother didn't seem catatonic or sick at all in this film, just on the verge of a nervous breakdown. All and all, she just didn't talk, that's it; she wasn't bed ridden or unable to do anything, so I don't get how she was catatonic. Also, what do these people do for money? As far as I know, Ree is the biggest provider, but she doesn't work at all in the film, and we are not given any indication that she does work. Also, what was up with the mafia aspect of this film? That is one of the weirdest concepts I have seen in a film, the "redneck mafia" (that's not what their called, but if you watched this, you would get what I mean). Also, the main character cuts off her dead fathers hands, and puts them in a plastic bag and brings them down to the police station by her self. I can't put my finger on it, but something seems off about this. I don't know what I would do in this situation, but I would not do that. All and all, not the best film. Not a terrible one, but not the best either. Probably the best part of this were both Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes. They were the best performers in the film, and they deserve their actor nominations at the Oscars. See if you want, I'm not recommending it, see it just for the ridiculous redneck mafia and a girl cutting off her dead fathers hands. That's about it. 4/10.
Oscar Picks as of Feb. 26 at 5:00 (What should win, not what will win)
1.Toy Story 3
2.The King's Speech
3.Inception
4.True Grit
5.The Fighter
6.The Social Network
7.127 Hours
8.The Kids Are All Right
9.Winter's Bone
Just have to watch Black Swan, which I am sure will be high on the list. Will have to tune in tomorrow to see the big winners.
Oscar Picks as of Feb. 26 at 5:00 (What should win, not what will win)
1.Toy Story 3
2.The King's Speech
3.Inception
4.True Grit
5.The Fighter
6.The Social Network
7.127 Hours
8.The Kids Are All Right
9.Winter's Bone
Just have to watch Black Swan, which I am sure will be high on the list. Will have to tune in tomorrow to see the big winners.
Monday, February 21, 2011
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
I received the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die yesterday. And I have come to the conclusion that I am going to try and watch as many movies in this book as I can in my life time. This is a new life long goal for me, and I am excited. There are some movies in here that I will not watch, mostly I don't want to see a woman's eye get cut in the film An Andalusian Dog, and no offense to John Waters, but Pink Flamingos is not a film I want to see. But besides those selective few that are not on my to do list to watch, I will try to watch as many of these as I can, and maybe even right a review or short blog for each. Let me start with the films I have seen already.
1.(1902) Le Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip To The Moon) - Georges Méliès
2.(1903) The Great Train Robbery - Edwin S. Porter
3.(1919) Das Kabinett Des Doktor Caligari (The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari) - Robert Wiene
4.(1931) M - Fritz Lang
5.(1932) Scarface: The Shame Of A Nation - Howard Hawks
6.(1933) Duck Soup - Leo McCarey
7.(1937) Snow White And The Seven Dwarves - David Hand
8.(1939) The Wizard Of Oz - Victor Fleming
9.(1940) Fantasia - Ben Sharpsteen
10.(1940) Pinocchino - Hamilton Luske, Ben Sharpsteen
11.(1941) Dumbo - Ben Sharpsteen
12.(1942) Casablanca - Michael Curtiz
13.(1947) Out Of The Past - Jacques Tourneur
14.(1948) Rope - Alfred Hitchcock
15.(1953) The Big Heat - Fritz Lang
16.(1954) Shichinin No Samurai (The Seven Samurai) - Akira Kurosawa
17.(1956) The Searchers - John Ford
18.(1957) 12 Angry Men - Sidney Lumet
19.(1960) Psycho - Alfred Hitchcock
20.(1961) West Side Story - Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise
21.(1962) To Kill A Mockingbird - Robert Mulligan
22.(1963) The Birds - Alfred Hitchcock
23.(1965) The Sound Of Music - Robert Wise
24.(1966) Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo (The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly) - Sergio Leone
25.(1967) The Graduate - Mike Nichols
26.(1967) Cool Hand Luke - Stuart Rosenberg
27.(1967) The Jungle Book - Wolfgang Reitherman
28.(1968) Planet Of The Apes - Franklin J. Schaffner
29.(1968) 2001: A Space Odyssey - Stanley Kubrick
30.(1968) Night Of The Living Dead - George A Romero
31.(1971) A Clockwork Orange - Stanley Kubrick
32.(1971) Willy Wanka And The Chocolate Factory - Mel Stuart
33.(1971) Dirty Harry - Don Siegal
34.(1972) The Godfather - Francis Ford Coppola
35.(1973) The Exorcist - William Friedkin
36.(1974) Young Frankenstein - Mel Brooks
37.(1974) Blazing Saddles - Mel Brooks
38.(1974) The Godfather: Part II - Francis Ford Coppola
39.(1975) One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest - Milos Forman
40.(1975) The Rocky Horror Picture Show - Jim Sharman
41.(1975) Monty Python And The Holy Grail - Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
42.(1975) Jaws - Steven Spielberg
43.(1976) The Outlaw Josey Wales - Clint Eastwood
44.(1976) Rocky - John G. Avildsen
45.(1977) Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope - George Lucas
46.(1977) Annie Hall - Woody Allen
47.(1978) Dawn Of The Dead - George A. Romero
48.(1979) Life Of Brian - Terry Jones
49.(1979) The Jerk - Carl Reiner
50.(1979) The Muppet Movie - James Frawley
51.(1980) The Shining - Stanley Kubrick
52.(1980) Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - George Lucas
53.(1980) The Elephant Man - David Lynch
54.(1980) Airplane! - Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
55.(1981) Raiders Of The Lost Ark - Steven Spielberg
56.(1982) Fast Times At Ridgemont High - Amy Heckerling
57.(1982) E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial - Steven Spielberg
58.(1982) The Thing - John Carpenter
59.(1982) Poltergeist - Tobe Hooper
60.(1982) Blade Runner - Ridley Scott
61.(1982) The Evil Dead - Sam Raimi
62.(1983) A Christmas Story - Bob Clark
63.(1983) Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi - George Lucas
64.(1983) Scarface - Brian De Palma
65.(1984) The Terminator - James Cameron
66.(1984) This Is Spinal Tapp - Rob Reiner
67.(1984) Ghost Busters - Ivan Reitman
68.(1985) The Breakfast Club - John Hughes
69.(1985) Back To The Future - Robert Zemeckis
70.(1985) Brazil - Terry Gilliam
71.(1986) Stand By Me - Rob Reiner
72.(1986) Blue Velvet - David Lynch
73.(1986) Ferris Bueller's Day Off - John Hughes
74.(1986) Platoon - Oliver Stone
75.(1987) Raising Arizona - Joel Coen
76.(1987) Full Metal Jacket - Stanley Kubrick
77.(1987) Good Morning, Vietnam - Barry Levinson
78.(1987) The Princess Bride - Rob Reiner
79.(1988) Akira - Katsuhiro Otomo
80.(1988) The Naked Gun - David Zucker
81.(1988) Who Framed Roger Rabbit - Robert Zemeckis
82.(1988) Rain Man - Barry Levinson
83.(1989) Glory - Edward Zwick
84.(1990) Goodfellas - Martin Scorsese
85.(1990) Edward Scissorhands - Tim Burton
86.(1990) Total Recall - Paul Verhoeven
87.(1991) Boyz 'N The Hood - John Singleton
88.(1991) Terminator 2: Judgment Day - James Cameron
89.(1991) The Silence Of The Lambs - Jonathan Demme
90.(1992) Reservoir Dogs - Quentin Tarantino
91.(1992) Unforgiven - Clint Eastwood
92.(1993) Ba Wang Bie Ji (Farewell My Concubine) - Kaige Chen
93.(1993) Groundhog Day - Harold Ramis
94.(1993) Jurassic Park - Steven Spielberg
95.(1993) Hsi Yen (The Wedding Banquet) - Ang Lee
96.(1994) Forrest Gump - Robert Zemeckis
97.(1994) The Lion King - Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
98.(1994) Clerks - Kevin Smith
99.(1994) Pulp Fiction - Quentin Tarantino
100.(1994) The Shawshank Redemption - Frank Darabont
101.(1995) Babe - Chris Noonan
102.(1995) Toy Story - John Lasseter
103.(1995) Clueless - Amy Heckerling
104.(1995) Se7en - David Fincher
105.(1995) The Usual Suspects - Bryan Singer
106.(1996) Fargo - Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
107.(1997) L.A. Confidential - Curtis Hanson
108.(1998) Saving Private Ryan - Steven Spielberg
109.(1998) Lola Rennt (Run Lola Run) - Tom Tykwer
110.(1998) Pi - Darren Aronofsky
111.(1998) There's Something About Mary - Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
112.(1999) Fight Club - David Fincher
113.(1999) The Blair Witch Project - Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sanchez
114.(1999) The Matrix - Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski
115.(1999) The Sixth Sense - M. Night Shyamalan
116.(2000) Gladiator - Ridley Scott
117.(2000) Requiem For A Dream - Darren Aronofsky
118.(2000) Meet The Parents - Jay Roach
119.(2000) Traffic - Steven Soderbergh
120.(2000) Memento - Christopher Nolan
121.(2001) Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (Amélie) - Jean Pierre Jeunet
122.(2001) Sen To Chihiro No Kamikakushi (Spirited Away) - Hayao Miyazaki
123.(2001) The Royal Tennenbaums - Wes Anderson
124.(2001) The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring - Peter Jackson
125.(2002) The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers - Peter Jackson
126.(2003) The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King - Peter Jackson
127.(2003) Kill Bill: Volume 1 - Quentin Tarantino
128.(2004) Crash - Paul Haggis
129.(2004) Sideways - Alexander Payne
130.(2006) Little Miss Sunshine - Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
131.(2006) The Departed - Martin Scorsese
132.(2006) El Laberinto Del Fauno (Pan's Labytinth) - Guillermo del Toro
133.(2006) Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan - Larry Charles
134.(2007) No Country For Old Men - Joel Coen. Ethan Coen
And that's it, 134 movies. Not bad. On the back cover of the book, it says that Roger Ebert has seen 943 of these films. So I have a long road ahead of me. Alright, lets do this.
1.(1902) Le Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip To The Moon) - Georges Méliès
2.(1903) The Great Train Robbery - Edwin S. Porter
3.(1919) Das Kabinett Des Doktor Caligari (The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari) - Robert Wiene
4.(1931) M - Fritz Lang
5.(1932) Scarface: The Shame Of A Nation - Howard Hawks
6.(1933) Duck Soup - Leo McCarey
7.(1937) Snow White And The Seven Dwarves - David Hand
8.(1939) The Wizard Of Oz - Victor Fleming
9.(1940) Fantasia - Ben Sharpsteen
10.(1940) Pinocchino - Hamilton Luske, Ben Sharpsteen
11.(1941) Dumbo - Ben Sharpsteen
12.(1942) Casablanca - Michael Curtiz
13.(1947) Out Of The Past - Jacques Tourneur
14.(1948) Rope - Alfred Hitchcock
15.(1953) The Big Heat - Fritz Lang
16.(1954) Shichinin No Samurai (The Seven Samurai) - Akira Kurosawa
17.(1956) The Searchers - John Ford
18.(1957) 12 Angry Men - Sidney Lumet
19.(1960) Psycho - Alfred Hitchcock
20.(1961) West Side Story - Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise
21.(1962) To Kill A Mockingbird - Robert Mulligan
22.(1963) The Birds - Alfred Hitchcock
23.(1965) The Sound Of Music - Robert Wise
24.(1966) Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo (The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly) - Sergio Leone
25.(1967) The Graduate - Mike Nichols
26.(1967) Cool Hand Luke - Stuart Rosenberg
27.(1967) The Jungle Book - Wolfgang Reitherman
28.(1968) Planet Of The Apes - Franklin J. Schaffner
29.(1968) 2001: A Space Odyssey - Stanley Kubrick
30.(1968) Night Of The Living Dead - George A Romero
31.(1971) A Clockwork Orange - Stanley Kubrick
32.(1971) Willy Wanka And The Chocolate Factory - Mel Stuart
33.(1971) Dirty Harry - Don Siegal
34.(1972) The Godfather - Francis Ford Coppola
35.(1973) The Exorcist - William Friedkin
36.(1974) Young Frankenstein - Mel Brooks
37.(1974) Blazing Saddles - Mel Brooks
38.(1974) The Godfather: Part II - Francis Ford Coppola
39.(1975) One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest - Milos Forman
40.(1975) The Rocky Horror Picture Show - Jim Sharman
41.(1975) Monty Python And The Holy Grail - Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
42.(1975) Jaws - Steven Spielberg
43.(1976) The Outlaw Josey Wales - Clint Eastwood
44.(1976) Rocky - John G. Avildsen
45.(1977) Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope - George Lucas
46.(1977) Annie Hall - Woody Allen
47.(1978) Dawn Of The Dead - George A. Romero
48.(1979) Life Of Brian - Terry Jones
49.(1979) The Jerk - Carl Reiner
50.(1979) The Muppet Movie - James Frawley
51.(1980) The Shining - Stanley Kubrick
52.(1980) Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - George Lucas
53.(1980) The Elephant Man - David Lynch
54.(1980) Airplane! - Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
55.(1981) Raiders Of The Lost Ark - Steven Spielberg
56.(1982) Fast Times At Ridgemont High - Amy Heckerling
57.(1982) E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial - Steven Spielberg
58.(1982) The Thing - John Carpenter
59.(1982) Poltergeist - Tobe Hooper
60.(1982) Blade Runner - Ridley Scott
61.(1982) The Evil Dead - Sam Raimi
62.(1983) A Christmas Story - Bob Clark
63.(1983) Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi - George Lucas
64.(1983) Scarface - Brian De Palma
65.(1984) The Terminator - James Cameron
66.(1984) This Is Spinal Tapp - Rob Reiner
67.(1984) Ghost Busters - Ivan Reitman
68.(1985) The Breakfast Club - John Hughes
69.(1985) Back To The Future - Robert Zemeckis
70.(1985) Brazil - Terry Gilliam
71.(1986) Stand By Me - Rob Reiner
72.(1986) Blue Velvet - David Lynch
73.(1986) Ferris Bueller's Day Off - John Hughes
74.(1986) Platoon - Oliver Stone
75.(1987) Raising Arizona - Joel Coen
76.(1987) Full Metal Jacket - Stanley Kubrick
77.(1987) Good Morning, Vietnam - Barry Levinson
78.(1987) The Princess Bride - Rob Reiner
79.(1988) Akira - Katsuhiro Otomo
80.(1988) The Naked Gun - David Zucker
81.(1988) Who Framed Roger Rabbit - Robert Zemeckis
82.(1988) Rain Man - Barry Levinson
83.(1989) Glory - Edward Zwick
84.(1990) Goodfellas - Martin Scorsese
85.(1990) Edward Scissorhands - Tim Burton
86.(1990) Total Recall - Paul Verhoeven
87.(1991) Boyz 'N The Hood - John Singleton
88.(1991) Terminator 2: Judgment Day - James Cameron
89.(1991) The Silence Of The Lambs - Jonathan Demme
90.(1992) Reservoir Dogs - Quentin Tarantino
91.(1992) Unforgiven - Clint Eastwood
92.(1993) Ba Wang Bie Ji (Farewell My Concubine) - Kaige Chen
93.(1993) Groundhog Day - Harold Ramis
94.(1993) Jurassic Park - Steven Spielberg
95.(1993) Hsi Yen (The Wedding Banquet) - Ang Lee
96.(1994) Forrest Gump - Robert Zemeckis
97.(1994) The Lion King - Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
98.(1994) Clerks - Kevin Smith
99.(1994) Pulp Fiction - Quentin Tarantino
100.(1994) The Shawshank Redemption - Frank Darabont
101.(1995) Babe - Chris Noonan
102.(1995) Toy Story - John Lasseter
103.(1995) Clueless - Amy Heckerling
104.(1995) Se7en - David Fincher
105.(1995) The Usual Suspects - Bryan Singer
106.(1996) Fargo - Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
107.(1997) L.A. Confidential - Curtis Hanson
108.(1998) Saving Private Ryan - Steven Spielberg
109.(1998) Lola Rennt (Run Lola Run) - Tom Tykwer
110.(1998) Pi - Darren Aronofsky
111.(1998) There's Something About Mary - Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
112.(1999) Fight Club - David Fincher
113.(1999) The Blair Witch Project - Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sanchez
114.(1999) The Matrix - Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski
115.(1999) The Sixth Sense - M. Night Shyamalan
116.(2000) Gladiator - Ridley Scott
117.(2000) Requiem For A Dream - Darren Aronofsky
118.(2000) Meet The Parents - Jay Roach
119.(2000) Traffic - Steven Soderbergh
120.(2000) Memento - Christopher Nolan
121.(2001) Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (Amélie) - Jean Pierre Jeunet
122.(2001) Sen To Chihiro No Kamikakushi (Spirited Away) - Hayao Miyazaki
123.(2001) The Royal Tennenbaums - Wes Anderson
124.(2001) The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring - Peter Jackson
125.(2002) The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers - Peter Jackson
126.(2003) The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King - Peter Jackson
127.(2003) Kill Bill: Volume 1 - Quentin Tarantino
128.(2004) Crash - Paul Haggis
129.(2004) Sideways - Alexander Payne
130.(2006) Little Miss Sunshine - Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
131.(2006) The Departed - Martin Scorsese
132.(2006) El Laberinto Del Fauno (Pan's Labytinth) - Guillermo del Toro
133.(2006) Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan - Larry Charles
134.(2007) No Country For Old Men - Joel Coen. Ethan Coen
And that's it, 134 movies. Not bad. On the back cover of the book, it says that Roger Ebert has seen 943 of these films. So I have a long road ahead of me. Alright, lets do this.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Why I Like the Film Watchmen
Probably the one film that I get the most guff about liking, and it is my favorite movie of all time, is Watchmen. A lot of people I know do not like this movie at all, either it's too long, or Dr. Manhattan's penis is on screen for too long, whatever. I really enjoy the comic a lot, and I thought Zack Snyder did a really good job adapting it. The one problem I have, and spoilers are to follow, is the change from the original ending of the alien attack to the one with Dr. Manhattan's power attacking everyone and him becoming the enemy. In the sense of the film it makes more sense that Dr. Manhattan would be the fall guy, his power and reason for existing in America is questioned a lot in the narrative, and it seems almost logical for the end to have everyone hate him. But I also really like the comic, and that the world needs to come around and help stop the threat of the alien/dimensional being, while Dr. Manhattan's work is done and he walks off to live his life alone. They are both good endings in their own sense. For the people who don't like how long it is, all I can say is I own the Ultimate Cut of the film, and being 4 and a half hours, it is a very long film. But being a fan of the comic so much, I can sit through it. It grips my attention throughout the entire film, and for some people it didn't. Also to the people that said there was too much Dr. Manhattan's penis, read the comic, he is naked throughout the entire thing. I really enjoy the acting, Jackie Earl Haley was amazing as Rorschach, the set design was great, it look a lot like the comic, and overall it was a great adaptation of one of my favorite comics of all time.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Oscar Picks (As Of 1-28)
1. Toy Story 3
2. The King's Speech
3. Inception
4. True Grit
5. The Fighter
6. The Social Network
7. 127 Hours
8. The Kids Are All Right
(Black Swan and Winter's Bone still left to see)
Now, this is how I think the ratings should go, my official pick for best picture is The Social Network, but I would like to see Toy Story 3 win, because it is probably my favorite film of the year.
2. The King's Speech
3. Inception
4. True Grit
5. The Fighter
6. The Social Network
7. 127 Hours
8. The Kids Are All Right
(Black Swan and Winter's Bone still left to see)
Now, this is how I think the ratings should go, my official pick for best picture is The Social Network, but I would like to see Toy Story 3 win, because it is probably my favorite film of the year.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Movie Review "127 Hours" "Spoilers"
127 Hours was pretty good. James Franco was great, especially during the amputation scene; you can really feel his pain. And the way it was edited was fantastic, the jerky camera movements and the quick editing was great. I think one of the greater aspects of this film is the music. To me, the music just seemed to fit the scenes very well. Danny Boyle's style of cropping multiple shots at the same time was pretty interesting, but at times seemed a little overused. At points it does work, like the opening title sequences, that was very good, just the last ones were kind of unnecessary. The ending was really great. Even though I knew he survived in the end, I was still on the edge of my seat. Also, I think the scenes where he is imagining his ex girlfriend seemed unnecessary. Now, I know this is all real life and this is actually what happened, and it was a reason for him to keep going and live, but nothing really came from this relationship. I just didn't seem the point. Overall a good film, I would say Slumdog Millionaire is Boyle's better film, but you can't really compare the two. Franco gives a very good performance. I have seen movies where there is basically only one actor in the whole film, and I feel they did it better, the main example being Moon with Sam Rockwell. That's not saying that Franco did a worse job, I just think Moon did it better. It is a good film, just not the best, or my cup of tea, and not my pick for the Oscars, although Franco might get my nod for Best Actor, it is between him and Colin Firth for The King's Speech, which is an excellent film. 6.5/10
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Movie Review "Mary and Max"
Just watched an interesting film entitled Mary and Max. It is a claymation film about 2 pen pals, and their relationship through their lives. The animation is amazing in this, and the color and tone of the film is dark and dull, which goes along with the story. There are some weird jokes, and one too many fart jokes, but the overall message I think is summed up well in the end quote, "God gave us family, thank god we can choose our friends." Watch it if you like good animated films, but be cautious, there are very weird moments throughout. 7/10.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)