My Mission

Sup.

Today I have once again started going through some of the dvds and blu rays that I have yet to watch since I purchased them. Now, let me be clear here, I have seen these films, but I have not physically put them in the blu ray player. About a year ago when I realized how many this applied to, I decided to make it my mission to watch every single one of them. It's been slow going, but here I am, one year of college under my belt and a summer full of nothing ahead me. So here we go.

First up is The Godfather, Part II. I had only seen this once in its entirety before, so it was actually a pretty fresh viewing. What else can I say that hasn't already been said? This is a true masterpiece of film-making. Epic in every way, spanning 60 years of the Corleone history, expertly edited by director Coppola. Of course there is also the ridiculous cast. Pacino. Duvall. Keaton. Even a few small bits from future greats Harry Dean Stanton and shlock film-maker Roger Corman.

But of course, for me, this film belongs to De Niro as a young Vito Corleone ascending to the throne as a man of the people as well as a man of violence, when necessary. De Niro is simply astonishing, commanding respect the instant he appears onscreen. Even if he hadn't gone on to work with Scorsesi his legend would have been solidified with this role. Aside from The Deer Hunter, I think this may be my favorite De Niro role.

But again, I can't really say anything new about this one, except to say that if you haven't seen it, do so. Now.

Next up is Rain Man.


Shit. I love me some Cruise. No matter the era of Cruise, I love Cruise. 80's Cruise isn't the best Cruise, but because there is no bad Cruise, 80s Cruise is still great and Rain Man is no exception.

While I can't really agree with a Best Picture Oscar in 1988, I can definitely understand the huge box office the movie earned. A true crowd pleaser about yuppie Cruise who finds out about his older autistic brother after his estranged father dies and leaves the family fortune to said brother. In true hollywood fashion, Cruise is forced to get to know his brother in order to claim some of the cash.

This movie is ridiculously dated. The score, the clothes. The hair. The fucking hair. It was a hard decade for such things, but even with the unintentionally silly aspects, Rain Man works because Hoffman and Cruise are amazing together. In the beginning Cruise is a true ass-hole, who at first only takes his brother for selfish reasons. But once he starts to shine to the Hoff, I couldn't help but be drawn in. Hell, I even got a little teary-eyed at the end when *SPOILER ALERT* Cruise admits his true affection for his brother. Seriously though, Cruise and Hoffman are truly affecting and completely make the movie. Definitely a worthy addition to the land of Cruise.


We continue this journey with Speed, the best "Die Hard on a _____" rip-off there is. This is a flick I've seen dozens of times, but somehow still packs a hefty wallop, not to mention a ridiculous pace. I mean, I pressed play, looked at my watch and realized 45 minutes had already passed.

This next statement may upset you, but I truly believe Keanu Reeves has never been better than he is here. I know, you probably never thought Keanu was good in anything, even though I've countered that argument a time or two right here on this mind map of mine. Let's be honest though, he fits this part like a glove. Smart, tough, and very action capable ( a fact that he would solidify just a few short years later ), there might have been plenty of other actors who could have done this part, but none would have brought as much fun to it as Reeves did.

Oh yea, Dennis Hopper rules.


Finally, I tapped the evening off with The Grey, Joe Carnahan's tale of survival starring Liam Neeson. This movie fucking rules. It's not exactly the wolf-punching extravaganza the trailers promised, but still, there's plenty to love. Neeson is kicking ass better than ever, and here he is actually given one of his best dramatic roles in years. Yes, Taken was a blast, but that was a pretty straight forward action flick. With The Grey though, director Carnahan has made something more than just a man vs wolves adventure. He slowly reveals the movie to be about living life while you can, even if you can't imagine going on any further.

I know it sounds a little preachy, but trust me, its invigorating and exciting. I hope Carnahan sticks to movies like this and Narc. I love Smokin' Aces and The A-Team, but he seems to be at his best with smaller budgets and bigger ideas. Who knew?

Alright dudes, that's it for tonight. Tomorrow I plan on drinking and maybe watching Jersey Shore after work, but Thursday I hope to do another marathon. If so, I will definitely come here to share.

Until then, suck it.