Snow White and the Huntsman is Hollywood's latest attempt to turn something once light and fluffy into something more gritty and dirty because well, The Dark Knight made a shit ton of money so what worked for that movie will surely work for this.
While I don't agree with the idea behind it, I have to admit the execution isn't all that bad. First time director Rupert Sanders fills his debut with impressive visuals and a willing cast that's filled with some serious talent.
Without a doubt, the highlight for me was Charlize Theron. Theron is turning it up to eleven here and couldn't be more fun. What's even more surprising, is that I actually believed her as a threat. Yea, she gave a few too many speeches when she could have just killed her mortal enemy, but I didn't doubt for a second that she would do whatever she had to. Actually, the whole movie went to some pretty dark places, at least darker than I thought it would.
But I cannot get for the life of me why didn't Universal promote the dwarfs more? They had Bob Hoskins, Nick Frost, Ian McShane and Ray Winstone. These guys are absolutely great and the effects even better. But the marketing barely glossed over them. Bad, bad move.
It's nice to see Hemsworth in something else, but he doesn't have too much to do, which one could consider a problem since his name is in the title, but whatever. He's got charisma to spare.
Now, I am an the minority apparently but I really like Kristen Stewart. I think with the right script and director she can be great. Into the Wild, The Runaways, Adventureland. All great examples of how good she can be. Here though, she's fine. Nothing spectacular, but the script doesn't give us any great example of why she is the one to end all the darkness besides just telling us.
Overall, I had fun while I was watching this flick, but almost immediately after exiting the theater I had completely forgotten about it. It took me two days to get the urge to sit down and write about it, so take that as you will.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
After another year of dealing with Wake Tech Community College's frustrating registration process, I figured the only way to celebrate my first full time year at college would be to start another edition of My Mission with Melancholia, Lars Van Triers ode to depression amidst the end of the world.
I had forgotten what it means to watch a film by Van Triers. His last movie, Antichrist, was unsettling to say the least. Now, Melancholia isn't as in your face as Antichrist, but it is still an experience that not everyone can appreciate.
The film is told in two parts, with each segment focusing on one of the two sisters, played by Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsburg respectively. Part one is Dunsts' segment, taking place on her wedding day. We first see her and her groom share a humorous moment on the way to their reception where their limo driver struggles to navigate the properties winding roads. It's a deceptively cute moment, as we quickly learn that Dunst suffers from a deep depression that's only fueled by her barely there parents, both of whom ignore their daughter's obvious plea for help. Oh yea, did I mention that there is a planet called Melancholia that's been hiding behind the sun and is on a potential crash course with Earth? Because that's happening too.
Of course, that element of the film takes a back seat to the study of depression and the affects it has on our loved ones. Dunst is devastating here, showing absolutely no fear in what is easily the best work of her career so far. She goes from glowing and gorgeous to vicious and hallow to empty and defeated in seconds. Truly remarkable.
Part two focuses on Gainsburg as she struggles with helping her sister after the fallout from the wedding as well as the possibility of the world ending. This was my favorite part of the movie. Overall I enjoyed Dunst's work more in the first part, but Gainsburg is just as good as Van Triers focuses is sight on what it means if you knew the world was going to end.
Melancholia is a deeply affecting and almost lyrical film. Lars Van Triers uses visuals sparingly but effectively, creating a sense of awe that seeps into the rest of the movie. Not for everyone to be sure, but if you're willing and patient, it's well worth the ride.
Next, I put in Good Night, and Good Luck. George Clooney's second film as writer/director. This go around, Clooney tackles Edward R. Murrow's stand against Communist hating Joseph McCarthy and his baseless tactics against anyone and everyone who opposed him.
I think I'd have to say that this is my favorite movie that Clooney has directed so far. I love just about anything Clooney anyways, but here he has a focus that is truly impressive. From tone, pace, performances, camera angle. Clooney nails everything here, delivering a riveting story, never worried that the outcome has been known for 50 years.
Special mention must go to just about every cast member here. Of course David Strathairn is amazing as Murrow, and was awarded an Oscar nomination for his work, but everyone in this movie is fantastic. Sure, it's easy to say that when Robert Downey, Jr., Jeff Daniels, Frank Langella, Patricia Clarkson and Mr. Clooney himself are in the ensemble, but they all bring their A-game, making themselves believable in the time period and adding to the films documentary like approach.
Also, the musical interludes added in are simply delightful. No real surprise since Clooneys aunt was the great Rosemary Clooney. Still, it's an unexpected inclusion that pays off in spades. Well done, sir.
For whatever reason, I've really had the urge to watch Parenthood lately. Not the recent TV show mind you, but the original movie starring Steve Martin. It's one of the those movies I saw 100 times when I was 7, but had absolutely no idea what was going on. I laughed at Martin of course, because well, that guy is funny. Luckily enough I picked up the blu ray not too long ago and decided to give it a go today.
Thank christ I did man, after two pretty serious dramas, I was in the mood to laugh and there are more than a few here. What was even more gratifying though, was catching onto to everything that went right over my head as a kid. This is a pretty honest movie about family. Not one member is left unexposed, just as it is with any regular family. Especially love the vibrator scene.
Also, any movie I watch nowadays that deals with marriage realistically in even the most minor way seems to hit me a little closer.
It also makes me dread having to hang out with our kids friends' parents. UGH.
Anyway, a great rediscovery from Ron Howard's early directing career.
Finally, I end this evening with Trainspotting, Danny Boyle's second movie about the ups and downs of heroin addiction in Scotland starring Ewen McGregor, Kelly Macdonald, Robert Carlyle and Johnny Lee Miller.
I had forgotten how funny this movie is. Apparently upon its initial release it was chastised for glorifying drug use, which if you actually watch the film its obvious that is not true at all. Rather, it just so happens that some seriously funny and weird shit happens when you're high. Also, you get into quite a few situations that involve feces for some reason.
I digress.
While showing the not so ever lasting ups, Trainspotting is not afraid to show the inevitable downs and does so in equally clever and harrowing ways. McGregor's cleansing scene is so surreal that it really gives a sense of what it's like to come down from such an addiction whereas other movies about addiction just show our main character screaming and throwing up. But Boyle is intent on showing us just what it's like.
McGregor's work is impressive as well, especially considering that his character really isn't a good person by his own admission. McGregor somehow makes you root for him, even when he is at his most detestable, such as getting his clean and sober friend in on the high.
Well, it seems as though I've hit a bit of a wall. I've watched four great movies today, though all are quite serious in some way, shape or form. So I think for now I will put in Jurassic Park on blu ray and have a beer.
Tomorrow I am seeing Snow White and the Huntsman so I'll get on here sometime before the weekend and give you fools a dose.
Until then, suck it.
I had forgotten what it means to watch a film by Van Triers. His last movie, Antichrist, was unsettling to say the least. Now, Melancholia isn't as in your face as Antichrist, but it is still an experience that not everyone can appreciate.
The film is told in two parts, with each segment focusing on one of the two sisters, played by Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsburg respectively. Part one is Dunsts' segment, taking place on her wedding day. We first see her and her groom share a humorous moment on the way to their reception where their limo driver struggles to navigate the properties winding roads. It's a deceptively cute moment, as we quickly learn that Dunst suffers from a deep depression that's only fueled by her barely there parents, both of whom ignore their daughter's obvious plea for help. Oh yea, did I mention that there is a planet called Melancholia that's been hiding behind the sun and is on a potential crash course with Earth? Because that's happening too.
Of course, that element of the film takes a back seat to the study of depression and the affects it has on our loved ones. Dunst is devastating here, showing absolutely no fear in what is easily the best work of her career so far. She goes from glowing and gorgeous to vicious and hallow to empty and defeated in seconds. Truly remarkable.
Part two focuses on Gainsburg as she struggles with helping her sister after the fallout from the wedding as well as the possibility of the world ending. This was my favorite part of the movie. Overall I enjoyed Dunst's work more in the first part, but Gainsburg is just as good as Van Triers focuses is sight on what it means if you knew the world was going to end.
Melancholia is a deeply affecting and almost lyrical film. Lars Van Triers uses visuals sparingly but effectively, creating a sense of awe that seeps into the rest of the movie. Not for everyone to be sure, but if you're willing and patient, it's well worth the ride.
Next, I put in Good Night, and Good Luck. George Clooney's second film as writer/director. This go around, Clooney tackles Edward R. Murrow's stand against Communist hating Joseph McCarthy and his baseless tactics against anyone and everyone who opposed him.
I think I'd have to say that this is my favorite movie that Clooney has directed so far. I love just about anything Clooney anyways, but here he has a focus that is truly impressive. From tone, pace, performances, camera angle. Clooney nails everything here, delivering a riveting story, never worried that the outcome has been known for 50 years.
Special mention must go to just about every cast member here. Of course David Strathairn is amazing as Murrow, and was awarded an Oscar nomination for his work, but everyone in this movie is fantastic. Sure, it's easy to say that when Robert Downey, Jr., Jeff Daniels, Frank Langella, Patricia Clarkson and Mr. Clooney himself are in the ensemble, but they all bring their A-game, making themselves believable in the time period and adding to the films documentary like approach.
Also, the musical interludes added in are simply delightful. No real surprise since Clooneys aunt was the great Rosemary Clooney. Still, it's an unexpected inclusion that pays off in spades. Well done, sir.
For whatever reason, I've really had the urge to watch Parenthood lately. Not the recent TV show mind you, but the original movie starring Steve Martin. It's one of the those movies I saw 100 times when I was 7, but had absolutely no idea what was going on. I laughed at Martin of course, because well, that guy is funny. Luckily enough I picked up the blu ray not too long ago and decided to give it a go today.
Thank christ I did man, after two pretty serious dramas, I was in the mood to laugh and there are more than a few here. What was even more gratifying though, was catching onto to everything that went right over my head as a kid. This is a pretty honest movie about family. Not one member is left unexposed, just as it is with any regular family. Especially love the vibrator scene.
Also, any movie I watch nowadays that deals with marriage realistically in even the most minor way seems to hit me a little closer.
It also makes me dread having to hang out with our kids friends' parents. UGH.
Anyway, a great rediscovery from Ron Howard's early directing career.
Finally, I end this evening with Trainspotting, Danny Boyle's second movie about the ups and downs of heroin addiction in Scotland starring Ewen McGregor, Kelly Macdonald, Robert Carlyle and Johnny Lee Miller.
I had forgotten how funny this movie is. Apparently upon its initial release it was chastised for glorifying drug use, which if you actually watch the film its obvious that is not true at all. Rather, it just so happens that some seriously funny and weird shit happens when you're high. Also, you get into quite a few situations that involve feces for some reason.
I digress.
While showing the not so ever lasting ups, Trainspotting is not afraid to show the inevitable downs and does so in equally clever and harrowing ways. McGregor's cleansing scene is so surreal that it really gives a sense of what it's like to come down from such an addiction whereas other movies about addiction just show our main character screaming and throwing up. But Boyle is intent on showing us just what it's like.
McGregor's work is impressive as well, especially considering that his character really isn't a good person by his own admission. McGregor somehow makes you root for him, even when he is at his most detestable, such as getting his clean and sober friend in on the high.
Well, it seems as though I've hit a bit of a wall. I've watched four great movies today, though all are quite serious in some way, shape or form. So I think for now I will put in Jurassic Park on blu ray and have a beer.
Tomorrow I am seeing Snow White and the Huntsman so I'll get on here sometime before the weekend and give you fools a dose.
Until then, suck it.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Prometheus
The biggest mistake I made before seeing this movie was watching Alien.
I had been told not to do so, and even director Ridley Scott went on record saying that this movie barely ties into that classic film. " Sharing DNA", as he put it, is quite apt. Unfortunately, I did not listen and instead of getting one thing I got something completely different.
Again, part of that is my fault, and it's an issue that's caused me to struggle with my feelings towards the movie. Actually, there quite a few issues that have caused me to struggle. First, there were my expectations, which like I said, I should have tempered. Second, there are a lot of problems with the movie such as bad characterizations and poor plotting. Finally though, the movie has the balls to not only ask big questions, but to do it as a big budget, major studio film. Unfortunately, the film runs away from those questions in hopes of answering them in a sequel, a move that comes off as a bit dickish.
The film opens with an "engineer" sacrificing himself in order to create life on what looks like an awful lot like Earth. Cut to 2080 something, we have scientist Noomi Rapace discovering pictographs in a cave that are identical to others found on opposite ends of the earth and is convinced that they are an invitation by our "engineers" to come and find them. Somehow this is enough to convince Peter Weyland to spend a trillion dollars ( TRILLION!) on a mission to seek out our makers and ask them what their deal is. But of course, shit goes oh so wrong.
What's frustrating about this film is that I know there is a good movie in there somewhere. If more time had been spend on the script and replace a few of the actors and this easily could have held itself in great regard with Ridley's other Sci-fi ventures. That didn't happen though. Instead we have a film full of non-answers and supposed scientists constantly making decisions that any level-headed human would call shitty. Also, there is no feeling of consequence in this movie. Insane stuff happens, characters die in gruesome fashion, but nobody stops for even a second and react believably. At one point, our heroine gives herself a C-section, one of the few highlights of the movie, and it's mentioned in passing once and never acknowledged again. If the characters don't even care about themselves, how the hell are we supposed to?
Also, I don't get Noomi Rapace. I've seen her in this and the Sherlock Holmes sequel and she really doesn't bring anything to either movie. She looks interesting, I guess, but otherwise is just there.
Oh, and don't put Idris Elba in your movie and then completely waste him. Not cool.
It might be hard to believe after all that, but there are some bright spots here. Michael Fassbender steals the show as the robot David. There's an early sequence where David is trying to keep himself busy for the two years that the crew is in hyper-sleep while en-route that is fascinating. Fassbender plays him with just the right amount of coyness so that we the audience are never quite sure of his intentions. Easily the best part of the movie.
Charlize Theron is also very good here. In fact, I'd argue that her character is one of the most reasonable in the film, even though the movie tries to brand her a bad guy. Like Ripley before her, Theron forbids to let a fellow scientist back on the ship after he has been infected by something. It's one of the few character beats in the movie that makes sense, but like everything else, is instantly tossed aside and forgotten.
Of course being a Ridley Scott picture, the visuals are stunning. In fact, if your curiosity gets the better of you and you absolutely have to see it in theaters as I did, see it in IMAX 3D. Scott uses the extra dimension expertly and is further proof that only the masters should be allowed to use it.
Prometheus is a frustrating movie. If it had absolutely no ties to the ALIEN universe I don't think my reaction would be as negative, though it also wouldn't be amazingly positive. Even with all my frustrations, the movie has stayed with me in the days since I viewed it and I'll eventually watch it again, albeit with lowered expectations. If anything though, Prometheus should be considered a success if only for the fact that a major studio was willing to make an adult, R rated science fiction film with an actual budget and fantastic marketing campaign. And it worked! The movie $50 million in its first weekend. Granted, it's proving to not have very long legs at the box office, but still, it shows that people will show up and hopefully we can see more popping up in the future.
Alright dudes, tomorrow I'm gearing up for My Mission again. So until then, suck it.
I had been told not to do so, and even director Ridley Scott went on record saying that this movie barely ties into that classic film. " Sharing DNA", as he put it, is quite apt. Unfortunately, I did not listen and instead of getting one thing I got something completely different.
Again, part of that is my fault, and it's an issue that's caused me to struggle with my feelings towards the movie. Actually, there quite a few issues that have caused me to struggle. First, there were my expectations, which like I said, I should have tempered. Second, there are a lot of problems with the movie such as bad characterizations and poor plotting. Finally though, the movie has the balls to not only ask big questions, but to do it as a big budget, major studio film. Unfortunately, the film runs away from those questions in hopes of answering them in a sequel, a move that comes off as a bit dickish.
The film opens with an "engineer" sacrificing himself in order to create life on what looks like an awful lot like Earth. Cut to 2080 something, we have scientist Noomi Rapace discovering pictographs in a cave that are identical to others found on opposite ends of the earth and is convinced that they are an invitation by our "engineers" to come and find them. Somehow this is enough to convince Peter Weyland to spend a trillion dollars ( TRILLION!) on a mission to seek out our makers and ask them what their deal is. But of course, shit goes oh so wrong.
What's frustrating about this film is that I know there is a good movie in there somewhere. If more time had been spend on the script and replace a few of the actors and this easily could have held itself in great regard with Ridley's other Sci-fi ventures. That didn't happen though. Instead we have a film full of non-answers and supposed scientists constantly making decisions that any level-headed human would call shitty. Also, there is no feeling of consequence in this movie. Insane stuff happens, characters die in gruesome fashion, but nobody stops for even a second and react believably. At one point, our heroine gives herself a C-section, one of the few highlights of the movie, and it's mentioned in passing once and never acknowledged again. If the characters don't even care about themselves, how the hell are we supposed to?
Also, I don't get Noomi Rapace. I've seen her in this and the Sherlock Holmes sequel and she really doesn't bring anything to either movie. She looks interesting, I guess, but otherwise is just there.
Oh, and don't put Idris Elba in your movie and then completely waste him. Not cool.
It might be hard to believe after all that, but there are some bright spots here. Michael Fassbender steals the show as the robot David. There's an early sequence where David is trying to keep himself busy for the two years that the crew is in hyper-sleep while en-route that is fascinating. Fassbender plays him with just the right amount of coyness so that we the audience are never quite sure of his intentions. Easily the best part of the movie.
Charlize Theron is also very good here. In fact, I'd argue that her character is one of the most reasonable in the film, even though the movie tries to brand her a bad guy. Like Ripley before her, Theron forbids to let a fellow scientist back on the ship after he has been infected by something. It's one of the few character beats in the movie that makes sense, but like everything else, is instantly tossed aside and forgotten.
Of course being a Ridley Scott picture, the visuals are stunning. In fact, if your curiosity gets the better of you and you absolutely have to see it in theaters as I did, see it in IMAX 3D. Scott uses the extra dimension expertly and is further proof that only the masters should be allowed to use it.
Prometheus is a frustrating movie. If it had absolutely no ties to the ALIEN universe I don't think my reaction would be as negative, though it also wouldn't be amazingly positive. Even with all my frustrations, the movie has stayed with me in the days since I viewed it and I'll eventually watch it again, albeit with lowered expectations. If anything though, Prometheus should be considered a success if only for the fact that a major studio was willing to make an adult, R rated science fiction film with an actual budget and fantastic marketing campaign. And it worked! The movie $50 million in its first weekend. Granted, it's proving to not have very long legs at the box office, but still, it shows that people will show up and hopefully we can see more popping up in the future.
Alright dudes, tomorrow I'm gearing up for My Mission again. So until then, suck it.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Well, yesterday I was able to watch quite a few movies. I had actually intended to only watch 4, but managed to squeeze 5 in before the end of the day, though the last one can't really be counted as I had already watched it before.
First up is The Outlaw Josey Wales. This is a film that's considered by many western fans to be a crucial Clint Eastwood movie, and surprisingly, as a huge western fan myself, I have to disagree. It's not a bad film per se, but it's also nowhere near Clint's best in the genre.
Right off the bat, the flick opens with the murder of Wales' family by The Red Legs, a group of evil cowboys roaming the land killing people and pillaging their homes. It's supposed to show us why Josey would become an outlaw, and why we should be rooting for him. Unfortunately, the moment falls flat. We don't get his family's name, nor do we even get to see his wife except from a distance, so when they are murdered we have absolutely no attachment to them. There is a moment where he buries his fallen family and cries at their graves, but it's just not enough. It's as if we're supposed to go " well shit, man, Clint Eastwood is sad, that sucks", and granted if there's anyone who can pull something like that off it's Clint, but here is just isn't enough. What's worse though, is that because the movie starts with such a disconnect it flows into the rest of the movie. Along the way, Josey runs into various characters, including an elder Native American and a big-mouthed granny and shy granddaughter from Kansas, all of whom are humorously realized by the actors, but it just doesn't pull me in.
Overall, The Outlaw Josey Wales is not a bad film. Clint is badass as always and there really are some good performances by the supporting players, but in my correct opinion the movie ranks on the lower end of Eastwood's western catalog.
Next up is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind from Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry. In case you ever lived under a rock, Eternal is a journey of one couple's relationship played by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, told through dream flashbacks ( how Kaufman-esque ) during Carrey's attempt to erase the relationship from his mind via a new technology that can erase memories.
It felt only right to follow Being John Malkovich with this movie. Obviously saying it's dream-like is an understatement as it literally takes place in a dream, but there really is no other word for it. Director Gondry brilliantly realizes dreams on film, making them surreal and confusing, but never hard to follow. He would go on to explore the dream state further with The Science of Sleep a few years later, but it's here where he really laid the foundation.
Amongst all the visuals and amazing camera tricks, Gondry wisely focuses on the the relationship of the two characters, showing both the good and bad. He makes us believe that these two very different individuals could work as a couple, and also how that happiness can evaporate no matter great they can be together. It helps that Carrey and Winslet are absolutely terrific. Winslet is always great, but there is something she does here that makes her absolutely adorable and detestable at the same time. I felt as though I had been through the relationship with her. Great, great work.
Carrey brings the goods just as much a Winslet does. He creates a character that feels completely human, and I honestly don't think he's ever been as good as he is here. Man on the Moon comes close, but no cigar.
I haven't even mentioned the supporting cast. Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, Tom Wilkinson and David Cross. Needless to say they are all amazing, though I have to give extra props to Ruffalo who is amazingly eccentric here. Not over the top, but just weird enough to be endearing.
Eternal Sunshine is one of those movies that really takes me back to a specific time and place in my life in a way that great movies and sometimes music can do. This movie was somewhat of a catharsis for me in high school. Yes, it was high school and nowhere near as horrible as I perceived it to be at the time, but still, this movie helped me through it, again reminding me why it is that I like movies.
Continuing with the theme of loneliness, I put in The Talented Mr. Ripley starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
Damon plays the title character Tom Ripley, a bathroom attendant in 1950's New York who by sheer luck, coincidence and misunderstanidng/lying is sent to Italy by a rich business man to retrieve his playboy son and bring him back to New York.
From the get go though, it's obvious that something is off with Tom. He doesn't hesitate to take advantage of the misunderstanding that leads to his trip to Italy. In fact, he takes obvious pleasure in it. In his first few moments in Italy, he even tells someone that he is Dickie Greenleaf, the person he is supposed to be bringing back to New York. It only gets weirder from there, as Damon deftly manipulates his way into Dickie and his girlfriends' lives.
I hesitate to call this movie slow, because I feel that it implies that it's boring, which it isn't. I think a better way to put it is that it's deliberately paced. Director Anthony Minghella spends a full hour with Damon, Law and Paltrow before any murder and homosexual tension appears ( I told you it gets weird), but it's time well spent. We not only get to see what makes Dickie so infatuating, but also what doesn't, which helps give a character like Tom Ripley much needed sympathy, given that he is an imposter/murderer.
Damon plays Ripley with an effeminate loneliness, something that really makes you feel sorry for the guy. He wants nothing more than to be loved and appreciated, and it's a true testament to Damon's performance that we have sympathy for the character at all.
After that first hour, the film really turns on the suspense as Ripley attempts to live both as himself and Dickie, and director Minghella handles it like a master. In fact, the movie really feels like a modern Hitchcock film. Filled with suspense, dread and a sense of loneliness throughout, The Talented Mr. Ripley is a hugely underrated flick from the 90s that I strongly urge you to check out.
I ended the night with my first viewing of Predator on blu ray. First off, I just have to say how gorgeous this movie looked. Between this and the pristine prints of Alien and Aliens, Fox has put themselves at the forefront of home entertainment. End Tangent.
I have seen Predator countless times, and I'm sure you have as well ( even you haven't, lie to me), but the last few times I just kind of put the movie in as background noise and hadn't really paid attention to it until now.
I realize that John McTiernan's next movie was Die Hard, and it of course went on to be the greatest action movie ever made and all, but holy shit, Predator is incredible. The pace, the tension, the make up, the cast. Oh and that cast. This movie is straight up iconic.
I mean, this movie has one of the best set ups of any action movie, other than Die Hard of course, that I've ever seen. Within 8 minutes, we are introduced to every character perfectly and are informed of the mission and the stakes and like that, the movie is off and running. What's even more amazing is, aside from the brief moment in the beginning, this movie doesn't even hint at sci-fi for almost a full hour.
I was honestly astounded at well this movie holds up. Yes, it's a towering action film of the 80s, but more than that, it's just a towering action film. Easily Arnold's best role outside of The Terminator. Like I said, I know you've seen this movie ( I KNOW!), but put it in again and be reminded just how awesome it is.
Since I was so floored with Predator, the only obvious follow up was Predator 2, and while obviously nowhere near as good, there's plenty I like about it. It's definitely one of the weirdest sequels of the 90s, so of course I love it.
Anywho, that's all for now. Won't be able to have a marathon for a little over a week due to work, but I will be seeing Prometheus this Tuesday and I promise to get on here and share.
So until then, suck it.
First up is The Outlaw Josey Wales. This is a film that's considered by many western fans to be a crucial Clint Eastwood movie, and surprisingly, as a huge western fan myself, I have to disagree. It's not a bad film per se, but it's also nowhere near Clint's best in the genre.
Right off the bat, the flick opens with the murder of Wales' family by The Red Legs, a group of evil cowboys roaming the land killing people and pillaging their homes. It's supposed to show us why Josey would become an outlaw, and why we should be rooting for him. Unfortunately, the moment falls flat. We don't get his family's name, nor do we even get to see his wife except from a distance, so when they are murdered we have absolutely no attachment to them. There is a moment where he buries his fallen family and cries at their graves, but it's just not enough. It's as if we're supposed to go " well shit, man, Clint Eastwood is sad, that sucks", and granted if there's anyone who can pull something like that off it's Clint, but here is just isn't enough. What's worse though, is that because the movie starts with such a disconnect it flows into the rest of the movie. Along the way, Josey runs into various characters, including an elder Native American and a big-mouthed granny and shy granddaughter from Kansas, all of whom are humorously realized by the actors, but it just doesn't pull me in.
Overall, The Outlaw Josey Wales is not a bad film. Clint is badass as always and there really are some good performances by the supporting players, but in my correct opinion the movie ranks on the lower end of Eastwood's western catalog.
Next up is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind from Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry. In case you ever lived under a rock, Eternal is a journey of one couple's relationship played by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, told through dream flashbacks ( how Kaufman-esque ) during Carrey's attempt to erase the relationship from his mind via a new technology that can erase memories.
It felt only right to follow Being John Malkovich with this movie. Obviously saying it's dream-like is an understatement as it literally takes place in a dream, but there really is no other word for it. Director Gondry brilliantly realizes dreams on film, making them surreal and confusing, but never hard to follow. He would go on to explore the dream state further with The Science of Sleep a few years later, but it's here where he really laid the foundation.
Amongst all the visuals and amazing camera tricks, Gondry wisely focuses on the the relationship of the two characters, showing both the good and bad. He makes us believe that these two very different individuals could work as a couple, and also how that happiness can evaporate no matter great they can be together. It helps that Carrey and Winslet are absolutely terrific. Winslet is always great, but there is something she does here that makes her absolutely adorable and detestable at the same time. I felt as though I had been through the relationship with her. Great, great work.
Carrey brings the goods just as much a Winslet does. He creates a character that feels completely human, and I honestly don't think he's ever been as good as he is here. Man on the Moon comes close, but no cigar.
I haven't even mentioned the supporting cast. Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, Tom Wilkinson and David Cross. Needless to say they are all amazing, though I have to give extra props to Ruffalo who is amazingly eccentric here. Not over the top, but just weird enough to be endearing.
Eternal Sunshine is one of those movies that really takes me back to a specific time and place in my life in a way that great movies and sometimes music can do. This movie was somewhat of a catharsis for me in high school. Yes, it was high school and nowhere near as horrible as I perceived it to be at the time, but still, this movie helped me through it, again reminding me why it is that I like movies.
Continuing with the theme of loneliness, I put in The Talented Mr. Ripley starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
Damon plays the title character Tom Ripley, a bathroom attendant in 1950's New York who by sheer luck, coincidence and misunderstanidng/lying is sent to Italy by a rich business man to retrieve his playboy son and bring him back to New York.
From the get go though, it's obvious that something is off with Tom. He doesn't hesitate to take advantage of the misunderstanding that leads to his trip to Italy. In fact, he takes obvious pleasure in it. In his first few moments in Italy, he even tells someone that he is Dickie Greenleaf, the person he is supposed to be bringing back to New York. It only gets weirder from there, as Damon deftly manipulates his way into Dickie and his girlfriends' lives.
I hesitate to call this movie slow, because I feel that it implies that it's boring, which it isn't. I think a better way to put it is that it's deliberately paced. Director Anthony Minghella spends a full hour with Damon, Law and Paltrow before any murder and homosexual tension appears ( I told you it gets weird), but it's time well spent. We not only get to see what makes Dickie so infatuating, but also what doesn't, which helps give a character like Tom Ripley much needed sympathy, given that he is an imposter/murderer.
Damon plays Ripley with an effeminate loneliness, something that really makes you feel sorry for the guy. He wants nothing more than to be loved and appreciated, and it's a true testament to Damon's performance that we have sympathy for the character at all.
After that first hour, the film really turns on the suspense as Ripley attempts to live both as himself and Dickie, and director Minghella handles it like a master. In fact, the movie really feels like a modern Hitchcock film. Filled with suspense, dread and a sense of loneliness throughout, The Talented Mr. Ripley is a hugely underrated flick from the 90s that I strongly urge you to check out.
I ended the night with my first viewing of Predator on blu ray. First off, I just have to say how gorgeous this movie looked. Between this and the pristine prints of Alien and Aliens, Fox has put themselves at the forefront of home entertainment. End Tangent.
I have seen Predator countless times, and I'm sure you have as well ( even you haven't, lie to me), but the last few times I just kind of put the movie in as background noise and hadn't really paid attention to it until now.
I realize that John McTiernan's next movie was Die Hard, and it of course went on to be the greatest action movie ever made and all, but holy shit, Predator is incredible. The pace, the tension, the make up, the cast. Oh and that cast. This movie is straight up iconic.
I mean, this movie has one of the best set ups of any action movie, other than Die Hard of course, that I've ever seen. Within 8 minutes, we are introduced to every character perfectly and are informed of the mission and the stakes and like that, the movie is off and running. What's even more amazing is, aside from the brief moment in the beginning, this movie doesn't even hint at sci-fi for almost a full hour.
I was honestly astounded at well this movie holds up. Yes, it's a towering action film of the 80s, but more than that, it's just a towering action film. Easily Arnold's best role outside of The Terminator. Like I said, I know you've seen this movie ( I KNOW!), but put it in again and be reminded just how awesome it is.
Since I was so floored with Predator, the only obvious follow up was Predator 2, and while obviously nowhere near as good, there's plenty I like about it. It's definitely one of the weirdest sequels of the 90s, so of course I love it.
Anywho, that's all for now. Won't be able to have a marathon for a little over a week due to work, but I will be seeing Prometheus this Tuesday and I promise to get on here and share.
So until then, suck it.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Alien
Finally, after many failed attempts this past week, I put my blu ray of Alien in. Now, the atmosphere wasn't quite what I wanted it to be; I had hoped to watch it at night time with all the lights off for the full effect, but I finally had the time and the means today so I put it in at about noon, with the blinds closed tightly so as to allow as little light in as possible.
Of course, I was a fool for trying so hard to set the atmosphere, as Alien is just as frightening and suspenseful no matter the time of day you watch it. Pure masterclass film-making, I tell you.
Alien is not a movie I have seen dozens of times, though I have seen it more than a few times, but there was something about this particular viewing that dawned on me. The true secret weapon of this film is the cast. Granted, this isn't exactly a new or earth-shattering revelation, but for some reason is really stood out to me. First off, having Harry Dean Stanton in your movie already makes it better, and this isn't even one of his best roles, but just like everyone else, he makes the character feel real, like he has been living and breathing in their ship Nostromos for months which adds that much extra to making the sci-fi environment feel real. Throw in folks like Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, Ian Holm, and duh, Sigourney Weaver and you have a crew that feels as though they belong there, making every decision and reaction completely believable. Of course, credit where credit is due; none of this would be possible without a solid script in place. But Director Ridley Scott allowed the actors to improvise a bit in the early scenes, which I believe helps sell the audience on the camaraderie these guys have, thus making their deaths all the more painful.
The not so secret weapons of this movie are, of course, Ridley Scott and Ms. Weaver herself. In my correct opinion, Scott made one of, if not the scariest film of all time with Alien. By choosing to use silence and taking time to set up the characters and the threat, he manages to build a sense of dread and suspense that runs through to the very last frame. My body is literally tense during the entire viewing time. It makes for an exhausting experience, but one I gladly endure, as horror and sci-fi just don't get better than this.
It's incredible that an entire franchise ended up being built around Ripley. In this first entry, you could argue that there really isn't a lead character, which increases the threat that truly nobody could survive. However, Ripley makes her mark as a badass early on, when she ignores her commanding officer's order to let them in when a fellow crew member has been attacked by an alien. Ripley knows protocol is to quarantine said crew for at least 24 hours so as not to risk the rest of the crew. Now, if things had gone her way, there would be no movie. Still, it's an important moment for the character, and for the audience as well. We know she's right. Her decision makes sense, and thus we are able to believe in her ability to out smart the alien in the end.
Seriously guys, I realize this isn't the most amazing analysis of Alien around, but if you haven't experienced this film yet please do so immediately. Your movie loving mind will be changed forever.
Obviously, this viewing was in anticipation of Prometheus. I may not be seeing it as soon as I hoped, as Men in Black III seems to be holding on to most IMAX screens for another week or so, and I really want to wait for that because I want the absolute best picture and sound as well as great 3D presentation since that is the way Ridley meant for the film to be seen. Rest assured, whenever I see it I will come here and discuss.
Before that though, I should be able to squeeze in a few more movies for My Mission, so until then dudes. Suck it.
Of course, I was a fool for trying so hard to set the atmosphere, as Alien is just as frightening and suspenseful no matter the time of day you watch it. Pure masterclass film-making, I tell you.
Alien is not a movie I have seen dozens of times, though I have seen it more than a few times, but there was something about this particular viewing that dawned on me. The true secret weapon of this film is the cast. Granted, this isn't exactly a new or earth-shattering revelation, but for some reason is really stood out to me. First off, having Harry Dean Stanton in your movie already makes it better, and this isn't even one of his best roles, but just like everyone else, he makes the character feel real, like he has been living and breathing in their ship Nostromos for months which adds that much extra to making the sci-fi environment feel real. Throw in folks like Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, Ian Holm, and duh, Sigourney Weaver and you have a crew that feels as though they belong there, making every decision and reaction completely believable. Of course, credit where credit is due; none of this would be possible without a solid script in place. But Director Ridley Scott allowed the actors to improvise a bit in the early scenes, which I believe helps sell the audience on the camaraderie these guys have, thus making their deaths all the more painful.
The not so secret weapons of this movie are, of course, Ridley Scott and Ms. Weaver herself. In my correct opinion, Scott made one of, if not the scariest film of all time with Alien. By choosing to use silence and taking time to set up the characters and the threat, he manages to build a sense of dread and suspense that runs through to the very last frame. My body is literally tense during the entire viewing time. It makes for an exhausting experience, but one I gladly endure, as horror and sci-fi just don't get better than this.
It's incredible that an entire franchise ended up being built around Ripley. In this first entry, you could argue that there really isn't a lead character, which increases the threat that truly nobody could survive. However, Ripley makes her mark as a badass early on, when she ignores her commanding officer's order to let them in when a fellow crew member has been attacked by an alien. Ripley knows protocol is to quarantine said crew for at least 24 hours so as not to risk the rest of the crew. Now, if things had gone her way, there would be no movie. Still, it's an important moment for the character, and for the audience as well. We know she's right. Her decision makes sense, and thus we are able to believe in her ability to out smart the alien in the end.
Seriously guys, I realize this isn't the most amazing analysis of Alien around, but if you haven't experienced this film yet please do so immediately. Your movie loving mind will be changed forever.
Obviously, this viewing was in anticipation of Prometheus. I may not be seeing it as soon as I hoped, as Men in Black III seems to be holding on to most IMAX screens for another week or so, and I really want to wait for that because I want the absolute best picture and sound as well as great 3D presentation since that is the way Ridley meant for the film to be seen. Rest assured, whenever I see it I will come here and discuss.
Before that though, I should be able to squeeze in a few more movies for My Mission, so until then dudes. Suck it.
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