March 21 -
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari - 1920 - Dir. Robert Wiene
This was actually my second time viewing the film. Visually, and emotionally this has always been one of my favorite silent films. Of course, most of the silent films I've seen are horror films because I wanted to see where the Universal monster films were drawn from. However, you can more see the impact that this film had on more modern cinema in one filmmaker: Tim Burton.
It is clear why he would be so inspired by this, and many of the German expressionist films though. This film is dripping with a signature style and a palpable mood. The reason for this could that it is much more like watching a nightmare than a film. Nothing is realistic and at the same time it seems to reflect a lot of what we feel in film.
My problem with the film lies in that it seems to be only about tone and style than the actual story. However, the story is was builds the tension, so I'm a little bit confused about this complaint from myself it is just how I feel about it. It strings you a long and there are sequences that played silently (my preference for watching it because I have not heard a score that works) would have made people grasp onto the seat when it came out. Great film.
March 23 -
Diary of a Lost Girl - Dir. G.W. Pabst
The Furies - Dir. Slavko Vorkapich - 1934
Dancing Skyscrapers
Money Machine
Prohibition
The Firefly - 1937 - Eisenstein
March 28 -
The Last House on the Left - 2009 - Dir. Dennis Iliadis
This is not a horror film. This is a human drama. An incredibly hard to watch human drama. Far superior to the original which has only garnered love because of how people think it is so "gritty" and realistic. I'm sorry, this film took what was HORRIBLE about the original, threw it out and kept the great story. While updating and making it more about survival than revenge.
The rape scene is so brutal and in your face that I had to keep turning away from the screen. Half the audience left. However, the half that stayed was treated to a great murders of the killers. I have never heard 10 people cheer so much. Far superior to the original, in my opinion. Thank god those stupid cops weren't there.
March 27 -
Stagecoach - 1939 - Dir. John Ford
If High Noon is the pinnacle of the Western film, then Stagecoach is the groundbreaker. It was the first Western movie to combine John Ford as director, John Wayne as star, and Monument Valley as backdrop. It was the first film that got John Wayne noticed and made him a star. And most importantly, it was the first Western that had a real plot and character development in addition to the requisite shoot-outs. A very fine film from that very fine year for movies, 1939. Standout performances from Claire Trevor, Thomas Mitchell, (who won the Oscar for this role in the year in which he also played Scarlett's father in Gone With the Wind, a reporter in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and the Beggar King in The Hunckback of Notre Dame!), and of course, Wayne, electric in his first moment onscreen, where he twirls a rifle and yells, "Hold it!" in his famous drawl, and not really any less than that afterwards. Good direction from Ford, great scenery even if the film's in black-and-white, and, (forgive me if I'm being politically incorrect), a very exciting shoot-out with the Native Americans, featuring stuntman Yakima Canutt's breathtaking drop in between the legs of running horses.
March 30 -
"The Beau Brummels" - 2686
Norman Thomas - "Harlem Mania" 827
The Jazz Singer - 1927 - Alan Crossling
Let me just say, that this is a fantastic film that is more memorable than just its technical side. I was very offended by the fact that the black face scene was shown out of context. Also, comment on the girl in the back: she was the biggest racist of all. "All of the horrible things white people did and still do." Stupid. "I'm beyond racism." That is the most pigheaded thing I've ever heard. This scene is about the separation and the totally other life he took over. He was two people in one. The black face showed that. Truthfully, if I was doing a movie about vaudeville I would do the same thing now. It is offensive but it is truthful to the times.
Freaks - Todd Browning - 1932
This is a film I love very much, being a large cult film fan. I have been telling people about this for years and then when you showed it I got really excited and almost shouted out Gooba Gabba One of Us!!!
Singing in the Rain - 1955 - Stanley Donen
Probably the best musical ever made from the big studio musicals. Great film. Fun and uplifting.
April 1 -
Grapes of Wrath - John Ford - 1940
This is another great John Ford film. And my personal preference over Stagecoach. It is a really well made and great film. Helped a lot by the fact that Henry Fonda is amazing in it.
Henry Fonda plays a man who becomes more and more desperate throughout the film as he cannot find money. His performance begins subtle and once he gets to his worst points you can't remember the other man because of how much he has shifted subtly in such a small amount of time.
Not only that however, but Ford leads a film through that would have hit extremely hard with the populace at the time. He made this at the very tail end of the depression. He was living it. Right in that time and everybody else would be watching it. He held a mirror up to society and I can only imagine the impact then. Really great work.
April 6 -
I missed the name of the first clip. It was a crazy experimental film that reminded me of a cross between Lynch and Cronenberg.
Golddiggers of 1933 - Dr. Mervyn LeRoy - 1933
Busby Berkley is probably the craziest choreographer of all time. The biggest and the most imitated. I mean, just look at the climax to some shows like A Chorus Line and you can see the influence in pretty much every big dance number since. All of them were cues off of this. It is also great to see his ultra sexualized stuff that you just know a young Bob Fosse saw and went "I must do that."
Horse Feathers - 1932 - Dr. Norman McLeod
I don't think this is the best of the Marx Brothers, of whom I'm a big fan. But this movie is very typical for them. It is big, crazy and all over the place. So many play on words that you have to watch the film multiple time to get all of them. My favorite sequence was probably the password scene. That was hilarious.
Golddiggers of 1935 - 1935 - Busby Berkley
1932 - Scarface - Dir. Howard Hawks
I have been trying to see this movie for a long time. I'm definitely going to have to check it out.
1931 - Public Enemy - William A. Wellman
James Cagney gives an awesome performance in this film that you know had to thrill anybody who has been in a gangster film since and the directing, especially the final firey sequence and the around the town scenes, I can just imagine seeing a little Marty Scorcese watching it and taking notes.
April 10 -
Bringing up Baby - Howard Hawks - 1938
This is actually the second time I have watched this film for a class. I took a screenwriting class at Sacramento State once and had to watch it for that. It makes sence though, since the dialog is so tight and fast that one cannot help but be impressed by the writers and the actors.
It took a very special kind of actor to pull this off and they got two of the best performers of all time: Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. This would not be the last time they would be together, as they have this chemistry that pops throughout the entire film really making us fall in love with them.
However, it is fairly episodic but hey, I can forgive that for all of the other great things that this film contains. The break neck speed and dialog are great. There really isn't much to say about Hawks visual direction though, except that it is very fluid and serves the purpose of his performers which I think is a ballsy move for a director who can be so visually dark and stunning.
April 15 -
I had missed the class before this because I threw out my back coming back home for easter. Anyways, on to the movie I saw this day.
Observe and Report - 2009 - Jody Hill
Ever watched "Taxi Driver" and thought, "you know what would be awesome? If this starred Seth Rogen." Then this is the movie for you. I loved it, but I can't recommend it. Almost every scene starts out funny, but then ends up twisted and depressing. Not fun at all frankly. The end is very strange though, and I actually believe it is a dream sequence as he is passed out on the ground from a brutal beating. Dark, funny, and just fucked up. I loved every moment of it.
April 20 -
It Happened on Night - 1934 - Frank Capra
I have always wanted to see this being a Capra fan, but I have never gotten around to seeing it. I only got to see the second half, but the famous moment of Gable's love confession was perfect and everything I had heard it was.
M - 1931 - Dir. Fritz Lang
We watched a clip in class, but I have actually seen this several times and I hope this can serve as my review. This was Lang's first sound film and man is it a debut. Not just for Lang's impressive use of sound but for Peter Lorre's performance.
Lang uses sounds just like he uses his visuals, and does it equally as well. The vocal tip off of the whistling is amazing and begins to strike fear into you throughout the film, however at a point that fear becomes very twisted and we start questioning it because of Lorre's performance of a man who wants to control himself. Who is trying, but just can't seem to get it together. He is a man who has been shaped this way, he feels, by society. It was his only option. Now, if that is true or not, Lorre makes us believe it. How could somebody be that creepy and sympathetic all at the same time? I don't know. But it sort of sucks for Lorre that he gave his best performance, in my opinion, in his big debut. It ended up landing him tons of jobs in the states, but always as a bumbling sidekick sort of role (his turn in The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca and even Arsenic and Old Lace are all great).
Great movie.
Triumph of the Will - 1935 - Dir. Leni Riefenstahl
The Great Dictator - 1938 - Dir. Charlie Chaplain
I wish we got to watch this entire film as I find it to be Chaplain's best film. When Chaplain lets it rip, he lets it rip and this is social satire at its finest. I'm very glad the clip of his speech was shown cause that is absolutely hilarious and still holds up today, as I think the entire movie does.
April 25 -
Passion of Joan of Arc - 1928 - Dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer
Frankly, I think this film is overrated. It has a great performance and the angles are really nifty, but it is more like watching one painted canvas after another. Beautiful, but when I would perfer to have a film, frankly it just doesn't do much for me.
Which is strange, because I'm usually all about performance. I come from an acting background even though I'm a writer. So a lot of my work and tastes are very performance driven. Maria Falconetti gives a very good performance, but at the same time by the end of it I just don't care. This surprises me also because I love films like Laurence of Arabia that are long, slow and character studies with beautiful cinematography.
There is just something about this film that I don't connect with. Maybe it is the fact it is more like fine art than film. Truth be told, I'm not a fan of fine art. I can appreciate it but I can't focuse too much time on it or I become bored. I love the combination of visuals and sound and while this has this it just comes off far too static for me.
April 27 -
Citizen Kane - Dir. Orson Welles - 1941
When people usually bring this film up, my first words are "Fuck. That. Movie." I think it is extremely overrated just because it was the first to do things. I cannot deny a great performance by Welles nore can I deny what he did technically, but this does not make up a good movie.
The main thing that bothers me: The first scene. He is alone. In his room. We make a big deal about him being alone. It sets up the symbolism that he would end up alone in his life. Sad and isolated. So we are shown that he is alone, in his room. Whispers "Rosebud." Drops the snowglobe. In the reflection of the snow globe we see the nurse OPEN the door and walk in, she sees him. Then she puts the blanket over him. Nobody else is there. From that point on the film is structured around the quest for the word rosebud. Now, my question is "who the hell heard him say the word rosebud?" It couldn't have been the nurse. Now, I know the butler says it later on in the film, but this is just sloppy filmmaking. He could have put a shot of the butler in there. In stead it just comes off as a mistake and flaws the entire movie. It makes its brilliant structure shattered and flawed in so many ways for me and quickly it falls apart from then on.
That is all I have to say about that movie.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Since I haven't updated in a while and Midterms are coming up...
February 10 -
City Lights - Dir. Charlie Chaplain - 1931
Review:
Charlie Chaplain has once again made a great film a great sense of hope and love. He knew that his films were escape and that he mirrored the people who watched them. He knew that people didn't want to see something super depressing, but that they wanted something uplifting and he delivers it in spades here.
This time the story is of the Tramp falling in love with a blind woman and the ways he must help her regain her eyesight. The film begins with a simple case of mistaken identity. The blind girl thinks he is a wealthy duke. This also helps with the multi-level of Chaplain poking fun at the upper crust of society in the ways that only he can.
The pure genius of the film is when the final scene plays out and she realizes it is just the little tramp. It is beautifully shot sequence. It is so touching that I did feel tears start welling up in this moment.
I personally preferred this over "The Gold Rush." However, not as much as "The Kid." There is nothing like the performances in that film. However, "City Lights" may offer more laughs to most than "The Kid." The city elevator scene is extremely genius and could have the side effect of putting you into stitches. Really great work here.
The Wicker Man - 2006 - Dir. Neil LaBute
This movie has several awesomely bad moments. My two favorite being a moment where Cage starts yelling "How'd It Get Burned?!" over and over and another where he is wearing a bear costume and just punches an old lady. Awesome.
Mister Deathman - 1977 - Michael D. Moore.
This film is pure awesome from beginning to end. I cannot even describe the awesomeness of it. This is a true Grindhouse film. Not a "throw back" or "loving parody." No, this is a true to life groundhouse film. I didn't even know what was going on in the first few minutes of this movie because of how badly put together it was. Later on in the film, I realized all of these clips were outtakes or deleted scenes...that is how bad this movie was... awesome.
February 14
Our Hospitality -
I frankly don't think that this film is that good. Granted there are a few great sequences, among them the train sequence, the chase at the end and the joke about the traffic. The rest of the film, though, was incredibly stretched and weary. Even in the train sequence, Keaton repeats the same joke twice; the one about his tall hat not being able to fit on his head because of the low roof (whereupon he dons his famous porkpie hat).
The whole thing simply feels dated; it doesn't have the incredible pace of later Keatons (like Sherlock Jr.) and it doesn't have the great editing of Charlie Chaplin's or Harold Lloyd's films of the same year (Harold Lloyd released both his most famous feature film "Safety Last!" and arguably his funniest, "Why Worry?", in 1923 - if you like silent comedy those are some of the best). I've always found that out of the three great comics of the silent era (Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd), Keaton always had the most trouble telling a story coherently through his medium; I always find myself struggling more to find out what exactly is going on on the screen, who's called what and who's angry at who, etc.
Feb. 26 -
Nanook of the North - Dir. Robert J. Flaherty - 1922
I found this movie to be slow moving and rather lame frankly. I get the entire point is to see how these people live and how it is different than us but it doesn't mean it is exciting. Now, it could hurt that I'm not a big documentary fan period that an early one would bore me, but still.
Now, I must agree that some of the cinematography that is in this film is breathtaking. They capture how bleak and beautiful it is as times in the north. Really great stuff here. In fact, I'm sure that just by this shear fact alone it can bring out many emotions to somebody, I just wasn't having it.
Mainly because the title card treat you like an idiot and explains things that are going on. It was like watching "Dune." They don't trust you enough to understand what is going on, so they spoon feed it to you. It is probably a bi-product of the times, but, frankly, I hated it and almost couldn't make it through the film. I wouldn't have unless I needed to for class and even then, the 2nd half the film my mind was wandering real bad.
February 22 -
The Academy Awards - Dir. Roger Goodman and Allen P. Haines - 2009
Best Ceremony for a really long time... too bad an overrated film took them all.
Feb. 23 -
Wrong Again - Dir. Leo McCarey - 1926
The Kid Brother - Ted Wilder and J.W. Howe - 1927
The General -Dir. Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton - 1927
Buster Keaton was an incredibly famous comedian back in the day, and this film definitely shows why. Even though his face is almost blank the entire time, the gags and stunts he sets up are amazing. I don't feel that Keaton was a master of character in the way that Chaplain or even Llyod was, but he was definitely the king of stunts and that is where this film comes in.
The plot of this film is fairly simply. Keaton's character has two loves: his engine and his girl. When the Civil War breaks out, Keaton's character rushes down to the recruitment office only to be turned down because he is more valuable to them as an engineer than a soldier. When he returns home, his girl doesn't understand and stops talking to him. A while later, Union spies use his train on a kidnap mission and they kidnap his girl. This sets Keaton on a trek to save her from them, and save the South.
I think that this is a rather funny film, but sometimes the comedy is hit and miss because of Keaton's blank expression. There are times where it is absolutely hilarious that his expression has remained the same, and there are times where you would just like a little emoting once in a while. During one of the sad scenes at the beginning his face really works. Keaton rarely lets anything but his body do the speaking.
But what he can convey with his body. He has slight slouches when he's sad, he stands up straighter when he feels like the hero. It is great.
The gags in this are great in this. The train chase sequence in particular is great. It is funny, suspenseful and frightening. This sequence is what filmmaking is about today. It has a little bit of everything and Keaton does it all himself. The danger, was really danger and being able to see that really helps push it along and have you delve into it much father.
Great film.
February 26 -
Stick It - 2006 - Dir. Jessica Bendinger
Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Bridges and the main girl save it. Forced to watch it.
February 27 -
Man with a Movie Camera - Dir. Dziga Vertov - 1929
This is less of a film and more of an experiment to see if a person can accurately capture the feeling of living in a city in one day. It uses great use of montage and particularly the music that they had played behind it.
It is a very basic story, which is in fact, not much of a story. It is simply a series of shots put together to pull an emotion out of you and more times than not, it is very effective. The early morning slow shots of the empty city as things begin to stir are great. My favorite sequence though is in the busy market place. The cuts are so quick and build one on another that it creates a dizzying sense of the work for the day.
I think it is a little bit cocky of Vertov to state at the beginning that he is going to re-define cinema... however, when you actually pull off a ballsy statement like that, you might have a point to. He really did change things. This is the first time a film feels totally "modern." If this was colorized and had synched sound, it could almost pull for a documentary of today.
While not just making a statement on film, Vertov makes a statement on society in Russia which is rather refreshing and makes this film really work on its own and not just a film students wet-dream.
March 1 -
The Crowd - Dir. King Vidor - 1928
Irving Thalberg was quite right in letting "The Crowd" sit on the shelf for two years, on the hunch that the public wouldn't go for it.
And it didn't, coming up with a loss when finally released. That wouldn't matter now, were the film of high vibratory energy. "The Crowd," though, has a negative ring, despite King Vidor's impressive direction, Henry Sharp's keen camerawork, and Cedric Gibbons' and Arnold Gillespie's artful settings.
Vidor's hero, John, from early on, has his eye on "success." He eschews the "crowd" and its "sameness," and views life from a strongly comparative perspective.
He wants desperately to be "above the masses," to "succeed over his colleagues," and "stand out from the crowd." When this desire falls short, he's devastated.
John doesn't put much stock in considering how he could help others, contribute to the good of humanity, or share his talents and skills with his fellow beings. He only wants not to be like them, to be "better" than them. The result is a superiority quest that scorns the average and norm.
The skewed mentality of the hero contributes to a depressing, downbeat quality of this silent drama. It falls short of making a definitive statement, due to both the hero's and filmmakers' apparently being unaware of its own self-absorbed mentality.
It's as though an important element is overlooked: the degree to which satisfaction may be received in freely and joyfully giving and receiving of one's anothers talents. In neglecting to incorporate morality into their scenario, Vidor and associates created a skillful yet vacuous "little man" tragedy.
In the end, John didn't learn much about what "success" really entails--which is much more than "rising above the Joneses" while "putting on the dog."
March 3 -
Boa Vs. Python - Dir. Dave Flores - 2004
This movie is awesome. In the first 10 minutes you get a guy bit in half by a giant snake, a giant explosion, luchadors and gratuotous nudity. What more could anyone ask for?
Absolute Zero - Dir. Robert Lee - 2005
If I was Robert Lee, I would have gone by Allen Smithee and if I was any of the actors, I would get drastic plastic surgery. Just saying.
Transmorphers - Dir. Leigh Scott - 2007
Snakes on a Train was a much better rippoff film. At least it was exciting with hearts being ripped out... this just sucked.
March 6 -
Watchmen - Dir. Zack Synder - 2009
I first read the graphic novel roughly three years ago. Some people had told me I should read it, so I was at Border's one day and decided to pick it up. The next 2 days I spent totally absorbed into this comic. Every twist, every turn, every little bit of new information given to us about the characters. I loved. Then I heard there was a movie being made and Zack Synder had just signed on. I was worried to a point like everybody else. Then I got my hands on Alex Tse's first pass at the screenplay and realized: that was Watchmen. Condensed to the barest of its bones, but that was it: that was Watchmen. From the point that the pictures coming out to every trailer, I believed Synder has done it. But did he? Or was all that time wasted?
I am here to say: Fuck Zack Snyder. Not because he messed it up, no, but because he got it perfectly right. Synder nailed this film and he shouldn't have been able to. This is a guy who refers to this project as "Bad ass" and "cool." How is this the guy that gets it right? It doesn't make sense. The fact of the matter is he did though, he really did.
At this point, if you read reviews you know the plot, but I'll do a quick summary. Watchmen is a film set in an alternate reality where Super Heroes exist. Well, they aren't really Super Heroes, but people who dressed up and fight crime. There is one super hero named Dr. Manhattan. When one of them named the Comedian gets murdered, another one named Rorschach believes somebody is killing off "masks." This leads us into a deep character study of almost all the characters with a gritty "who done it?" Wrapping the entire thing together.
This film has been deemed un-filmable by many but does Synder care about the impossible? No. In fact, I would go so far as to say there were things in Synder's version that I liked BETTER than the novel. Strangely enough, with what Synder does to build to it, his altered ending is one of them. Now, I love the graphic novels ending and I don't think it would have worked there, but for the movie. I love what he did so much more than the Squid. Even though Synder has said that this is effectively the comic on screen, he definitely leaves his own fingerprints all over it, in a good way. Of course the action is amazing, but the most amazing moment that he creates is Dr. Manhattan's story of his creation and separation from everyone. Heart breaking and magnificent all at the same time.
A reason for this could be that Synder has cobbled together the perfect cast. Instead of opting for an A-List cast, he decided to go with a bunch of great character actors and almost everyone of them hits it out of the park. The big four are Jefferey Dean Morgan as The Comedian, Jackie Earl Haley as Rorschach, Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan and Patrick Wilson as Dan Dreiberg/Nite Owl II. Wilson is great in the role adding more of a sense of being the nerd who got to do this for real and now is sad that it is gone. It is something I hadn't really picked up before except in a few pages of the novel, but he creates the character so perfectly that he really ends up being the heart of the film. He is our emotional core of the film. However, Rorschach is the real true to life core and Haley nails it. Haley has brought him to life. Everything we ever loved about Rorschach is there and it is amazing. Even when he takes off his mask it is amazing, and I never thought I'd say this, but I would have liked to see him out of the mask more! He is a coiled spring at all times just waiting to explode and explode he does. His acting under the mask during a scene involving child abduction is amazing. Finally, there is Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan. Really an amazing performance. Playing Dr. Manhattan less as a man all about numbers as a man who is detaching himself from the rest of the world because he is sad to see where man kind is going. This is a difficult role to play as you have to be monotone the entire time, but even just being a CGI character you can feel him throughout it. Really amazing work. Morgan as the Comedian is another really wonderful performance. He plays it less like "I'm a horrible person" but more like a dog who has got off the chain, but who wants somebody to desperately yank hard and fast on his leash. He knows the way people think and just wishes somebody else would realize the absurdity of trying to be a good person. For these four guys, this film will easily be a deal changer.
The other two members of "the team" are Matthew Goode as Ozymandius and Malin Ackerman as Silk Spectre II. Goode is actually very good in this film once he gets to shine. He delivers his monologues how they should be. However, he just isn't given much screentime until the end, which is like the comic. However, he is really good here even though I thought he would be a weak link. Which, on occasion is what Ackerman is. Now, this isn't all of the time, but there are moments her line readings are fairly bad and takes you out of the film. Over all she does a great job.
This film is about as perfect an adaptation that you'll ever get... until Synder's director's cut comes out. This is an amazing triumph of fandom and I have heard that it actually DOES work very well for people who haven't read the novel. I hope you really enjoy this film and pick up all the nuances and every carefully crafted detail. Great great film. I can't wait to see it again.
March 8 -
Metropolis - Dir. Fritz Lang - 1927
Thank god for this movie. Seriously, thank freaking god. It is not only one of the best films of its decades but of all time. There is so much going on in this film that there is almost TOO much going on. However, you never feel that way. You just feel it sucking you in and wait for the next little bit about this world and story that will be unvield to you.
This is all about how the upper class and the working class must come together. In fact, much of this film sort of feels biblical in nature. Not that it can be said to be a direct lift from a biblical story. That is just the vibe it gives off. With a story about a prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to bridge the gap between the two sects of society.
The acting in this is amazing. Every character hits their perfect notes.
Most importantly upon first viewing though, at least for me, was the social commentary and the fairly ancient feeling story set in the future. What a future it is also. The set design is amazing in this and has been copied time and time again. Well, at least attempts have been made. The most successful probably being Star Wars. However, there is no way to avoid seeing this movie and not just be awestruck by it. Really it is just jaw dropping.
This is the one silent film I recommend to everybody because of how it is just about perfect in every single way. Except for the missing gaps of film which I can't wait to see finally restored. Long, beautiful and devastating. That is what this movie is.
City Lights - Dir. Charlie Chaplain - 1931
Review:
Charlie Chaplain has once again made a great film a great sense of hope and love. He knew that his films were escape and that he mirrored the people who watched them. He knew that people didn't want to see something super depressing, but that they wanted something uplifting and he delivers it in spades here.
This time the story is of the Tramp falling in love with a blind woman and the ways he must help her regain her eyesight. The film begins with a simple case of mistaken identity. The blind girl thinks he is a wealthy duke. This also helps with the multi-level of Chaplain poking fun at the upper crust of society in the ways that only he can.
The pure genius of the film is when the final scene plays out and she realizes it is just the little tramp. It is beautifully shot sequence. It is so touching that I did feel tears start welling up in this moment.
I personally preferred this over "The Gold Rush." However, not as much as "The Kid." There is nothing like the performances in that film. However, "City Lights" may offer more laughs to most than "The Kid." The city elevator scene is extremely genius and could have the side effect of putting you into stitches. Really great work here.
The Wicker Man - 2006 - Dir. Neil LaBute
This movie has several awesomely bad moments. My two favorite being a moment where Cage starts yelling "How'd It Get Burned?!" over and over and another where he is wearing a bear costume and just punches an old lady. Awesome.
Mister Deathman - 1977 - Michael D. Moore.
This film is pure awesome from beginning to end. I cannot even describe the awesomeness of it. This is a true Grindhouse film. Not a "throw back" or "loving parody." No, this is a true to life groundhouse film. I didn't even know what was going on in the first few minutes of this movie because of how badly put together it was. Later on in the film, I realized all of these clips were outtakes or deleted scenes...that is how bad this movie was... awesome.
February 14
Our Hospitality -
I frankly don't think that this film is that good. Granted there are a few great sequences, among them the train sequence, the chase at the end and the joke about the traffic. The rest of the film, though, was incredibly stretched and weary. Even in the train sequence, Keaton repeats the same joke twice; the one about his tall hat not being able to fit on his head because of the low roof (whereupon he dons his famous porkpie hat).
The whole thing simply feels dated; it doesn't have the incredible pace of later Keatons (like Sherlock Jr.) and it doesn't have the great editing of Charlie Chaplin's or Harold Lloyd's films of the same year (Harold Lloyd released both his most famous feature film "Safety Last!" and arguably his funniest, "Why Worry?", in 1923 - if you like silent comedy those are some of the best). I've always found that out of the three great comics of the silent era (Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd), Keaton always had the most trouble telling a story coherently through his medium; I always find myself struggling more to find out what exactly is going on on the screen, who's called what and who's angry at who, etc.
Feb. 26 -
Nanook of the North - Dir. Robert J. Flaherty - 1922
I found this movie to be slow moving and rather lame frankly. I get the entire point is to see how these people live and how it is different than us but it doesn't mean it is exciting. Now, it could hurt that I'm not a big documentary fan period that an early one would bore me, but still.
Now, I must agree that some of the cinematography that is in this film is breathtaking. They capture how bleak and beautiful it is as times in the north. Really great stuff here. In fact, I'm sure that just by this shear fact alone it can bring out many emotions to somebody, I just wasn't having it.
Mainly because the title card treat you like an idiot and explains things that are going on. It was like watching "Dune." They don't trust you enough to understand what is going on, so they spoon feed it to you. It is probably a bi-product of the times, but, frankly, I hated it and almost couldn't make it through the film. I wouldn't have unless I needed to for class and even then, the 2nd half the film my mind was wandering real bad.
February 22 -
The Academy Awards - Dir. Roger Goodman and Allen P. Haines - 2009
Best Ceremony for a really long time... too bad an overrated film took them all.
Feb. 23 -
Wrong Again - Dir. Leo McCarey - 1926
The Kid Brother - Ted Wilder and J.W. Howe - 1927
The General -Dir. Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton - 1927
Buster Keaton was an incredibly famous comedian back in the day, and this film definitely shows why. Even though his face is almost blank the entire time, the gags and stunts he sets up are amazing. I don't feel that Keaton was a master of character in the way that Chaplain or even Llyod was, but he was definitely the king of stunts and that is where this film comes in.
The plot of this film is fairly simply. Keaton's character has two loves: his engine and his girl. When the Civil War breaks out, Keaton's character rushes down to the recruitment office only to be turned down because he is more valuable to them as an engineer than a soldier. When he returns home, his girl doesn't understand and stops talking to him. A while later, Union spies use his train on a kidnap mission and they kidnap his girl. This sets Keaton on a trek to save her from them, and save the South.
I think that this is a rather funny film, but sometimes the comedy is hit and miss because of Keaton's blank expression. There are times where it is absolutely hilarious that his expression has remained the same, and there are times where you would just like a little emoting once in a while. During one of the sad scenes at the beginning his face really works. Keaton rarely lets anything but his body do the speaking.
But what he can convey with his body. He has slight slouches when he's sad, he stands up straighter when he feels like the hero. It is great.
The gags in this are great in this. The train chase sequence in particular is great. It is funny, suspenseful and frightening. This sequence is what filmmaking is about today. It has a little bit of everything and Keaton does it all himself. The danger, was really danger and being able to see that really helps push it along and have you delve into it much father.
Great film.
February 26 -
Stick It - 2006 - Dir. Jessica Bendinger
Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Bridges and the main girl save it. Forced to watch it.
February 27 -
Man with a Movie Camera - Dir. Dziga Vertov - 1929
This is less of a film and more of an experiment to see if a person can accurately capture the feeling of living in a city in one day. It uses great use of montage and particularly the music that they had played behind it.
It is a very basic story, which is in fact, not much of a story. It is simply a series of shots put together to pull an emotion out of you and more times than not, it is very effective. The early morning slow shots of the empty city as things begin to stir are great. My favorite sequence though is in the busy market place. The cuts are so quick and build one on another that it creates a dizzying sense of the work for the day.
I think it is a little bit cocky of Vertov to state at the beginning that he is going to re-define cinema... however, when you actually pull off a ballsy statement like that, you might have a point to. He really did change things. This is the first time a film feels totally "modern." If this was colorized and had synched sound, it could almost pull for a documentary of today.
While not just making a statement on film, Vertov makes a statement on society in Russia which is rather refreshing and makes this film really work on its own and not just a film students wet-dream.
March 1 -
The Crowd - Dir. King Vidor - 1928
Irving Thalberg was quite right in letting "The Crowd" sit on the shelf for two years, on the hunch that the public wouldn't go for it.
And it didn't, coming up with a loss when finally released. That wouldn't matter now, were the film of high vibratory energy. "The Crowd," though, has a negative ring, despite King Vidor's impressive direction, Henry Sharp's keen camerawork, and Cedric Gibbons' and Arnold Gillespie's artful settings.
Vidor's hero, John, from early on, has his eye on "success." He eschews the "crowd" and its "sameness," and views life from a strongly comparative perspective.
He wants desperately to be "above the masses," to "succeed over his colleagues," and "stand out from the crowd." When this desire falls short, he's devastated.
John doesn't put much stock in considering how he could help others, contribute to the good of humanity, or share his talents and skills with his fellow beings. He only wants not to be like them, to be "better" than them. The result is a superiority quest that scorns the average and norm.
The skewed mentality of the hero contributes to a depressing, downbeat quality of this silent drama. It falls short of making a definitive statement, due to both the hero's and filmmakers' apparently being unaware of its own self-absorbed mentality.
It's as though an important element is overlooked: the degree to which satisfaction may be received in freely and joyfully giving and receiving of one's anothers talents. In neglecting to incorporate morality into their scenario, Vidor and associates created a skillful yet vacuous "little man" tragedy.
In the end, John didn't learn much about what "success" really entails--which is much more than "rising above the Joneses" while "putting on the dog."
March 3 -
Boa Vs. Python - Dir. Dave Flores - 2004
This movie is awesome. In the first 10 minutes you get a guy bit in half by a giant snake, a giant explosion, luchadors and gratuotous nudity. What more could anyone ask for?
Absolute Zero - Dir. Robert Lee - 2005
If I was Robert Lee, I would have gone by Allen Smithee and if I was any of the actors, I would get drastic plastic surgery. Just saying.
Transmorphers - Dir. Leigh Scott - 2007
Snakes on a Train was a much better rippoff film. At least it was exciting with hearts being ripped out... this just sucked.
March 6 -
Watchmen - Dir. Zack Synder - 2009
I first read the graphic novel roughly three years ago. Some people had told me I should read it, so I was at Border's one day and decided to pick it up. The next 2 days I spent totally absorbed into this comic. Every twist, every turn, every little bit of new information given to us about the characters. I loved. Then I heard there was a movie being made and Zack Synder had just signed on. I was worried to a point like everybody else. Then I got my hands on Alex Tse's first pass at the screenplay and realized: that was Watchmen. Condensed to the barest of its bones, but that was it: that was Watchmen. From the point that the pictures coming out to every trailer, I believed Synder has done it. But did he? Or was all that time wasted?
I am here to say: Fuck Zack Snyder. Not because he messed it up, no, but because he got it perfectly right. Synder nailed this film and he shouldn't have been able to. This is a guy who refers to this project as "Bad ass" and "cool." How is this the guy that gets it right? It doesn't make sense. The fact of the matter is he did though, he really did.
At this point, if you read reviews you know the plot, but I'll do a quick summary. Watchmen is a film set in an alternate reality where Super Heroes exist. Well, they aren't really Super Heroes, but people who dressed up and fight crime. There is one super hero named Dr. Manhattan. When one of them named the Comedian gets murdered, another one named Rorschach believes somebody is killing off "masks." This leads us into a deep character study of almost all the characters with a gritty "who done it?" Wrapping the entire thing together.
This film has been deemed un-filmable by many but does Synder care about the impossible? No. In fact, I would go so far as to say there were things in Synder's version that I liked BETTER than the novel. Strangely enough, with what Synder does to build to it, his altered ending is one of them. Now, I love the graphic novels ending and I don't think it would have worked there, but for the movie. I love what he did so much more than the Squid. Even though Synder has said that this is effectively the comic on screen, he definitely leaves his own fingerprints all over it, in a good way. Of course the action is amazing, but the most amazing moment that he creates is Dr. Manhattan's story of his creation and separation from everyone. Heart breaking and magnificent all at the same time.
A reason for this could be that Synder has cobbled together the perfect cast. Instead of opting for an A-List cast, he decided to go with a bunch of great character actors and almost everyone of them hits it out of the park. The big four are Jefferey Dean Morgan as The Comedian, Jackie Earl Haley as Rorschach, Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan and Patrick Wilson as Dan Dreiberg/Nite Owl II. Wilson is great in the role adding more of a sense of being the nerd who got to do this for real and now is sad that it is gone. It is something I hadn't really picked up before except in a few pages of the novel, but he creates the character so perfectly that he really ends up being the heart of the film. He is our emotional core of the film. However, Rorschach is the real true to life core and Haley nails it. Haley has brought him to life. Everything we ever loved about Rorschach is there and it is amazing. Even when he takes off his mask it is amazing, and I never thought I'd say this, but I would have liked to see him out of the mask more! He is a coiled spring at all times just waiting to explode and explode he does. His acting under the mask during a scene involving child abduction is amazing. Finally, there is Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan. Really an amazing performance. Playing Dr. Manhattan less as a man all about numbers as a man who is detaching himself from the rest of the world because he is sad to see where man kind is going. This is a difficult role to play as you have to be monotone the entire time, but even just being a CGI character you can feel him throughout it. Really amazing work. Morgan as the Comedian is another really wonderful performance. He plays it less like "I'm a horrible person" but more like a dog who has got off the chain, but who wants somebody to desperately yank hard and fast on his leash. He knows the way people think and just wishes somebody else would realize the absurdity of trying to be a good person. For these four guys, this film will easily be a deal changer.
The other two members of "the team" are Matthew Goode as Ozymandius and Malin Ackerman as Silk Spectre II. Goode is actually very good in this film once he gets to shine. He delivers his monologues how they should be. However, he just isn't given much screentime until the end, which is like the comic. However, he is really good here even though I thought he would be a weak link. Which, on occasion is what Ackerman is. Now, this isn't all of the time, but there are moments her line readings are fairly bad and takes you out of the film. Over all she does a great job.
This film is about as perfect an adaptation that you'll ever get... until Synder's director's cut comes out. This is an amazing triumph of fandom and I have heard that it actually DOES work very well for people who haven't read the novel. I hope you really enjoy this film and pick up all the nuances and every carefully crafted detail. Great great film. I can't wait to see it again.
March 8 -
Metropolis - Dir. Fritz Lang - 1927
Thank god for this movie. Seriously, thank freaking god. It is not only one of the best films of its decades but of all time. There is so much going on in this film that there is almost TOO much going on. However, you never feel that way. You just feel it sucking you in and wait for the next little bit about this world and story that will be unvield to you.
This is all about how the upper class and the working class must come together. In fact, much of this film sort of feels biblical in nature. Not that it can be said to be a direct lift from a biblical story. That is just the vibe it gives off. With a story about a prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to bridge the gap between the two sects of society.
The acting in this is amazing. Every character hits their perfect notes.
Most importantly upon first viewing though, at least for me, was the social commentary and the fairly ancient feeling story set in the future. What a future it is also. The set design is amazing in this and has been copied time and time again. Well, at least attempts have been made. The most successful probably being Star Wars. However, there is no way to avoid seeing this movie and not just be awestruck by it. Really it is just jaw dropping.
This is the one silent film I recommend to everybody because of how it is just about perfect in every single way. Except for the missing gaps of film which I can't wait to see finally restored. Long, beautiful and devastating. That is what this movie is.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Movies from Feb 2-8
Feb 2. 2009 -
"A Trip to the Moon" - Dir. Georges Melies - 1902
Star Theater - 1901
Move on - Dir. W.K.L. Dixon - 1903
Homage to Eaweard Muybridge - Dir. David Hanson
Shorts by W.K.L. Dixon: The Kiss, Serpentine Dances, Sandow (The Strong Man), Glenroy Brothers (comic boxing), Cockfight, The Barber Shop, Feeding the Doves, Seminary Girls
The Kid Part. 2 -
The second half of "The Kid" is good, but truly lost me a little bit. After they are re-united I think it is really sweet and really where the audience wants to see it end. That makes sense to me and really is nice ending. In fact, I still really love the movie up until the dream sequence in which is loses me.
The reason is that the film is so zeroed in on the relationship between the tramp and the kid that when that comes a long I get pulled out and don't care as much. I know that the kid is still at the center of it, but it still has that subplot about the woman which I really don't care about at all. The visuals are nice and all and there are funny moments, but it didn't work for me. Of course, with it ending there it leaves you with a sad idea if you really think about it. That is that the only time they are going to be together from this point on is in his dreams. I must give props to this ending as it isn't blatant and it being bitterly sweet. However, all the dream leading up to it is fairly pointless in my eyes, even though there is symbolism, but the symbolism just comes out of no where and I frankly don't feel as if it works.
It cannot deter my love of the film though.
Lumiere Brothers shorts: no. 91, no, 654, no. 88, no.99, no.186, no.4, no.82, no.40, no.105, no.101
San Francisco: Aftermath of Earthquake - Dir. Lumiere Brothers - 1906
The Great Train Robbery - Dir. Edwin S. Porter - 1903
Dog Factory - Dir. Edwin S. Porter - 1904
The Thieving Hand - 1908
Suspense - Dir. Lois Weber and Philips Smaller - 1913
Feb. 3, 2009
Zack and Miri Make a Porno - Dir. Kevin Smith - 2008
I love Kevin Smith. He is definitely one of the biggest influences on me as a writer. His dirty dialog coupled with an incredible heart at the center of it has always been something I have loved. This isn't is best film, but it is damn funny and really touching. Also, the scene where Zack and Miri finally have sex proves that he has come a long way as a filmmaker as it is such a personal and touching scene. I love this movie. It also has some more meaning for me because Zack and Miri are just like my friend Cera and I and I don't think anybody is as ever adorably dirty in a movie as Elizabeth Banks is.
Feb. 8, 2009
The Gold Rush - Dir. Charlie Chaplin - 1925
Review: Chaplin has always been very funny. That is why people know him. He is a great physical comedian and he knows how to take situations and make them ridiculous. However, the things that I have always thought he was best at was combining both the comedy with a message of sort. Be it the heart of “The Kid” or the early warning that “The Great Dictator” was. Chaplin has always been ahead of his time. Sadly, I don’t think he reaches it here.
Don’t get me wrong, “The Gold Rush” is a funny film, but that is about it. Almost every scene is a gag of some sort and most of them work. My favorites being the scene where he keeps transforming between himself and chicken. I think it is hilarious and a great way to treat his companion going crazy. It kept me laughing for a while afterwards. Of course, there is the famous roll dance. However, I don’t know how necessary that sequence was. I mean, we’ve seen him fall in love so many times and it is always the same. Meet cute, he charms them cause he is eccentric. Then he continues on. It works for the ending, but I wish there had been something a little more original in the middle of the film.
Also, his direction here was still clearly developing as most of the time it looks like he is shooting a play as opposed to “The Kid.” Except the climatic scene with the cabin tilting. Great bit by the way.
Basically, I felt this was a good, funny entry, but not much more.
"A Trip to the Moon" - Dir. Georges Melies - 1902
Star Theater - 1901
Move on - Dir. W.K.L. Dixon - 1903
Homage to Eaweard Muybridge - Dir. David Hanson
Shorts by W.K.L. Dixon: The Kiss, Serpentine Dances, Sandow (The Strong Man), Glenroy Brothers (comic boxing), Cockfight, The Barber Shop, Feeding the Doves, Seminary Girls
The Kid Part. 2 -
The second half of "The Kid" is good, but truly lost me a little bit. After they are re-united I think it is really sweet and really where the audience wants to see it end. That makes sense to me and really is nice ending. In fact, I still really love the movie up until the dream sequence in which is loses me.
The reason is that the film is so zeroed in on the relationship between the tramp and the kid that when that comes a long I get pulled out and don't care as much. I know that the kid is still at the center of it, but it still has that subplot about the woman which I really don't care about at all. The visuals are nice and all and there are funny moments, but it didn't work for me. Of course, with it ending there it leaves you with a sad idea if you really think about it. That is that the only time they are going to be together from this point on is in his dreams. I must give props to this ending as it isn't blatant and it being bitterly sweet. However, all the dream leading up to it is fairly pointless in my eyes, even though there is symbolism, but the symbolism just comes out of no where and I frankly don't feel as if it works.
It cannot deter my love of the film though.
Lumiere Brothers shorts: no. 91, no, 654, no. 88, no.99, no.186, no.4, no.82, no.40, no.105, no.101
San Francisco: Aftermath of Earthquake - Dir. Lumiere Brothers - 1906
The Great Train Robbery - Dir. Edwin S. Porter - 1903
Dog Factory - Dir. Edwin S. Porter - 1904
The Thieving Hand - 1908
Suspense - Dir. Lois Weber and Philips Smaller - 1913
Feb. 3, 2009
Zack and Miri Make a Porno - Dir. Kevin Smith - 2008
I love Kevin Smith. He is definitely one of the biggest influences on me as a writer. His dirty dialog coupled with an incredible heart at the center of it has always been something I have loved. This isn't is best film, but it is damn funny and really touching. Also, the scene where Zack and Miri finally have sex proves that he has come a long way as a filmmaker as it is such a personal and touching scene. I love this movie. It also has some more meaning for me because Zack and Miri are just like my friend Cera and I and I don't think anybody is as ever adorably dirty in a movie as Elizabeth Banks is.
Feb. 8, 2009
The Gold Rush - Dir. Charlie Chaplin - 1925
Review: Chaplin has always been very funny. That is why people know him. He is a great physical comedian and he knows how to take situations and make them ridiculous. However, the things that I have always thought he was best at was combining both the comedy with a message of sort. Be it the heart of “The Kid” or the early warning that “The Great Dictator” was. Chaplin has always been ahead of his time. Sadly, I don’t think he reaches it here.
Don’t get me wrong, “The Gold Rush” is a funny film, but that is about it. Almost every scene is a gag of some sort and most of them work. My favorites being the scene where he keeps transforming between himself and chicken. I think it is hilarious and a great way to treat his companion going crazy. It kept me laughing for a while afterwards. Of course, there is the famous roll dance. However, I don’t know how necessary that sequence was. I mean, we’ve seen him fall in love so many times and it is always the same. Meet cute, he charms them cause he is eccentric. Then he continues on. It works for the ending, but I wish there had been something a little more original in the middle of the film.
Also, his direction here was still clearly developing as most of the time it looks like he is shooting a play as opposed to “The Kid.” Except the climatic scene with the cabin tilting. Great bit by the way.
Basically, I felt this was a good, funny entry, but not much more.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The Past Week's Films
So to welcome you to this blog, I (Rob Blake) just want you to know that this is done for my Film History class at the Academy of Art University.
1/26/09:
Lumiere - David Lynch -
Review: This is a very weird film in the basic Lynch tradition. It was interesting how he made it, but in general I thought that it was a simply confusing mess of a film. I don't know if Lynch ever really knows what he is shooting. It always feels smart, but makes no discernible sense.
The Kid - Dir. Charlie Chaplain - 1921
Review: What first got me into films were classic films. I love every minute of them. My dad would always play them. In fact, "The Three Stooges" and "Marx Brothers" have been a big part in my life. So naturally, Chaplain would be also.
In the kid, he crafts what is probably his best film emotionally (while I feel his best is "The Great Dictator") . Not only did Chaplain craft a very funny film, but in a great turn pulls out one of the most naturalistic performances out of a child ever. The sheer fact that the his performance is so powerful is a testimony to both Coogan and Chaplain as their chemistry creates one of the greatest bonds on film ever. The scene where Coogan screams for Chaplain and is reaching out for him is one of the most sad images ever dedicated to film. Same goes for the image of Coogan and his mother framed in the same shot, neither of them knowing.
However, the fight and "breaking windows" sequence are both hilarious. Chaplain clearly cements himself as one of the best filmmakers ever.
1/27/09 -
I had no class this day, so it was a big day of watching films.
Back to the Future III - Dir. Robert Zemekis - 1990
Review: After the end of Back to the Future II, this needed to happen. It picks up right where the last one left off and stuck with the original's concept where people can't time travel everywhere. This is a hilarious film. The direction and the screenplay, coupled with wonderful chemistry makes this a great conclusion to a great end.
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut - Dir. Trey Parker - 1999
Review: Hilarious? Yes. Musical? Yes. Social Commentary? Yes. Great great movie: Hell yes! One of my favorite by two of the funniest people ever to live.
Cannibal The Musical! - Dir. Trey Parker - 1996
Review: It was the first from the above people and it is great. They haven't quite got it right, but it is still very very funny and gross. Horror comedy is some of my favorite and this works so well. Plus, I have a soft spot for songs and the ones in this are really really funny.
Che: Guerilla - Dir. Steven Soderbourgh - 2008
Review: Slow and boring. It didn't work at all. I think between the two films, there is a great great film. However, it gets too caught up in itself and ends up trudging through the jungle just to die slowly just like the protagonist.
1/30/2009
Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog - Dir. Joss Whedon - 2008
Review: It is a hilarious and touching film about a supervillian who just needs to rule the world. He is trying to get into the evil league of evil, when it becomes clear he must kill the boyfriend of the woman he loves: his arch-nemsis Captain Hammer. The characters are all well written and well acted. Neil Patrick Harris steals the show as the lead. He is a great singer and great actor. Nathan Fillian was born to play a super hero in the form of Captain Hammer and Felicia Day keeps the movie together as the lovable Penny. Definitely a recommend to anybody and everybody.
1/31/2009
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? - Dir. Robert Zemekis - 1988
Review: It is basically a Chinatown with cartoons and one of the smartest scripts ever written. Also the special effects are great. The film it is hilarious and the characters are great.
2/1/2009
Super Bowl
Review: One of the best super bowls ever played. Who think you could top last year? Well, this game did it with so much happening right at the end. Great.
The Office - Stress Relief - Dir. Jeffery Blitz - 2009
Review: Very funny episode. Very offensive. Jack Black, Chloris Leachman and Jessica Alba make hilarious appearances. This show is getting increasingly mean spirited, but at the same time very sweet. It is one of the better written shows on TV currently. The only one I like more is "30 Rock."
1/26/09:
Lumiere - David Lynch -
Review: This is a very weird film in the basic Lynch tradition. It was interesting how he made it, but in general I thought that it was a simply confusing mess of a film. I don't know if Lynch ever really knows what he is shooting. It always feels smart, but makes no discernible sense.
The Kid - Dir. Charlie Chaplain - 1921
Review: What first got me into films were classic films. I love every minute of them. My dad would always play them. In fact, "The Three Stooges" and "Marx Brothers" have been a big part in my life. So naturally, Chaplain would be also.
In the kid, he crafts what is probably his best film emotionally (while I feel his best is "The Great Dictator") . Not only did Chaplain craft a very funny film, but in a great turn pulls out one of the most naturalistic performances out of a child ever. The sheer fact that the his performance is so powerful is a testimony to both Coogan and Chaplain as their chemistry creates one of the greatest bonds on film ever. The scene where Coogan screams for Chaplain and is reaching out for him is one of the most sad images ever dedicated to film. Same goes for the image of Coogan and his mother framed in the same shot, neither of them knowing.
However, the fight and "breaking windows" sequence are both hilarious. Chaplain clearly cements himself as one of the best filmmakers ever.
1/27/09 -
I had no class this day, so it was a big day of watching films.
Back to the Future III - Dir. Robert Zemekis - 1990
Review: After the end of Back to the Future II, this needed to happen. It picks up right where the last one left off and stuck with the original's concept where people can't time travel everywhere. This is a hilarious film. The direction and the screenplay, coupled with wonderful chemistry makes this a great conclusion to a great end.
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut - Dir. Trey Parker - 1999
Review: Hilarious? Yes. Musical? Yes. Social Commentary? Yes. Great great movie: Hell yes! One of my favorite by two of the funniest people ever to live.
Cannibal The Musical! - Dir. Trey Parker - 1996
Review: It was the first from the above people and it is great. They haven't quite got it right, but it is still very very funny and gross. Horror comedy is some of my favorite and this works so well. Plus, I have a soft spot for songs and the ones in this are really really funny.
Che: Guerilla - Dir. Steven Soderbourgh - 2008
Review: Slow and boring. It didn't work at all. I think between the two films, there is a great great film. However, it gets too caught up in itself and ends up trudging through the jungle just to die slowly just like the protagonist.
1/30/2009
Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog - Dir. Joss Whedon - 2008
Review: It is a hilarious and touching film about a supervillian who just needs to rule the world. He is trying to get into the evil league of evil, when it becomes clear he must kill the boyfriend of the woman he loves: his arch-nemsis Captain Hammer. The characters are all well written and well acted. Neil Patrick Harris steals the show as the lead. He is a great singer and great actor. Nathan Fillian was born to play a super hero in the form of Captain Hammer and Felicia Day keeps the movie together as the lovable Penny. Definitely a recommend to anybody and everybody.
1/31/2009
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? - Dir. Robert Zemekis - 1988
Review: It is basically a Chinatown with cartoons and one of the smartest scripts ever written. Also the special effects are great. The film it is hilarious and the characters are great.
2/1/2009
Super Bowl
Review: One of the best super bowls ever played. Who think you could top last year? Well, this game did it with so much happening right at the end. Great.
The Office - Stress Relief - Dir. Jeffery Blitz - 2009
Review: Very funny episode. Very offensive. Jack Black, Chloris Leachman and Jessica Alba make hilarious appearances. This show is getting increasingly mean spirited, but at the same time very sweet. It is one of the better written shows on TV currently. The only one I like more is "30 Rock."
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