Recent Viewings: April '10

Uncle Buck
John Candy had one of those personalities that instantly wins me over, and this film exemplifies that extremely well. Although the film itself isn't anything great, it contains quite a few moments of pure charm (Giant pancakes, anyone?).

The Informant!
Matt Damon gives a great performance in this satire on Corporate America. His voice-over alone delivers some great laughs. The supporting cast also shines. I'm sure repeat viewings would only enhance the experience.

Man Hunt
This WWII film made during the war itself delivers some great thrills with an intriguing story to boot. Director Fritz Lang provides the film with a great visual style.

White Hunter, Black Heart
This Clint Eastwood film features the actor-director in some different territory has he portrays an ego-maniacal filmmaker who obsesses over a hunting conquest instead of his next film. It's an intriguing character study and covers some worthwhile themes.

Fantastic Voyage
Richard Fleischer directed this effects-driven film about a team of scientist who are shrunk down and injected into the body of a colleague in order to repair a life-threatening blood clot. It's still a fun ride, but pretty formulaic.

The Man from Laramie
The fifth and final collaboration between director Anthony Mann and star James Stewart results in another solid western. As usual, the story is heavy with themes of revenge and justice. Stewart again proves his range as he plays a fairly menacing guy at times.

Ford Joins Cowboys and Aliens

Director Jon Favreau announced via twitter yesterday that Harrison Ford has signed on to his next feature, Cowboys and Aliens. Ford has had some rough years in his career recently, so hopefully this project will bounce him back into the spotlight. The concept is simple enough: what if aliens were to invade 19th century America? Would they be able to take over? Cowboys and Aliens is based on a graphic novel by Andrew Foley and Fred Van Lente with artwork by Luciano Lima. The film also stars Daniel Craig and Olivia Wilde and it's already scheduled for a July 29, 2011 release.

I have to say that I like the concept and really do hope that it turns out to be a success for everyone involved.

Viewing Notes: 20000 Leagues Under the Sea

Rather than writing a full-blown review, I've decided to simply share some notes I made regarding my viewing of 20000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954).

Although Kirk Douglas isn't known for his singing or dancing abilities, here he puts on quite a performance in the film's one and only musical number.

The film features some great effects work. The giant squid fight holds up surprisingly well, I thought.

Despite being a big-budget spectacle, the film actually contains a message. I wish I could say the same for some of today's blockbusters.

The underwater photography looked great and seemed innovative for the time.

Paul Lukas, playing essentially the main character since it's his narration we follow, gets overshadowed by Douglas and James Mason. Mason's Captain Nemo is more intricate and Douglas' Ned Land handles the more comic and adventurous aspects of the film.

Director Richard Fleischer makes good use of the widescreen aspect ratio, a relatively new process at the time.

The film captures a sense of adventure and wonder that fit just right for the material.

Although live-action, the film manages to incorporate a couple moments of animation, both of which added a nice touch to the scenes involved.

Like most Disney films, there has to be to some kind of animal prominently featured. This time it's a seal; used for comic relief.

Overall, I'd say it's a fun adventure flick that holds up pretty well. It's something that families can enjoy together.

The Best Picture Challenge

Some might call me a completist when it comes to cinema - I just prefer to call myself well-rounded (at least that's my aim). With that in mind, I recently researched which of the Best Picture Academy Award winners I'd seen and which I hadn't. As it turns out, I've watched 61 out of the 82 films, a respectful 74%. Of course, my new goal is to view the remaining 21 unseen films. I'm giving myself until the end of the year to complete this task; plenty of time, I'm sure. Hopefully along the way I'll give some updates on where I stand in my movie countdown and provide a few thoughts on the films in question.

The Unseen List:
Wings
The Broadway Melody
Cimarron
Grand Hotel
Cavalcade
Mutiny on the Bounty
The Great Ziegfeld
The Life of Emile Zola
Going My Way
Gentleman's Agreement
Hamlet
The Greatest Show on Earth
Around the World in Eighty Days
Gigi
Tom Jones
My Fair Lady
Oliver!
Chariots of Fire
Gandhi
The Last Emperor
The English Patient


Wish me luck!

Remembering Brando

Marlon Brando was truly one of cinema's greatest actors. So today, what would have been his 86th birthday, I've decided to pay tribute to the man who gave us so many memborable moments, both in film and in life.

At the 1973 Academy Awards, Brando refused his Best Actor Oscar for The Godfather, instead sending a Native American woman to the show to give a speech on Natives rights. I can't imagine anyone doing this today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QUacU0I4yU

This scene from On the Waterfront is one of the most famous scenes ever filmed. It's iconic status is well deserved. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeVq1e6JKlw

Brando created another iconic performance in A Streetcar Named Desire. This video shows his famous cry of "Stella!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1A0p0F_iH8

One of the most haunting performances in film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BqloFdNq2Y

Larry King had a famous interview with Brando in the 1990's, mainly due to its bizarre nature. Here's the final part of the interview in which Larry and Marlon close the show by singing a duet and share a kiss. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvWMB7YFMXw He led a strange life.

Brando sings again - this time in Guys and Dolls. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVlQXvrWC_A

Finally, a rare screentest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2lRdkNGDcY

All Things Walken

In honor of his birthday today, I've gathered together a few of my personal favorite Christopher Walken moments, courtesy of YouTube. Mr. Walken has proved his talent time and time again through his lengthy career. Whether he's acting in a hardcore drama like The Deer Hunter or poking fun at himself on SNL, the man is instantly captivating in his own unique way. Any time he appears in a film, it brings a smile to my face. So happy birthday, Mr. Walken. Keep on doing your thing.

Poker Face – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy5JwYOlgvY
Weapon of Choice – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7Ky5R-vxns
Cooking with Walken – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43VjLCRqKNk
Puss in Boots – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEjKmsMkPKQ
More Cowbell – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyV2cPLuFuA
Pulp Fiction Scene – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kngBtoylIVM
“The Walken Thing” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmR-2nnt3Ps

Favorite Final Shots: Modern Times

Modern Times marked the final film in which Charlie Chaplin played his signature character of the Tramp. It’s a magnificent send-off for the little guy as he struggles against, well, modern times. Chaplin was a master of social commentary and this film certainly doesn’t hold back. Here he takes on the mechanical age and its dehumanizing effect as machines take over jobs and generally give the Tramp a tough time. But, along the way he finds a kindred spirit in a girl simply referred to as the Gamin who struggles along in society as well. By the film’s end, the pair have failed at integrating into society and are on their own in the world. Although down on their luck, the Tramp and the Gamin resolve to continue onward, determined to discover what’s around the bend. The sense of hope portrayed in this moment is perfectly captured as the two walk down the road, off to live their lives as best they can. It's a beautiful picture.

Dreamworks Animation Stepping Up

For the first time in a while, it looks as if Dreamworks Animation has produced something that isn't middle-of-the-road with their latest film How to Train Your Dragon. At RottenTomatoes.com the film has received the best score of the year so far, sitting at a staggering 97% as of this writing. And it appears that it will easily win the weekend box office race - although that was to be expected. The quality of Dreamworks' films has been hit or miss with me, so this critical praise comes as a pleasant surprise, especially after watching the trailer earlier this year and thinking, "Meh." I'd like to see what all the fuss is about, although I still doubt I'll see it in theaters. I'd rather watch the film in glorious 2-D in the comfort of my home. There is one question that I have from this situation. With Pixar still maintaining the "gold standard" for animation, I wonder if How to Train Your Dragon will provide some decent competition?

The Balcony Is Closed: At the Movies Gets Canceled

News hit today that ABC and Disney have made the decision to cancel the iconic, long-running movie review show At the Movies. As I'm sure everyone knows, the show was started with Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel in the reviewer's seats, quickly becoming the world's most famous film critics. The duo's popular thumbs up/thumbs down has become a lasting image of pop culture; being constantly referenced and spoofed. After Siskel passed away in 1999, Richard Roeper was brought on to fill his seat. While the show continued on just fine, you couldn't help but think that some of the magic was gone. The pairing of Siskel and Ebert were such a great fit that anything else, no matter how good, could compare. The shows current hosts, A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips, have performed admirably in maintaining the show's legacy, but sadly, due to a lack of ratings, the plug has been pulled.

Looking back on it, At the Movies has meant quite a bit to me. It was the first show of its kind that I was able to watch and it opened my eyes to the world of film. Not only did they say whether they liked or disliked a film, they articulated points and had an actual discussion. That's something I feel like most people don't care much about. The average movie-goer seems content to simply say, "That was cool" or "That sucked" and leave it at that. But for someone who grew into being a film junkie, it meant a lot to have people who genuinely had a passion for film talking about some slightly more nuanced aspects of the craft. It's sad that there's no room on television for a show like this anymore. Perhaps the advent of online film criticism has simply made the show outdated. I know I get the majority of my film news/reviews in podcast form these days and I'm sure many others would say the same.

It will be interesting to see what lies ahead for this type of programming. I hear Ebert is developing a new show, although who knows if that will catch on. Until the next big thing, there's always plenty of old YouTube clips to keep fans happy.

Yet Another List: Most Films by Composer

Just for fun, I've tabulated a list of composers whose work I've heard in the most number of films. There aren't really any surprises here; just the big names you'd expect too see. Naturally, John Williams takes the top spot, although by a narrower margin than I thought. With any list like this, the most prolific artists will emerge on top, so it's not an indicator of quality (although I do enjoy these composers) as much as quantity.

Here's my top 10:

John Williams – 45
Jerry Goldsmith – 42
Hans Zimmer – 33
Danny Elfman – 32
Howard Shore – 28
Elmer Bernstein – 28
Carter Burwell – 26
James Horner – 25
James Newton Howard – 24
Alan Silvestri – 20