The Happening Review
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

You mean I actually dragged my cheap, lazy ass to the theater to watch... THIS? Well, not exactly. I had a free pass. Click below to find out if I throw salt in Shyamalan's wounds.

THE HAPPENING REVIEW

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A Look At How Movies Age (Part II)
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Tom Cruise actually has good reason to be this happy. Find out why by reading the final installment of my two-part series on how movies age where I talk about him, a couple of really bad lists that came out recently and Crash's Best Picture Oscar win.

A LOOK AT HOW MOVIES AGE (PART II)

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A Look At How Movies Age
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

I don't really know what to say about this one. It was something I just had to get off my chest. Originally it was just supposed to be a single blog entry but I found that what started as one thing turned into something else entirely. I don't usually spilt blogs into parts (in fact I don't think I've ever done it) but it ended up being too much at once so I'm posting Part II tomorrow. Hope you enjoy it. Feel free to comment there or here. Thanks for Reading!

A LOOK AT HOW MOVIES AGE

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DVD Review: 10,000 BC
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

DVD REVIEW: 10,000 BC

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DVD Review: Fool’s Gold
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

You might notice that this review is at a new location:

http://thewidescreenedition.blogspot.com/

It's called The Widescreen Edition and yep it's mine. Before doing this I pretty much resigned myself to the fact that whatever I set up I wouldn't be happy with and I was right. But I'm still working it. I also resigned myself to the fact that I'd have to input all my blogs I've ever done onto the site so my presence on here this week will be fairly limited, at least in terms of commenting. But don't worry I was able to find the time to review this Oscar contender. If you want to add my page to your bookmarks, favorites or subscribe that would be great. Thanks for reading!

On a much sadder note, I can't believe George Carlin passed away. This really is the worst year ever.

DVD REVIEW: FOOL'S GOLD

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DVD Review: Be Kind Rewind
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

DVD REVIEW: BE KIND REWIND

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DVD Review: The Bucket List
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

With these two acting legends co-starring this movie has to be great...right? If I remember correctly when this first came out one of my favorite reviewers on MySpace thought it was a huge disappointment. Click below to find out if I agree with him.

DVD REVIEW: THE BUCKET LIST

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DVD Review: Funny Games
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Wow, this was a tough one. My head's still spinnning. That Funny Games poster you see below is hanging on my wall. Will I have to take it down or find a better frame? Click the link to find out. Hope everyone has a great weekend! Thanks for reading.

DVD REVIEW: FUNNY GAMES

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DVD Review: Jumper
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Below is the link to my review of Jumper. I've been looking forward to seeing this for a while and not just because Rachel Bilson's in it. Alright, I'm lying. That is the only reason I wanted to see it.

DVD REVIEW: JUMPER

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In Case You Were Wondering...The Runners-Up
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

I'm taking a page out of Jenny and Jerry's book here because I'm not done yet. At the link below is a re-post of my original blog naming my ten favorites movies of all-time (which I cleaned up a little) and if you scroll down to end of the list you'll see the runners-up. Films that were considered but didn't make the cut. I wrote a little blurb on each. These are some VERY polarizing choices that's for sure. Feel free to comment over there as well. Thanks for reading!

MY 10 FAVORITE MOVIES OF ALL-TIME (WITH RUNNERS-UP)

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MySpace and Sound Blog Tag: My Ten Favorite Films of All-Time
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

There's been this tag going around started by Royce based on Sight and Sound magazine's poll conducted every ten years of critics and filmmakers giving their choices for their ten favorite films of all-time. It was a great idea and it's been really interesting reading everyone's choices. For example, I always liked The Princess Bride but was surprised to see it show up on multiple lists. I guess I was never aware that it hit that deep a chord, but now that I think of it, I could see how it would. I can't tell you how I relieved I am that Rocky or Scarface hasn't shown up on any of the top 10 lists so far but don't worry I've already taken horse tranquilizers to prepare for when they  inevitably do.

I always had a good idea what my top 20 or so films were but this is the first time I've officially put any of them in some kind of order. I expected it to be impossible since I always waffle and waver whenever I do a top 10 list of any sort, but I actually didn't this time and was very sure of my choices. I wasn't surprised by anything on here but you might be, like my number one pick, which I don't discuss on here that often. I'm betting most probably didn't know I felt that strongly about the film. I was a little surprised by the lack of classic films on here as I probably have one of the more contemporary lists and only the second thus far (behind Tony D's) to feature a film from this decade in the number one spot. That's misleading though since I've seen a lot of the films most consider classics only within the past 5 years. So while these films on the list look fairly recent they actually have more time logged in with me than others that were released decades earlier.

I also found there were a lot of classic films I admired, but could only really give them a respectful "golf clap" rather than embrace them and put them on this list. This could be because I got to so many of the classics late (and still catching up) that their enormous reputations preceded them. I'm sure this will continue to change the more films I see. Jenny and Kelsey both tagged me so, at their request, here it is. The year of release and director is in parentheses.


10. FIGHT CLUB (1999-DAVID FINCHER)
1999 was a groundbreaking year for cinema. Ask me on any given day of the week and you'll get a different answer as to what I felt the best film of that year was. Some days it's American Beauty. On others it's Magnolia. Today it's Fight Club and therefore it's in the tenth position on this list. It was a tough decision made a lot easier by the fact that my connection to this film runs the deepest of the three. The last paper I wrote for psychology class in college was a 10-page analysis of the film and it was one of the toughest things I had to write. Not because of the content, but because I was forced to limit it to 10 pages. That was nearly impossible. There was just too much discuss and analyze.

Many critics have written off the film as just a "guy movie" or a call to violence, but they're missing the point entirely. Perhaps no movie has more directly spoken to the mass-commercialized world we live in now, for better or worse, than Fight Club. Norton and Pitt own like they never have before and while I don't think this is Fincher's best film (stay tuned for that) it is an unqualified masterpiece and one of the few times I felt compelled to pick up the book when it was through.

Often, when a best-selling novel like Chuck Palahniuk's is adapted into a feature film a personal voice is lost, but this movie finds a way to translate that voice perfectly. Like another Fincher film that will be appearing on this list it features a twist ending that elevates the film to another deeper, more meaningful level and the use of the Pixies' "Where is My Mind" over the closing credits is just pure genius. Fight Club is a lot like A Clockwork Orange before it in that it was detested widely. Now we know why. It so close to home that it hurt.


9. DONNIE DARKO-ORIGINAL THEATRICAL VERSION (2001-RICHARD KELLY)
I'm making it clear that this refers to the original theatrical version because I've actually never seen the director's cut of the film and I'm not anxious to given what I've heard. For me, it's perfect as it is and knowing too much could hurt the experience. Like many, I didn't see this movie when it was first released  in 2001 and only checked it out when word of mouth started to build in the years that followed, cementing its cult status. It's one of the many films on this list where I wasn't exactly blown away on an initial viewing. When it ended I just kind of sat there and scratched my head.

As a huge fan of time travel films I almost felt let down because it was the first time since 12 Monkeys where I really could honestly say I didn't understand everything… or more accurately, anything. All I knew was that I needed to see it again. And again. And again. And on each viewing a couple of more pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place and by the time I had it all figured out (or thought I did) I kind of didn't want to know.

After all, there were so many other memorable aspects to it that were worth getting caught up in instead. Like Donnie's relationship with Gretchen, Patrick Swayze's creepy supporting performance (who knew he had that in him?), Smurfs, Sparkle Motion. It's all masterful and almost poetic in its brilliance, tied up with an incredibly moving finale. This isn't just a time travel movie. I always viewed it as one of the most memorable depictions of teen angst put on film, all anchored by an awesome Jake Gyllenhaal. I always kind of wondered what it would be like to see this at a midnight screening with a bunch of people dressed up as Frank The Bunny. I heard there's going to be a sequel. I thought we had one already. It was called Southland Tales.


8. THE ICE STORM (1997-ANG LEE)
The film with which this is most often compared is American Beauty, which I also loved and don't have a single negative thing to say about. I just love this more. What's funny is that of all the films on this list I think I may have watched The Ice Storm the most times. And it wasn't intentional. In the past decade it just always seemed to be playing on cable and I'd accidentally catch it. Sometimes it would be at the middle, the end, or the beginning. It didn't matter because no matter what point I tuned in I couldn't stop watching.

On my initial viewing I thought it was merely okay, but it seemed on each subsequent watch I'd take a little more with me and see something else…and then another thing. Whether it be in the performances or the little emotional details Ang Lee and his top tier cast nailed down so perfectly. It's more subtle and subdued than American Beauty, letting us bask in those quite, real moments. It's so depressing yet it goes down easy without resorting to cheap melodrama like so many other suburban dramas.

On one hand, yes, on it's cold but Lee manages to somehow invest the film with this warm, inviting feeling that makes me want to put my arms around it and hug it. I've never seen the 70's but this movie (and one other on here) sure makes me feel like I have. You can just sense that Lee got it right and each time I watch I'm hanging on every characters' words and even though I know what will happen next I forget that I do and just lose myself in their world.

It also features one of the most underrated casts ever assembled for a film: Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver (who's sexy as hell in this by the way), Toby Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood. That's remarkable enough but what's more remarkable is that all of them give the best performances of their careers in this one movie. I love this film so much I'm even willing to overlook the fact that Katie Holmes is in it. But even her role is good! And let's not forget she's playing one of the best named characters in movie history here. I was so pleased it finally got a Criterion Collection DVD release this year, although inexcusably I've yet to purchase it. Writing this makes me want to do it now. What's frightening is that two BETTER films than it were released that year.


7. BOOGIE NIGHTS (1997-PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON)
And this is one of them. It's also a film that time has been generous to, as is the case with all of P.T.Anderson's efforts. Many critics and audiences have said it that he's channeling Martin Scorsese with this, which I find to be an interesting comparison. Interesting for me personally because as much as I respect and admire Scorsese's work none of his films even came close to making my list. I think part of the problem there is most of his films explore topics I'm just not that interested in.

I can't claim to have a deep interest in the late 1970's-early 1980's porn industry either which is why it's unusual that I feel so close to this movie and it moves me so much. I think maybe that's because this film isn't about the porn industry at all. It explores a topic similar to Magnolia, lost souls looking for love, forgiveness and direction. I think this pulsates with more energy than Magnolia, is a little tighter with its narrative and as result is a more pleasurable watch. But both are masterpieces though and you couldn't go wrong with either.

I'm always blown away by how well it all holds up. Mark Wahlberg never gave a better performance in is life than he does here and neither did the Oscar nominated Julianne Moore and that's saying a lot because both have done great work since then. The also nominated Burt Reynolds may have since squandered his big chance at a comeback but he shines here. So does Heather Graham will always, no matter what she does, be forever known to me as "Rollergirl."

Oh, and that soundtrack kicks ass. One of my favorite scenes in movie history is when Night Ranger's "Sister Christian" cues up during that drug deal gone bad near the film's climax (no pun intended). Between this, Magnolia and last year's There Will Be Blood, Anderson is starting to occupy a space reserved for only the rarest of filmmakers.


6. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971-STANLEY KUBRICK)
I've seen A Clockwork Orange exactly once. That was all I could take and all that was necessary considering it's been playing continuously in my mind ever since. I love it when people say certain movies are brave or take huge risks. No they don't. Not like this. From the unforgettable opening shot of Alex (a frightening Malcolm McDowell) and his "droogs" sitting in the Korova Milk Bar I knew that whether I ended up hating or loving this movie, I'd never see anything like it and wouldn't again.

Kubrick is the rare kind of director whose films exist in this timeless vacuum where they not only don't age at all, it's almost impossible to tell when they were made. This movie could have been released today and critics and audiences everywhere would herald it as being AHEAD of its time. You could watch every one of his movies and when it's over ask, "How did he know?" This is is film for which that question most applies. Besides being downright scary, it's repulsive and tells us things about ourselves we'd probably rather not know. To this day it's banned in England and the infamous "Singin' in the Rain" rape scene shocks just as much now as it did then. But all this would mean nothing if it didn't make you think, which was always Kubrick's specialty.


5. BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985-ROBERT ZEMECKIS)
The story goes that when Back To The Future producer and co-writer Bob Gale was looking at his dad's old high school yearbook he started to wonder whether he would have been friends with his father since they seemed so different. Who knew that germ of an idea would turn into one of cinema's most beloved trilogies? Its ranking on this list is actually more representative of the three films strung together since it's impossible for me to separate them in my mind. Each movie brings something entirely different and important to the table while at the same time contributing to the entire saga. No three films hold together as well or flow as seamlessly. I think because all the films go down so easily and are so entertaining Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd often don't get the credit they deserve for their performances. I can't recall two performers having better chemistry onscreen than these two.

Very few films from my youth hold a special place for me but this is one of them. I wouldn't be watching movies now if not for this and one of my favorite moments as a kid was when I actually got to ride in a DeLorean.  I always found it funny that a car manufactured in the early 80's looks more futuristic than anything that could ever actually be produced in the future. I'm sure that irony wasn't lost on Gale and Zemeckis when they made that perfect choice of vehicle. It's a lot of fun to re-watch the film now because it works on so many different levels. The present in which the movie was filmed is now the past so it adds another interesting layer to an already interesting film.

Crispin Glover and Lea Thompson are amazing and Thomas F. Wilson's Biff Tannen deserves to be placed in the pantheon of the greatest movie villains. How many other actors have played multiple versions of themselves and their ancestors over different time periods throughout the course of three films? It's pretty much a national treasure to me and I'm one of the few who absolutely love the third installment, which besides featuring Lloyd's best performance as Doc, wrapped up the series on the highest note possible. If only all trilogies could go out like that.


4. THE SWIMMER (1968-FRANK PERRY)
Imagine the most frightening episode of The Twilight Zone you've ever seen, magnify it times a hundred and add on top of it the best (and undeniably most daring) performance of Burt Lancaster's career and you have The Swimmer, based upon John Cheever's short story of the same name. I accidentally came across this film earlier in the decade and if the most important qualification for a great film is discovering something new on each viewing then this is the greatest film on my list. All those American suburban nightmares like Ordinary People, The Ice Storm, American Beauty and Little Children are masterpieces but this is the movie that blazed the trail for all of them.

To say it isn't the most audience friendly film would be an understatement as the viewer is left to do all the lifting in unraveling the mystery of a man's life as he decides to "swim home" on a hot summer day in August. What unfolds is beyond disturbing and has haunted me ever since. Some say that the film looks and sounds terribly dated, like a bygone relic from another era. But for me that just increases the horror and effectiveness of the entire picture. Forget about Jaws. This is the movie that keeps me far away from the water.

I think it's one the most underrated, criminally overlooked films ever made and my one wish is that more people knew just how perfect it really is. Every time I watch it my appreciation and awe magnifies from the viewing before and everyone I know is already sick of hearing me babble about it constantly. And I will continue to do so until it's properly regarded as the flawless masterpiece that it is. How much do I love it?
This much: http://groups.myspace.com/theswimmermovie


3. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968- STANLEY KUBRICK)
Many have accused Stanley Kubrick's films of being cold, sterile and lacking any emotion. I can kind of see where they're coming from because the emotion he offers up isn't what we're used to. It isn't the kind that's warm, fuzzy, or will have you skipping out of the theater when the final credits roll. Steven Spielberg said it best: Kubrick refuses to sentimentalize anything. His movies are an acquired taste, so much so that it wasn't until I graduated high school that I thought I was ready to see this one, his greatest achievement. I really wasn't ready but you never are with  his films.

There's just no way to really prepare for 2001 and it's impossible to absorb not just everything, but anything, at first glance. You just sit back and let in engulf you, come to terms with the fact that it's the strangest trip you'll ever take and then watch it again. It's probably the most beautifully shot film ever made and a great argument against CGI. The movie came out in 1968 and doesn't look like it's more than two weeks old and the visual effects look far superior to any of the nonsense we use now. I've never gotten the opportunity to see it on the big screen, which saddens me, but that final Star Gate sequence continues to blow my mind every time I watch it, and I don't even have to be under the influence of anything. As far as it not containing any emotion, just watch the scene where Bowman (Keir Dullea) disconnects HAL 9000. All those film snobs you can't stand are actually right this time. 2001 is the greatest science fiction film ever made and nothing comes close to touching it.


2. THE GAME (1997-DAVID FINCHER)
1997! My kind of year. Yet another film from that incredible year in cinema and this one is the most underappreciated, overlooked one from the decade. It's almost like the forgotten stepchild in David Fincher's portfolio, although as the years have passed and Fincher's reputation has increased it's very slowly started to get the credit it deserves. It's also ahead of its time, foretelling the popularity of role-playing games and reality television. I don't think any of Fincher's other work even comes close to this, which isn't faint praise considering this is the guy who directed Se7en, Fight Club and Zodiac. One of the biggest criticisms I hear is that John Brancato and Michael Ferris' brilliant screenplay doesn't play fair with the audience and stretches credibility. Not true. It's completely air tight but for me to explain how would require going into too many details that would spoil the film's many shocking surprises.

It goes without saying this is Michael Douglas' greatest performance, but watch Sean Penn's supporting work as he subtly gives clues as to where this whole Rubik's cube of a conspiracy is heading. Most screenwriters paint themselves into a corner when they offer up a premise this intriguing but the payoff here far exceeds even the wildest expectations and makes repeated viewings a real treat.

But all of it would have collapsed without Fincher's direction. The guy is so talented he can make a hamburger look menacing and as the film spirals toward its unforgettable conclusion we're given one of my favorite scenes in movie history when Douglas' character comes face to face with everyone involved in this  sadistic plot. We, along with him, realize just how far it's gone and can't wait to see how it ends. It's the greatest of twist endings because it takes what was already an incredible suspense thriller and lifts it to another level as an emotionally moving morality play. I was left drained and out of breathe when it was over. I still keep my Criterion Collection laserdisc in a safe place and will continue to pop it in on occasion until the film gets the fully loaded DVD treatment it deserves.


1. ALMOST FAMOUS-THE BOOTLEG CUT (2000-CAMERON CROWE)
I realize by ranking the film like this I've unintentionally implied that it's somehow better than the rest of the films on this list. That's not what I meant to do but the question was what my favorite film of all-time is. I can't reasonably argue that Almost Famous is technically superior to something like 2001: A Space Odyssey but I do know when someone asks me what my favorite movie is I answer this one with very little hesitation. I know that there's no other movie I ever felt closer to, felt happier watching, was more moved by, or featured a protagonist that I related to more. It may not do   anything groundbreaking cinematically and could be considered a "writer's movie," but from where I sit that counts for a hell of a lot.

For me Crowe's autobiographical love letter to rock was a movie made for anyone who was told that they shouldn't write about themselves because no one will care. And he responded by writing this and reminding us that movies are first and foremost about good storytelling. It all starts on the page and without that we have nothing. When Kate Hudson lost the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Penny Lane I think it was the first time I was legitimately furious with the Academy. It's also the first time I realized, yes, it is possible to fall in love with a movie character. I wanted to go to California and personally strangle every voting member of the Academy. About the only thing worse is that Parick Fugit, Billy Crudup and the picture itself weren't nominated at all. I may not be crazy about the film choices Hudson has made since, there's nothing she can do in my mind to diminish the impact of her work here.

I'm always wary of director's cuts but I think this is one of those rare cases where the director's cut really enhances the film and fleshes it out more in a way that makes the story resonate deeper. When I first saw the theatrical version on DVD I liked it a lot. When I saw it the second time I loved it. But when I saw the director's cut I thought it was the greatest thing I ever saw. It makes perfect sense I would favor the version with the longer running time though since I loved the characters so much I didn't want my time with them to end. It could have gone on forever and I wouldn't have complained. And whenever I get to that scene when Penny gets on the plane and William goes running through the terminal I lose it. Every time. Without fail. Almost Famous is my favorite movie of all-time and it's a pretty clear-cut victory.

Currently listening : Almost Famous By Various Artists - Soundtracks Release date: 2000-09-12

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DVD Review: Semi-Pro
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

So lately I've been working on a list and you can probably guess what. I'll have it ready as soon as I can but what a change of pace that is after reviewing a film like this. Thanks for reading!

DVD REVIEW: SEMI-PRO

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Thoughts and Reflections on Sydney Pollack
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS ON SYDNEY POLLACK

Currently watching : Eyes Wide Shut (Unrated Two-Disc Special Edition) Release date: 2007-10-23

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DVD Review: Rambo
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

DVD REVIEW: RAMBO

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The Summer Movie I’m LEAST Looking Forward To Is...
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Find out why I'm more likely to see The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 than this film. If you're a diehard X-Files fan this may sting a little.

The Summer Movie I'm LEAST Looking Forward To

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