.....I'll be heading back to Illinois
I've been in Illinois twice in my life, once for three days and then again this month for eleven days. Now it would appear that for every three days I'm in Illinois a celebrity must die.
When I was in Chicago in 1994 Kurt Cobained himself and this time? Brad Renfro, Suzanne Plecette, Bobby Fischer and Heath Ledger all died. Now Plechette and Fischer were no great surprise due to age and or health concerns, Renfro though was 25 and Ledger 28. Renfro was apparently a drug abuser, supposedly having been arrested for cocaine and heroine possession in the past, that leads me to believe that his death by "unknown causes" was another Belushi/Farley incident, I'd like to think otherwise but I think we've all seen too many people struck down by drug and alcohol abuse. Don't get me wrong, I don't think he deserved to die but if he was still on drugs than his death was sadly a predictable one.
Ledger apparently may have been a suicide or an accidental overdose on sleeping pills, don't think they've said. I hear Ledger was a good actor, though to be honest I don't think I've ever seen anything he's been in, but I was looking forward to his turn as the Joker in the Dark Knight this summer. By all accounts he was very good playing a very dark version of the character. Now this is where I go on my rant. Two reports I saw say that he became so immersed in playing such a dark character that he couldn't sleep and that he had become consumed by the Joker. What the flip people? I know there are some actors who "become" the character but by all accounts Ledger was drawn to darker roles and used acting as a means to control or understand his own dark side so I imagine no matter how much he became wrapped up in playing the Joker I doubt that was the cause of his death.
Sometimes the media makes so much of an actor's role that we begin to feel that he is that character and forget that he is just a flesh and blood human being like any of us. They have the same fears and weaknesses and humanity as any of us, they make mistakes just like the rest of us and they can have the same bad reactions to medications as any of us. I'm really hoping that Ledger's death was accidental and not a suicide, not because I am opposed to suicide, if you want to die then do it right and don't hurt anyone else, but because I'm selfish, I don't want the Dark Knight film or the Joker character to be marred by "darkness" in the media. Already the comparisons are being made to Brandon Lee's death while shooting the Crow, really it doesn't make any sense, Lee was killed on set while filming the movie and, let's be honest here, the movie was based on a cult comic that the average person never would have heard of had Lee not tragically died while making the movie. Batman is different, this is a character that almost every American knows of, as is the Joker, and this is one of the most anticipated movies of the Summer so let's knock off the nonesense and focus on the reality of the situation there is a two year old girl who will now grow without knowing her father, that my friends is the humanity of the situation.
Here's to expecting Oscar talk for Ledger for playing the Joker and more importantly here's to hoping its well deserved.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Movies everyone should see but few people have
Thanks to the internet more people are learning about movies that aren't part of the typical Hollywood machine. Movies like Ichi the Killer, Battle Royale and Dead Man have gained popularity and more than just a cult following thanks to the 'net but there are so many movies out there that no one can be aware of all of them. Older movies, foreign films not from Japan that aren't classics, and indie films that don't get big name stars or backers often still get over looked. That said here's a few movies that few people know about but that really need to be seen:
Curdled: This movie is a clever little dark comedy/serial killer flick. A young Colombian woman living in Miami, played wonderfully by Angela Jones, is so intrigued with death and murder that she takes a job with a cleaning company that specializes in "post forensic" cleanup of murder scenes. Her obsession with a particular killer leads her to accept a job that lands her in direct line with the killer, played by William Baldwin. If you like dark humor and don't mind a little blood this movie is for you. A short was made in 1991 and Quentin Tarantino liked the main character so much that he adapted her into Pulp Fiction as taxi driver Maria Villalobos.
Man Bites Dog (aka It happened in Your Neighborhood): Another serial killer movie with some dark humor. This is a French film that highly influenced the Blair Witch Project. A film crew tags along with a serial killer, Andre, filming his murders and learning his methods of murder and of disposing of bodies. They are also exposed to the killer's personal life, meeting his family and friends. In one brilliant scene the crew meets another camera crew following another serial killer and are coaxed into a gun fight with them by Andre. There is also the Spinal Tap like death of several sound techs who get replaced constantly. This movie is well done and clever, what's interesting is that the star's actual family is in the film but don't know what its about so when they visit him in jail their reactions are real.
Natural City: A Korean Sci fi film set in a post apocalyptic world there are androids who have become rogue and the main character's job is to hunt them down and destroy them the catch is, he's in love with an android. Wait a minute I just described Bladerunner but while the general plot is the same the movies are drastically different, where Bladerunner is a sci fi noir Natural City is more of an action flick and really plays a lot like a big budget Hollywood film in its predictability and special effects, which are really good and, to be honest, in a moment of xenocentrism never expected from a Korean film. This isn't a great piece of "film" but it is a really fun movie, lots of action, blood and a few laughs. In, what seems common to Korean films, there is an odd sense of sentimentality.
Chan Woo Park's Vengeance Trilogy: Chan Woo Park has been compared to Quentin Tarantino for both his style and themes so if you're a QT fan then you'll probably love Park's work. His "Vengeance Trilogy" are three movies related by the common theme of vengeance but not by character or story so it really is irrelevant in which order you watch them. The first is Sympathy for Mr Vengeance a story about a deaf man who's sister needs a kidney transplant and after being laid off decides to kidnap his former boss's daughter. Of course things quickly go wrong leading to blood and violence. Second is Oldboy, in some ways this movie is already an internet favorite. Oldboy tells the story of a man who is kidnapped and locked in a room for 15 years then suddenly released and given five days to discover who his captor was and why he was the victim of the kidnapping. He is aided by beautiful young woman who as the movie plays out we learn is not who she seems. The twist and turns and final resolution of the film are shocking to say the least. Rumor has it that this movie is being remade in America, I can only imagine half the story will be changed and the movie will lose most of its power. The final film Lady Vengeance, while not bad at all, is the weakest of the three. A little more predictable than the first two Lady Vengeance tells the story of a woman who is imprisoned for killing a six year old boy, after 13 years in prison she sets out to reunite with her daughter and then seek revenge on the man who was responsible for the boy's death.
The Devil's Backbone: Guillermo Del Toro's movies are really hit or miss with me, Pan's Labyrinth was not only my favorite movie of 2006 but quickly became one of my favorites while Hellboy is one of my least favorite movies ever, then again with Hellboy Del Toro didn't have much to work with and my dislike of the movie probably really stems from my disdain for the comic and its writer. Anyway The Devil's Backbone, like Pan's Labyrinth, is a Spanish language film that takes place during the Spanish Revolution, centers around a child (this time a young boy) who's father died in the revolution and was written in part by Del Toro but those are the only similarities. The boy is sent to an orphange which is not only haunted but has an unexploded bomb in its courtyard. The ghost, a former resident of the orphanage, tells the boy that "many of you will die" and as the story plays out the ghost's prediction becomes more ominous. This is not exactly a straight ahead ghost story but its not unintelligible either. Typical of nonAmerican horror films this movie is about atmosphere and a general air of creepiness.
Murder Set Pieces: This is a low budget American slasher flick set in Las Vegas that has something of a following. A German photographer has pretty American girlfriend, the girlfriend's little sister suspects that he is more than what he seems to be, of course she's right, he's really a Hitler obsessed psycho killer. It definitely won't be confused with an Oscar winner but its not the kind of movie you watch for the acting. The violence and gore are shocking to the point of being almost ridiculous at times but that's the whole point. With brief appearances by Gunnar Hansen (the original Leatherface) and Tony Todd (Candyman) there is a lot for horror movie buffs to enjoy beyond just gore. Be sure that you watch the "director's cut" and not the edited rated version that was release this year.
Curdled: This movie is a clever little dark comedy/serial killer flick. A young Colombian woman living in Miami, played wonderfully by Angela Jones, is so intrigued with death and murder that she takes a job with a cleaning company that specializes in "post forensic" cleanup of murder scenes. Her obsession with a particular killer leads her to accept a job that lands her in direct line with the killer, played by William Baldwin. If you like dark humor and don't mind a little blood this movie is for you. A short was made in 1991 and Quentin Tarantino liked the main character so much that he adapted her into Pulp Fiction as taxi driver Maria Villalobos.
Man Bites Dog (aka It happened in Your Neighborhood): Another serial killer movie with some dark humor. This is a French film that highly influenced the Blair Witch Project. A film crew tags along with a serial killer, Andre, filming his murders and learning his methods of murder and of disposing of bodies. They are also exposed to the killer's personal life, meeting his family and friends. In one brilliant scene the crew meets another camera crew following another serial killer and are coaxed into a gun fight with them by Andre. There is also the Spinal Tap like death of several sound techs who get replaced constantly. This movie is well done and clever, what's interesting is that the star's actual family is in the film but don't know what its about so when they visit him in jail their reactions are real.
Natural City: A Korean Sci fi film set in a post apocalyptic world there are androids who have become rogue and the main character's job is to hunt them down and destroy them the catch is, he's in love with an android. Wait a minute I just described Bladerunner but while the general plot is the same the movies are drastically different, where Bladerunner is a sci fi noir Natural City is more of an action flick and really plays a lot like a big budget Hollywood film in its predictability and special effects, which are really good and, to be honest, in a moment of xenocentrism never expected from a Korean film. This isn't a great piece of "film" but it is a really fun movie, lots of action, blood and a few laughs. In, what seems common to Korean films, there is an odd sense of sentimentality.
Chan Woo Park's Vengeance Trilogy: Chan Woo Park has been compared to Quentin Tarantino for both his style and themes so if you're a QT fan then you'll probably love Park's work. His "Vengeance Trilogy" are three movies related by the common theme of vengeance but not by character or story so it really is irrelevant in which order you watch them. The first is Sympathy for Mr Vengeance a story about a deaf man who's sister needs a kidney transplant and after being laid off decides to kidnap his former boss's daughter. Of course things quickly go wrong leading to blood and violence. Second is Oldboy, in some ways this movie is already an internet favorite. Oldboy tells the story of a man who is kidnapped and locked in a room for 15 years then suddenly released and given five days to discover who his captor was and why he was the victim of the kidnapping. He is aided by beautiful young woman who as the movie plays out we learn is not who she seems. The twist and turns and final resolution of the film are shocking to say the least. Rumor has it that this movie is being remade in America, I can only imagine half the story will be changed and the movie will lose most of its power. The final film Lady Vengeance, while not bad at all, is the weakest of the three. A little more predictable than the first two Lady Vengeance tells the story of a woman who is imprisoned for killing a six year old boy, after 13 years in prison she sets out to reunite with her daughter and then seek revenge on the man who was responsible for the boy's death.
The Devil's Backbone: Guillermo Del Toro's movies are really hit or miss with me, Pan's Labyrinth was not only my favorite movie of 2006 but quickly became one of my favorites while Hellboy is one of my least favorite movies ever, then again with Hellboy Del Toro didn't have much to work with and my dislike of the movie probably really stems from my disdain for the comic and its writer. Anyway The Devil's Backbone, like Pan's Labyrinth, is a Spanish language film that takes place during the Spanish Revolution, centers around a child (this time a young boy) who's father died in the revolution and was written in part by Del Toro but those are the only similarities. The boy is sent to an orphange which is not only haunted but has an unexploded bomb in its courtyard. The ghost, a former resident of the orphanage, tells the boy that "many of you will die" and as the story plays out the ghost's prediction becomes more ominous. This is not exactly a straight ahead ghost story but its not unintelligible either. Typical of nonAmerican horror films this movie is about atmosphere and a general air of creepiness.
Murder Set Pieces: This is a low budget American slasher flick set in Las Vegas that has something of a following. A German photographer has pretty American girlfriend, the girlfriend's little sister suspects that he is more than what he seems to be, of course she's right, he's really a Hitler obsessed psycho killer. It definitely won't be confused with an Oscar winner but its not the kind of movie you watch for the acting. The violence and gore are shocking to the point of being almost ridiculous at times but that's the whole point. With brief appearances by Gunnar Hansen (the original Leatherface) and Tony Todd (Candyman) there is a lot for horror movie buffs to enjoy beyond just gore. Be sure that you watch the "director's cut" and not the edited rated version that was release this year.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
When I rule the world...
Everyone will have to watch Requiem for a Dream, not because its a great movie, which it is, but because if everyone watched it drug abuse would drop by 75%. In the realm of movies that are painful to watch because they're scary by being just too damned real Requiem for a Dream rules the roost. This is a movie that pulls no punches, yes there's the mild comedy of some of the mother's fantasy sequences but this movie will kick you in the balls, hard.
Darren Aronofsky takes Herbert Selby's novel, which is equally painful to read, and builds for the viewer a horror show of addiction, not just of illegal drugs but prescription drugs as well.
This movie is one of my favorites despite being very hard to watch. I've long thought it was the best movie of 2000 and not only should have at least been nominated for a Best Picture Oscar but that one of the true crimes in Academy Awards' history was Ellen Burstyn not winning the Oscar for best supporting actress, she is simply amazing as a widowed mother who battles addiction to diet pills while her son and his friends battle their own drug abuse.
Unlike other movies like Trainspotting which depict, accurately or inaccurately, drug subcultures and addiction there is no upbeat "it feels so good, everyone should try it" undertones, Requiem simply rips and claws at you and once you think it can't get any harder to view it rips your heart out, yes Trainspotting has the "dead baby" scenes but imagine an entire movie like that and you get Requiem for a Dream.
When I take over the world it WILL be required viewing for high school seniors.
Darren Aronofsky takes Herbert Selby's novel, which is equally painful to read, and builds for the viewer a horror show of addiction, not just of illegal drugs but prescription drugs as well.
This movie is one of my favorites despite being very hard to watch. I've long thought it was the best movie of 2000 and not only should have at least been nominated for a Best Picture Oscar but that one of the true crimes in Academy Awards' history was Ellen Burstyn not winning the Oscar for best supporting actress, she is simply amazing as a widowed mother who battles addiction to diet pills while her son and his friends battle their own drug abuse.
Unlike other movies like Trainspotting which depict, accurately or inaccurately, drug subcultures and addiction there is no upbeat "it feels so good, everyone should try it" undertones, Requiem simply rips and claws at you and once you think it can't get any harder to view it rips your heart out, yes Trainspotting has the "dead baby" scenes but imagine an entire movie like that and you get Requiem for a Dream.
When I take over the world it WILL be required viewing for high school seniors.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Movie most undeserving of a Best Picture Oscar since 1980
I'm keeping this poll restricted to movies made from 1980 on. Too many older movies have become dated while other nominees have better held up than the winner did so it doesn't seem fair to compare a modern clunker to a classic movie that simply hasn't aged well.
Here are the ten "winners," the other nominees for that year and the reason they are included on the list:
1980:Ordinary People
Beat out: Coal Miner's Daughter, Raging Bull, the Elephant Man and Tess
Why its on the list: Not that its a bad movie but the characters are hardly "ordinary people" and while I understand that's kind of the idea it takes away some of the sympathy the audience feels for the family. More importantly, look at the movies it beat out, Raging Bull is a cinematic classic that is considered one of the best hundred movies ever while The Elephant Man is equally heralded by many fans and critics.
1988: Rain Man
Beat out: The Accidental Tourist, Dangerous Liaisons, Mississippi Burning, and Working Girl
Why its on the list:Yes I mistakenly put 1986 as the year in the poll so sue me. This movie is just tedious but then you look at the other nominees and see that the pickins were slim that year. I would have to argue though that Dangerous Liaisons and Mississippi Burning were far more deserving of the Oscar. Yes, its cute and touching but this is a movie that was the butt of jokes while still in theaters because of over the top hammie acting.
1994: Forest Gump
Beat out:Four Weddings and a Funeral, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, and The Shawshank Redemption
Why its on the list: Its just not a good movie, it wasn't in 1994 and it certainly isn't now, seriously how can a movie made only 13 years ago be so dated? The acting is over the top and silly, the plot is crap and the script is just silly. When you look at the other movies nominated you really have to wonder what the Academy was thinking. Pulp Fiction and the Shawshank Redemption are considered modern classics, Four Weddings and a Funeral is an enjoyable, though no Oscar worthy, film and Quiz Show is a very very good movie that probably, hindsight not entering the picture, should have been the winner.
1995: Braveheart
Beat out: Apollo 13, Babe, Il Postino, and Senes and Sensibility
Why its on the list: Again we have a movie that won because nothing else nominated was worthy either. Seriously though, Braveheart is a fun movie but it really isn't Oscar material is it? I think this year is more notable for the movies not nominated that are better than any that were. Dead Man Walking is a beautifully made movie, The Usual Suspects and leaving Las Vegas all won in other categories and are all better than any nominated. Don't get me wrong I like Braveheart I really do but it winning Best Picture is like Die Hard winning best picture, it just doesn't make sense.
1996: The English Patient
Beat out: Fargo, Jerry Maguire, Secrets and Lies, and Shine
Why its on the list: Simply put, this movie sucks, it may be the most boring movie ever made. One of my favorite Seinfeld episodes is the one where Elaine is ostracized by her coworkers for hating the English Patient. This year had some good movies nominated, Fargo is one of my favorites, Jerry Maguire is one of the few tolerable Tom Cruise movies and both Secrets and Lies and Shine are the types of movies that used to win Oscars hand over fist. So how did The English Patient win?
1998: Shakespeare in Love
Beat out: Elizabeth, Life is Beautiful, Saving Private Ryan and the Thin Red Line
Why its on the list: Its not an Oscar caliber movie, its cute and enjoyable and I love Tm Stoppard's writing but its not an Oscar movie, yet somehow it won SEVEN Oscars including Dame Judi Dench for 8 minutes of film time!! My guess is that Saving Private Ryan and Life is Beautiful, one of which probably should have won, lost steam because the two plus The Thin Red Line (don't get me started on the Thin Red Whine) all are World War II films. I'd expect a huge wave of nominations for Elizabeth: The Golden Age this coming Oscars.
1999: American Beauty
Beat out: The Cider House Rules, The Green Mile, The Insider, and the Sixth Sense
Why its on the list: Because I f@#king hate this movie. Its pompous and pretentious and annoying. I think 1999 may have been my least favorite year for "art" films with big stars, American Beauty, Magnolia, Boys Don't Cry and Being John Malkovich all came out this year and I hated every one of them. Of the nominations I'd give the award to The Insider.
2000:Gladiator
Beat out: Chocolat, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Erin Brokovich, Traffic
Why its on the list: Because a movie with ascript stolen from the Hulk Hogan era WWF doesn't deserve an Oscar. The reason Gladiator won was that the far and away best movie of the year, Requiem for a Dream, wasn't even nominated I will revisit that fact in an upcoming rant about biggest Oscar snubs.
2002: Chicago
Beat out: Gangs of New York, The Hours, The Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers, and The Pianist
Why its on the list: First of all its a musical and I hate musicals (hey, its my poll I can use whatever reason I want) secondly how does this PoS beat out The Pianist? And while I didn't care for it how could Frida not garner a nomination?
2003:Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Beat out:Lost in Translation, Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World, Mystic River, Seabiscuit
Why its on the list: Because its a "for all you've done" Oscar win for Peter Jackson. Sorry LoTR fans, this movie really isn't that good, it tacks on and on and on, its the weakest of the three films and really and, let's be honest, its a computer generated movie with shitty acting. Of the nominees Mystic River was the best movie of 2003.
So there you are, vote away and comment to defend or slam whichever movies you wish.
Note: because I know that its trendy to slam the movie and therefore everyone would vote for it I avoided adding Titanic to the list
Here are the ten "winners," the other nominees for that year and the reason they are included on the list:
1980:Ordinary People
Beat out: Coal Miner's Daughter, Raging Bull, the Elephant Man and Tess
Why its on the list: Not that its a bad movie but the characters are hardly "ordinary people" and while I understand that's kind of the idea it takes away some of the sympathy the audience feels for the family. More importantly, look at the movies it beat out, Raging Bull is a cinematic classic that is considered one of the best hundred movies ever while The Elephant Man is equally heralded by many fans and critics.
1988: Rain Man
Beat out: The Accidental Tourist, Dangerous Liaisons, Mississippi Burning, and Working Girl
Why its on the list:Yes I mistakenly put 1986 as the year in the poll so sue me. This movie is just tedious but then you look at the other nominees and see that the pickins were slim that year. I would have to argue though that Dangerous Liaisons and Mississippi Burning were far more deserving of the Oscar. Yes, its cute and touching but this is a movie that was the butt of jokes while still in theaters because of over the top hammie acting.
1994: Forest Gump
Beat out:Four Weddings and a Funeral, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, and The Shawshank Redemption
Why its on the list: Its just not a good movie, it wasn't in 1994 and it certainly isn't now, seriously how can a movie made only 13 years ago be so dated? The acting is over the top and silly, the plot is crap and the script is just silly. When you look at the other movies nominated you really have to wonder what the Academy was thinking. Pulp Fiction and the Shawshank Redemption are considered modern classics, Four Weddings and a Funeral is an enjoyable, though no Oscar worthy, film and Quiz Show is a very very good movie that probably, hindsight not entering the picture, should have been the winner.
1995: Braveheart
Beat out: Apollo 13, Babe, Il Postino, and Senes and Sensibility
Why its on the list: Again we have a movie that won because nothing else nominated was worthy either. Seriously though, Braveheart is a fun movie but it really isn't Oscar material is it? I think this year is more notable for the movies not nominated that are better than any that were. Dead Man Walking is a beautifully made movie, The Usual Suspects and leaving Las Vegas all won in other categories and are all better than any nominated. Don't get me wrong I like Braveheart I really do but it winning Best Picture is like Die Hard winning best picture, it just doesn't make sense.
1996: The English Patient
Beat out: Fargo, Jerry Maguire, Secrets and Lies, and Shine
Why its on the list: Simply put, this movie sucks, it may be the most boring movie ever made. One of my favorite Seinfeld episodes is the one where Elaine is ostracized by her coworkers for hating the English Patient. This year had some good movies nominated, Fargo is one of my favorites, Jerry Maguire is one of the few tolerable Tom Cruise movies and both Secrets and Lies and Shine are the types of movies that used to win Oscars hand over fist. So how did The English Patient win?
1998: Shakespeare in Love
Beat out: Elizabeth, Life is Beautiful, Saving Private Ryan and the Thin Red Line
Why its on the list: Its not an Oscar caliber movie, its cute and enjoyable and I love Tm Stoppard's writing but its not an Oscar movie, yet somehow it won SEVEN Oscars including Dame Judi Dench for 8 minutes of film time!! My guess is that Saving Private Ryan and Life is Beautiful, one of which probably should have won, lost steam because the two plus The Thin Red Line (don't get me started on the Thin Red Whine) all are World War II films. I'd expect a huge wave of nominations for Elizabeth: The Golden Age this coming Oscars.
1999: American Beauty
Beat out: The Cider House Rules, The Green Mile, The Insider, and the Sixth Sense
Why its on the list: Because I f@#king hate this movie. Its pompous and pretentious and annoying. I think 1999 may have been my least favorite year for "art" films with big stars, American Beauty, Magnolia, Boys Don't Cry and Being John Malkovich all came out this year and I hated every one of them. Of the nominations I'd give the award to The Insider.
2000:Gladiator
Beat out: Chocolat, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Erin Brokovich, Traffic
Why its on the list: Because a movie with ascript stolen from the Hulk Hogan era WWF doesn't deserve an Oscar. The reason Gladiator won was that the far and away best movie of the year, Requiem for a Dream, wasn't even nominated I will revisit that fact in an upcoming rant about biggest Oscar snubs.
2002: Chicago
Beat out: Gangs of New York, The Hours, The Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers, and The Pianist
Why its on the list: First of all its a musical and I hate musicals (hey, its my poll I can use whatever reason I want) secondly how does this PoS beat out The Pianist? And while I didn't care for it how could Frida not garner a nomination?
2003:Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Beat out:Lost in Translation, Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World, Mystic River, Seabiscuit
Why its on the list: Because its a "for all you've done" Oscar win for Peter Jackson. Sorry LoTR fans, this movie really isn't that good, it tacks on and on and on, its the weakest of the three films and really and, let's be honest, its a computer generated movie with shitty acting. Of the nominees Mystic River was the best movie of 2003.
So there you are, vote away and comment to defend or slam whichever movies you wish.
Note: because I know that its trendy to slam the movie and therefore everyone would vote for it I avoided adding Titanic to the list
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