Saturday, December 31, 2011
Happy Birthday: 4 on the list
Sir Anthony Hopkins - best know for his portrayal as Hannibal Lector. I also liked him in The Edge and The Mask of Zorro.
Sir Ben Kingsley - too many great movies he has done to name, but two of my favorites are Searching for Bobby Fischer and Shutter Island
Val Kilmer - my favorites of his are The Doors and Heat
Tim Matheson - check out his filmography sometime - he has done a ton of work, very under the radar. My two favorites of his are Animal House and Fletch.
Sir Ben Kingsley - too many great movies he has done to name, but two of my favorites are Searching for Bobby Fischer and Shutter Island
Val Kilmer - my favorites of his are The Doors and Heat
Tim Matheson - check out his filmography sometime - he has done a ton of work, very under the radar. My two favorites of his are Animal House and Fletch.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Happy Birthday: Eliza Dushku
Better know for her roles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Dollhouse on TV - had a decent role in Wrong Turn.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Happy Birthday to 4
Denzel Washington: actor extraordinaire
Noomi Repace: of recent Girl with the Dragon Tattoo fame (Swedish version)
Stan Lee: creator of some of the best comics ever, many of which have made their way to the big screen
Maggie Smith: of Harry Potter fame
Noomi Repace: of recent Girl with the Dragon Tattoo fame (Swedish version)
Stan Lee: creator of some of the best comics ever, many of which have made their way to the big screen
Maggie Smith: of Harry Potter fame
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Bob's Look: A Christmas Story (1983)
For 24 hours starting on Christmas eve, this movie is screened for celebrating families everywhere, and I usually watch 3 of the 12 showings.
This, in my opinion, is one of the greatest holiday films ever made.
Based on the writings of Jean Shepherd, who himself narrates the film, A Christmas Story follows young Ralphie Parker in his quest for the ultimate gift; an “official Red Ryder carbine action 200 shot range model air rifle” “…with a compass in the stalk, and this thing which tells time.” There are many obstacles in his way of obtaining his coveted weapon, let alone making it to Christmas, including a bully and his toady, peer pressures, Freudian slips, and the dreaded bb gun block “you’ll shoot your eye out.”
This movie is hilarious while never straying away from family friendly humor, which is never an easy thing to do. The entire cast performance was excellent, especially Peter Billingsly who is absolutely brilliant in the role of Ralphie Parker, which makes me a little sad that he never went far beyond this roll.
The movie has a good amount of childhood tomfoolery, such as daring a friend to stick his tongue to a light poll then abandoning him to the elements at the sound of the school bell, as well as lessons learned, such as getting the long awaited decoder pin to decipher an Ovaltine add. These all fit together nicely in the grand scheme of Ralphie Parker’s Christmas,
I also like how Ralphie’s state of mind is shown through daydream sequences. My favorite of these occurs just after Ralphie has soap on his tongue for saying THE word, and he imagines coming home a blind man, telling his parent it was caused by “soap…poisoning.” This is something every kid imagines a time or two when they are punished; that it will come back on mom or dad. Hey, we were kids, right?
This is the perfect Christmas film for the whole family; very quotable and very funny. I recommend making this one a Christmas tradition.
Fun facts: It’s never stated directly when the film is set, but period markers such as an issue of Look magazine, mention of the Red Sox trading Bill “Bullfrog” Dietrich, and the edition of the “Speedomatic” decoder pin Ralphie receives in the mail, the story can be placed between 1937-1940, which puts it between the depression and World War II.
The Daisy toy company have confirmed that the Red Ryder bb gun was available during this movie’s time period except for one detail; the model in that era did not have a compass or sundial in the stalk.
Red Ryder is a real character that appeared in comic books and on the radio during the 30’s and 40’s. The house in Cleveland, Oh. that served as the Parker home for the film was restored and furnished to resemble the way it appeared in the movie, and is now a popular tourist attraction.
Fun facts: It’s never stated directly when the film is set, but period markers such as an issue of Look magazine, mention of the Red Sox trading Bill “Bullfrog” Dietrich, and the edition of the “Speedomatic” decoder pin Ralphie receives in the mail, the story can be placed between 1937-1940, which puts it between the depression and World War II.
The Daisy toy company have confirmed that the Red Ryder bb gun was available during this movie’s time period except for one detail; the model in that era did not have a compass or sundial in the stalk.
Red Ryder is a real character that appeared in comic books and on the radio during the 30’s and 40’s. The house in Cleveland, Oh. that served as the Parker home for the film was restored and furnished to resemble the way it appeared in the movie, and is now a popular tourist attraction.
Happy Birthday to 5
To me...
Also to
Ava Gardner- The Killers
Deidrich Bader - Office Space
Ricky Martin- singer from Menudo
Matt Passmore- star of the Glades
Friday, December 23, 2011
Awesome Quotes: Christmas Vacation (1989)
Clark: "Kids, I heard on the radio that some airline pilots spotted Santa in the air..."
Eddie: "Are you serious Clark?"
Eddie: "Are you serious Clark?"
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Holiday Look: Christmas Vacation (1989)
Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, and Randy Quaid return to reprise their roles in a third ‘Vacation’ film, this time during the Christmas holiday season. Tomfoolery ensues when Clark Griswold and family attempt to have the perfect family Christmas. There is nice mix of one-liners, physical comedy, and a story that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I think this movie stands alone perfectly. If you had not otherwise been introduced to the other Vacation movies, this works well – maybe almost better.
Holidays always tend to bring out the best (and worst) in family situations, and Christmas Vacation uses many cliché holiday experiences to fuel the laughter. A cold, long walk to get a Christmas tree, decorating the exterior of the house with enough lights to illuminate a small city, antics while shopping at the mall, fun while sledding, and mishaps that result from cooking the Christmas Eve dinner are all highlighted.
The Griswold house quickly fills up with relatives; both sets of grandparents, Cousin Eddie and family, plus later a crazy aunt and uncle show up for the aforementioned dinner. In typical ‘Vacation’ fashion the movie is slow crescendo of craziness ending in Cousin Eddie kidnapping Clark’s boss for stiffing Clark out of his holiday bonus. Some other elements which add to the fun: the snotty, yuppie neighbors, Eddie emptying his RV’s septic tank into a storm drain early one morning, a cat munching on the Christmas tree lights, the actors playing Russ and Audrey changing yet again, and the tree getting burned down – which triggers Clark to running around with a chainsaw (if you can picture that one).
Fun facts: the studio execs wanted the cat munching the xmas tree lights scene cut, but the producer begged to keep it in. The test groups found audiences loved it, and noted it was one of the most funny, memorable scenes… the movie ends on Christmas Eve; it never actually made it to Christmas Day… Clark used 30 different words to describe his boss during his insane rant after finding out he did not receive a Christmas bonus check…
The Griswold house quickly fills up with relatives; both sets of grandparents, Cousin Eddie and family, plus later a crazy aunt and uncle show up for the aforementioned dinner. In typical ‘Vacation’ fashion the movie is slow crescendo of craziness ending in Cousin Eddie kidnapping Clark’s boss for stiffing Clark out of his holiday bonus. Some other elements which add to the fun: the snotty, yuppie neighbors, Eddie emptying his RV’s septic tank into a storm drain early one morning, a cat munching on the Christmas tree lights, the actors playing Russ and Audrey changing yet again, and the tree getting burned down – which triggers Clark to running around with a chainsaw (if you can picture that one).
Fun facts: the studio execs wanted the cat munching the xmas tree lights scene cut, but the producer begged to keep it in. The test groups found audiences loved it, and noted it was one of the most funny, memorable scenes… the movie ends on Christmas Eve; it never actually made it to Christmas Day… Clark used 30 different words to describe his boss during his insane rant after finding out he did not receive a Christmas bonus check…
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Bob's Look at Movies and Video Games: A dysfunctional relationship.
Movies and video games make great gifts, especially at Christmas time. They are small enough to make stocking stuffers, yet big enough to place under the tree, unless you have a dog that likes to chew on plastic (James still has that copy of Austin Powers.)
But, ever since video games became a home entertainment staple back in the early 80s, game producers have made a practice of using popular movie titles and their stories to make cheap, mediocre, if not just plain horrible games designed to move units based on title alone. Let’s consider some of the worst:
E.T.(Atari 2600) - Accepted by the gaming industry as one of the worst games ever made this is one of the games that led to great video game crash of the mid 80s, The player takes on the roll of E.T. who has to find components to build a communication device to signal his people to pick him up. The engine practically made the game unplayable, you could fall into a bit without being anywhere near it, and there was no rhyme or reason to how the board was laid out. In other words, even to kids like us who played the game, it was clear that making a good game was not on the producer’s agenda.
Top Gun (NES) - Not that the game was absolutely horrible, it was just a very cheap version of “After Burner.” It could have been much better, though.
Rambo (NES) - Basically a cheap knockoff of “Zelda 2” you assume the roll of John Rambo and are given a mission…you know what, I’ll the review the movie sometime. Suffice it to say that again, the engine was horrible and pretty much made the game ten times more difficult than needed, and there is no clear path from point a to b, so you’re going to die, a lot.
The Fifth Element (PS1) - Whoever made this game either did not like, or did not even watch the movie. The cut scenes are all out of order, the voice acting that wasn’t taken directly from the movie was horrible, and the game play was nothing short of worthless. What’s sad is the movie would have made a great action game with a little effort.
Bad Boys: Miami Takedown (PS2) - Another title on many a “worst games ever” lists. The voice acting and the dialog are both insulting while the game play remains consistently crappy.
Now, this is not a one sided story. Hollywood has tried the same tactic several times to sell tickets to poor made movies due to the fact that they carry a familiar title. These include but are not limited to:
Super Mario Brothers - Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo play the Brooklyn plumbers in this absolutely horrible film.
Street Fighter - Sadly, this was Raul Julia’s final theatrical film performance.
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation - The first MK wasn’t bad, but this movie went beyond the typical sequel inferiority.
Max Payne - The trailers made the movie look like a gothic horror film, but those of us who played the game knew the real story and were not disappointed by the plots twists, we were just disappointed by how bad the movie was.
Bloodrayne - This is one of those movies that makes me wonder if bad movies were once good before the editing process. Otherwise I would have to ask why Ben Kingsly and Michael Madsen would consent to appear in such a piece of garbage.
There are exceptions to every rule, of course. Like I said, Mortal Kombat was pretty good, and Prince of Persia was alright as well. And the Lord of the Rings films inspired a couple of good games such as “Return of the King” and “Battle for Middle Earth.” But with games today being much more cinematic, and movie fx being done more on computer, crossing the two mediums seems like a bad idea, and history has proven it so.
But, ever since video games became a home entertainment staple back in the early 80s, game producers have made a practice of using popular movie titles and their stories to make cheap, mediocre, if not just plain horrible games designed to move units based on title alone. Let’s consider some of the worst:
E.T.(Atari 2600) - Accepted by the gaming industry as one of the worst games ever made this is one of the games that led to great video game crash of the mid 80s, The player takes on the roll of E.T. who has to find components to build a communication device to signal his people to pick him up. The engine practically made the game unplayable, you could fall into a bit without being anywhere near it, and there was no rhyme or reason to how the board was laid out. In other words, even to kids like us who played the game, it was clear that making a good game was not on the producer’s agenda.
Top Gun (NES) - Not that the game was absolutely horrible, it was just a very cheap version of “After Burner.” It could have been much better, though.
Rambo (NES) - Basically a cheap knockoff of “Zelda 2” you assume the roll of John Rambo and are given a mission…you know what, I’ll the review the movie sometime. Suffice it to say that again, the engine was horrible and pretty much made the game ten times more difficult than needed, and there is no clear path from point a to b, so you’re going to die, a lot.
The Fifth Element (PS1) - Whoever made this game either did not like, or did not even watch the movie. The cut scenes are all out of order, the voice acting that wasn’t taken directly from the movie was horrible, and the game play was nothing short of worthless. What’s sad is the movie would have made a great action game with a little effort.
Bad Boys: Miami Takedown (PS2) - Another title on many a “worst games ever” lists. The voice acting and the dialog are both insulting while the game play remains consistently crappy.
Now, this is not a one sided story. Hollywood has tried the same tactic several times to sell tickets to poor made movies due to the fact that they carry a familiar title. These include but are not limited to:
Super Mario Brothers - Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo play the Brooklyn plumbers in this absolutely horrible film.
Street Fighter - Sadly, this was Raul Julia’s final theatrical film performance.
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation - The first MK wasn’t bad, but this movie went beyond the typical sequel inferiority.
Max Payne - The trailers made the movie look like a gothic horror film, but those of us who played the game knew the real story and were not disappointed by the plots twists, we were just disappointed by how bad the movie was.
Bloodrayne - This is one of those movies that makes me wonder if bad movies were once good before the editing process. Otherwise I would have to ask why Ben Kingsly and Michael Madsen would consent to appear in such a piece of garbage.
There are exceptions to every rule, of course. Like I said, Mortal Kombat was pretty good, and Prince of Persia was alright as well. And the Lord of the Rings films inspired a couple of good games such as “Return of the King” and “Battle for Middle Earth.” But with games today being much more cinematic, and movie fx being done more on computer, crossing the two mediums seems like a bad idea, and history has proven it so.
Bob's Thoughts On: A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is one of my favorite holiday stories. I've read the book many times, seen many of the film adaptations, and make it a holiday tradition to see the stage production the day after Thanksgiving, and I agree with my brother that this is the best way to view the story visually.
The Scrooge character to me is a somewhat sympathetic character in spite of his cruelty and hard disposition. Fear of poverty as a young man had twisted him into the greedy old miser that we are introduced to in the beginning. Many of the losses he endures in life, such as his fiance and his best friend, occur at Christmas. The word "humbug" is also an important element to understanding his character. The word "humbug" is defined in the dictionary as "something intended to delude or deceive." So in effect, what Scrooge is saying about Christmas is that it is a time for people to put on false faces and pretend to care about their fellow man in an effort to get something for themselves, such as free food or a break on their loan dues. When he taken to see the shadows of his past, he is shown the real reason he hates Christmas, which he finds out is much more personal. When he is taken to the present, he's shown the happiness that he is missing out of and could very easily share, as well as how his personal anger effects people other than himself. In the future, he is shown the end of his journey, where his death is celebrated in a somewhat morbid way as his body is robbed and people who owed him money were suddenly given a chance at life (which is rarely shown in film.)
Like my brother said, George C. Scott and Patrick Stewart both do a very good job in portraying the title character. Another version I tend to watch once or twice during the season is the 1938 version of the film staring Reginald Owen as Scrooge and Gene Lockhart as Bob Cratchit. I have to say I also like the CGI version Disney did a few years ago with Jim Carey as the voice of Scrooge and Gary Oldman (one of my favorite actors) as Cratchit. And, being a fan of Jim Henson, I am also a fan of A Muppet Christmas Carol, which stars Michael Caine as Scrooge and Kermit the Frog as Cratchit. And Bill Murray as the Scrooge-like Frank Cross in "Scrooged" was simply brilliant. It's a story for the whole family, and one to take to heart, especially at Christmas.
The Scrooge character to me is a somewhat sympathetic character in spite of his cruelty and hard disposition. Fear of poverty as a young man had twisted him into the greedy old miser that we are introduced to in the beginning. Many of the losses he endures in life, such as his fiance and his best friend, occur at Christmas. The word "humbug" is also an important element to understanding his character. The word "humbug" is defined in the dictionary as "something intended to delude or deceive." So in effect, what Scrooge is saying about Christmas is that it is a time for people to put on false faces and pretend to care about their fellow man in an effort to get something for themselves, such as free food or a break on their loan dues. When he taken to see the shadows of his past, he is shown the real reason he hates Christmas, which he finds out is much more personal. When he is taken to the present, he's shown the happiness that he is missing out of and could very easily share, as well as how his personal anger effects people other than himself. In the future, he is shown the end of his journey, where his death is celebrated in a somewhat morbid way as his body is robbed and people who owed him money were suddenly given a chance at life (which is rarely shown in film.)
Like my brother said, George C. Scott and Patrick Stewart both do a very good job in portraying the title character. Another version I tend to watch once or twice during the season is the 1938 version of the film staring Reginald Owen as Scrooge and Gene Lockhart as Bob Cratchit. I have to say I also like the CGI version Disney did a few years ago with Jim Carey as the voice of Scrooge and Gary Oldman (one of my favorite actors) as Cratchit. And, being a fan of Jim Henson, I am also a fan of A Muppet Christmas Carol, which stars Michael Caine as Scrooge and Kermit the Frog as Cratchit. And Bill Murray as the Scrooge-like Frank Cross in "Scrooged" was simply brilliant. It's a story for the whole family, and one to take to heart, especially at Christmas.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
A Christmas Carol, aka Scared Straight for the Holidays
There are so many versions of Charles Dickens' classic tale out there, it is hard to really point any one as the "right one" to see. I personally prefer to see a musical version on stage, it gives the story a much more organic feel. For the TV versions, I would point to ones with Patrick Stewart and George C. Scott playing the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, as the ones I would look for.
The "holiday spirit" of the story is clear: your afterlife will be terrible if you value your money (or your work) over your human relationships, and have utter disdain for poor people. Four ghosts visit Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas Eve/Christmas morning and show him that while he was once attached to the human race - he had a sister he loved, and a girlfriend/fiance - he is now a miserable miser with no compassion or love in his heart. His former partner Jacob Marley died on Christmas Eve (how pleasant), and his ghost is the first to visit Scrooge and inform him, in my interpretation, that he is probably going to die soon, and unless Scrooge wants to wander around in purgatory, like Marley, he better straighten up. Scrooge, of course, takes more convincing. The ghost of Christmas past re-introduces him to painful memories of love lost - the aforementioned sister, now deceased, and the fiance who left Scrooge while he was a younger man, because he worked a lot of overtime. The ghost of Christmas present shows Scrooge that his estranged nephew is living a good life, without Scrooge's presence, and that Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's employee, is living in poverty because Scrooge is paying him at slave's wages. The ghost of Christmas future (or Christmas yet to come) shows Scrooge dead, and no one seems to care except the homeless people who rob his corpse. This ghost (usually show having an appearance like the grim reaper) showing Scrooge his own grave is an especially nice touch for the holiday spirit.
Scrooge awakes from this torturous nightmare, and suddenly has an epiphany that he needs to re-connect with his nephew, raise Bob's wages and pay for Bob's sick son's medical care, as well as treating human kind better, in general. Uplifting, yes... but that is up to interpretation.
The "holiday spirit" of the story is clear: your afterlife will be terrible if you value your money (or your work) over your human relationships, and have utter disdain for poor people. Four ghosts visit Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas Eve/Christmas morning and show him that while he was once attached to the human race - he had a sister he loved, and a girlfriend/fiance - he is now a miserable miser with no compassion or love in his heart. His former partner Jacob Marley died on Christmas Eve (how pleasant), and his ghost is the first to visit Scrooge and inform him, in my interpretation, that he is probably going to die soon, and unless Scrooge wants to wander around in purgatory, like Marley, he better straighten up. Scrooge, of course, takes more convincing. The ghost of Christmas past re-introduces him to painful memories of love lost - the aforementioned sister, now deceased, and the fiance who left Scrooge while he was a younger man, because he worked a lot of overtime. The ghost of Christmas present shows Scrooge that his estranged nephew is living a good life, without Scrooge's presence, and that Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's employee, is living in poverty because Scrooge is paying him at slave's wages. The ghost of Christmas future (or Christmas yet to come) shows Scrooge dead, and no one seems to care except the homeless people who rob his corpse. This ghost (usually show having an appearance like the grim reaper) showing Scrooge his own grave is an especially nice touch for the holiday spirit.
Scrooge awakes from this torturous nightmare, and suddenly has an epiphany that he needs to re-connect with his nephew, raise Bob's wages and pay for Bob's sick son's medical care, as well as treating human kind better, in general. Uplifting, yes... but that is up to interpretation.
Happy Birthday : 5 actors to mention
Milla Jovovich - of Resident Evil fame, also a good part in the Fifth Element
Bill Pullman - my favorites of his are Lost Highway and Serpent and the Rainbow
Eugene Levy - great comedic actor, my favorites of his are Splash and American Pie
Ernie Hudson - a very underated actor, my favorites of his are Ghostbusters and the Crow
Wes Studi - an excellent dramatic actor, my favorties of his are Last of the Mohicans, and Geronimo: An American Legend
Bill Pullman - my favorites of his are Lost Highway and Serpent and the Rainbow
Eugene Levy - great comedic actor, my favorites of his are Splash and American Pie
Ernie Hudson - a very underated actor, my favorites of his are Ghostbusters and the Crow
Wes Studi - an excellent dramatic actor, my favorties of his are Last of the Mohicans, and Geronimo: An American Legend
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Bob's Holiday Review: Die Hard (1988)
Director: John McTierman
Genre: Action (Machine guns and explosions.)
The Basics: On Christmas Eve, New York cop John McClane (Willis) travels to Las Angeles to spend the holidays with his estranged family. While attending a party at his wife’s office, a group of terrorists seize control of the office building and hold the partygoers hostage. Armed only with his police issued 9mm, and no help from the outside world (or shoes for that matter) it is up to McClane to thwart the plans of Hans Gruber (Rickman) and his team of terrorists and save innocent lives.
Recommendation: One of the all time great 80's action flicks, this is a good movie to watch anytime, but especially during the holidays while the wife or girlfriend or mother is watching happy Christmas movies on the Halmark channel. The movie is rated R for heavy action, blood, and adult language.
My Take: One of the things I like about the action movies that came out of the eighties is that most of them were for pure entertainment and did not include any kind of social or political commentary. They were just for fun. *Spoiler Alert* The plot of the movie is a pretty simple one. Terrorists take control of a building and hold people captive, and the hero cop fights by himself to take the enemy down. This paves the way for a good amount of machine gun shootouts and explosions, which this movie has plenty of without getting in the way to the greater plot. And even though the plot is simple and the action is plentiful, the writers of the film still pay attention to character development and do a good job of balancing their tier of round, flat, and static characters. I particularly liked the chemistry between McClane and Al Powell (VelJohnson), being two cops dedicated to principle, which they are able to build despite the fact they do not meet face to face until the end of the film. Also, even though they are enemies, McClane and Gruber seem to have a chemistry all their own, which serves to make the main conflict as much a battle of wits as a battle of bullets. I also enjoyed the overall tone of the movie. Like I said, this movie is for fun and not intended to teach any morals about the state of society. The movie has a good amount of humor and faced paced movement to keep the air light, so to speak, but still puts in the right amount of drama to build McClane’s character without making the overall movie to melodramatic. In the 80's, filmmakers were still concerned with finding a cast of actors who could act and not just look good in closeups. So the acting in the movie will not disappoint. Apart from the aforementioned chemistry between characters, the cast overall do a good job in bringing their characters to life. But, seeing as melodrama was not part of this movie, it is hard to point to one performance and say that this actor stands out as truly great. That’s not was this movie was about. To put it another way, no one tries to be the reigning star or upstage anyone else, which I like. Also, since it was the 80's, the filmmakers had to rely on physical special effects rather than generating awesome explosions on a computer. This movie is a good example of what can be done with pyrotechnics, a few strobe lights, and some people who know what they are doing. This movie makes me miss the 80's. They knew how to keep it simple and use story to convey the emotion and tension of the film’s conflict. Sometimes I’m a little afraid that the action genre is going the way of the dodo. For the most part, action movies of the 21st century have been based on comic books, involved the supernatural or science fiction elements, or were based on specific elements such as car chases. Filmmakers today could learn a valuable lesson from this film on how to make an action movie that a lot of people will want to see. And, this is a great movie to watch during the holidays since it is set on Christmas eve.
Statistics
Cast Performance: Good. Both Arnold and Sly Stallone (among others) were considered for the roll of John McClane, but I thought Willis brought an everyman quality to the roll that would have been lost.
Violence: Heavy. Not as bloody as some of the horror movies I’ve reviewed, but the machine guns were a blaring, and the body count was high (22 to be exact.)
Nudity: Very brief: There’s only one shot and you practically have to slow down the dvd to catch it, but when the terrorists round up the hostages, there is a couple getting naughty in an office and her shirt is off.
Ambiance/music: Very good. McTierman does a good job giving the sense of claustrophobia to the movie. I particularly like the music cue at the beginning of the film that sounds like distorted Christmas bells. Nice touch.
Overall rating: 4.75/5 on the Bob Kline scale.
Christmas Look: The Ref (1994)
Denis Leary, Judy Davis, and Kevin Spacey star in this Christmas comedy about a thief who takes a family hostage.
Lloyd and Caroline Chassuer (Spacey and Davis) are on the verge of divorce when they are kidnapped by a thief named Gus (Leary) who is fleeing the scene of a botched burglary and needs a place to hide until his partner can find them a way out of town, which is no easy task since the small, upper-middle class community has been quartered off due to the robbery. Gus unwittingly becomes a third party observer to the kind of family drama the holidays have a way of bringing out.
*Spoiler Alert* This is a movie I watch a few times between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Like some of the movies found on the Halmark channel this time of year, the film focuses on a family’s conflict coming to a head and subsequently moving toward resolution on Christmas eve. The humor is more adult oriented and peppered heavily with colorful expletives. In other words, this is not a movie you’re going to want to watch with the kids. The cast performance in this film is very good. Denis Leary gives one of his best performances, bringing a humanity rarely seen in a cat burglar. Spacey and Davis have an excellent chemistry together and both play off of Leary very well.
The only thing about this movie I don’t really like is the ending. According to the internet movie database (IMDB.com) the original ending of the movie had Gus being arrested in front of the Chasseur’s troubled son, showing him that crime does not pay which prompts him to open a dialogue with his parents. This ending was changed to the family helping Gus escape due to poor test audience reactions, and the director of the film has stated that he regrets the change.
All in all, this is a very funny film to watch during Christmas after the kids go to bed.
Lloyd and Caroline Chassuer (Spacey and Davis) are on the verge of divorce when they are kidnapped by a thief named Gus (Leary) who is fleeing the scene of a botched burglary and needs a place to hide until his partner can find them a way out of town, which is no easy task since the small, upper-middle class community has been quartered off due to the robbery. Gus unwittingly becomes a third party observer to the kind of family drama the holidays have a way of bringing out.
*Spoiler Alert* This is a movie I watch a few times between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Like some of the movies found on the Halmark channel this time of year, the film focuses on a family’s conflict coming to a head and subsequently moving toward resolution on Christmas eve. The humor is more adult oriented and peppered heavily with colorful expletives. In other words, this is not a movie you’re going to want to watch with the kids. The cast performance in this film is very good. Denis Leary gives one of his best performances, bringing a humanity rarely seen in a cat burglar. Spacey and Davis have an excellent chemistry together and both play off of Leary very well.
The only thing about this movie I don’t really like is the ending. According to the internet movie database (IMDB.com) the original ending of the movie had Gus being arrested in front of the Chasseur’s troubled son, showing him that crime does not pay which prompts him to open a dialogue with his parents. This ending was changed to the family helping Gus escape due to poor test audience reactions, and the director of the film has stated that he regrets the change.
All in all, this is a very funny film to watch during Christmas after the kids go to bed.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Christmas Look: Love, Actually (2003)
A big budget, ensemble cast, romantic comedy about relationships, love and lust, that takes place in London in the days leading up to Christmas.
Some of the actors: Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightly, Emma Thompson, Andrew Lincoln, Laura Linney, and Alan Rickman (to name a few).
This is possibly one of the greatest Christmas films ever released. There is no true main character. All of the "big name" actors have different love stories explored- romantic love, familial love, friendship/brotherly love - as well as having to deal problems associated with love and marriage such as: a cheating spouse, death of a spouse, being in love with your best friend's spouse, or having a chance at true love but not being able to act on it.
The main actors are also all linked to each other via friendships, marriage, or through work. Somehow the director/ writer Richard Curtis was able to weave a very well thought out, well acted, well written, perfectly cast story without too much melodrama, sappy/ cheesy moments or noticeable on screen friction. The comic moments work well, and the dramatic moments do not bog down the flow.
I highly recommend this as the best feel good movie of the season - even above A Christmas Carol.
Some of the actors: Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightly, Emma Thompson, Andrew Lincoln, Laura Linney, and Alan Rickman (to name a few).
This is possibly one of the greatest Christmas films ever released. There is no true main character. All of the "big name" actors have different love stories explored- romantic love, familial love, friendship/brotherly love - as well as having to deal problems associated with love and marriage such as: a cheating spouse, death of a spouse, being in love with your best friend's spouse, or having a chance at true love but not being able to act on it.
The main actors are also all linked to each other via friendships, marriage, or through work. Somehow the director/ writer Richard Curtis was able to weave a very well thought out, well acted, well written, perfectly cast story without too much melodrama, sappy/ cheesy moments or noticeable on screen friction. The comic moments work well, and the dramatic moments do not bog down the flow.
I highly recommend this as the best feel good movie of the season - even above A Christmas Carol.
Review: Gremlins (1984)
People in the Movie: Zack Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axron
Director: Joe Dante
Pigeonhole: Black Comedy / “Horror”
The Basics: There are 3 rules: 1) keep him out bright lights, sunlight will kill him; 2) don’t get him wet; and 3) never, never feed him after midnight. These are the instructions given to Randall Peltzer (Axton) when he buys a Mogwai (a small teddy bear-like creature) from a junk shop in Chinatown to give to his son for Christmas. The rules are broken and what follows is total mayhem for the town of Kingston
Recommendation: This is one of my favorite holiday films, and great film of the 80’s, which I highly recommend. The movie is rated PG, but I would caution for younger kids due to some scary images and violent scenes.
My Take: This is a somewhat strange movie because while it appears the target audience was kids (a cute cuddly talking Mogwai), the subject matter is much more ‘young adult’/adult, in my opinion. Gremlins was heavily marketed, as well as having a huge toy line tie in, with other supporting products like breakfast cereal (remember “Gremlins, Gremlins, bite after bite..”) and clothing. While predictable in the sense that once the warnings are spoken, the audience knows that each rule will be eventually broken; it is the “how far will this go” that really hooks our attention to the screen.
**spoiler alert** Gremlins has a 50’s creature-feature sort of feel to it. Randall, a goofy inventor, and a fun character himself, brings the Mogwai home to Billy (Galligan) for Christmas. The Mogwai’s is quickly named Gizmo, and he has a silly cartoonish voice (done by Howie Mandel) when he speaks- which is usually one or two word phrases. For example, when Gizmo sees bright lights, he says “light bright”. Gizmo and Billy become quick friends, and that’s when the trouble starts.
Billy’s neighbor Pete (Corey Feldman) accidentally spills some water onto Gizmo, which causes him to start shrieking and convulsing. Five little fur balls pop out of Gizmo which then quickly turn into new Mogwai, and Gizmo is later seen with a very depressed look on his face. One of the five new Mogwai has a white mohawk tuft of hair on his head, which earns him the name Stripe. Stripe appears to be the leader of the new ones, and is seen to be a bit mischievous. But, mischievous quickly turns to dangerous, as Billy wakes up one night hearing his dog howling. Billy heads outside to find his dog tangled in the Christmas lights on their front porch. Stripe, meanwhile, is seen smiling while he “sleeping”.
The final rule is broken as Billy feeds the Mogwai – minus Gizmo – late one night, thinking it is before midnight, only later to discover his clock’s cord has been chewed. The next morning Billy wakes and finds 5 disgusting looking cocoons in his room. That night the Gremlins hatch; they are reptilian looking with long arms, claws, and sharp teeth. The mayhem then commences as Stripe and a whole group of Gremlins (spawned by Stripe falling into a pool), proceed to tear apart the town with death and destruction.
The rest of the movie is mix of somewhat comical scenes: Gremlins seen drinking and breakdancing in a bar, a Gremlin in an overcoat pretending to flash onlookers, Gremlins going door to door singing Christmas carols, a large group of Gremlins watching Snow White and singing along to “Hi-ho” - as well as some violent scenes: Billy’s mother fighting and killing several of the Gremlins in their house, Gremlins driving through a house in a snow plow attempting to kill a man and his wife, one Gremlin shooting another with a pistol, and Gizmo dressing like Rambo to fight the Gremlins, just to name a few.
Billy’s love interest Kate (Cates) tells a somewhat disturbing story of why she dislikes Christmas. She and Billy do survive the film.
As I noted, it is very much the formula of a creature feature – the naïve Anytown , America
The only question I have ever been left with is why is Gizmo not inherently “bad” as all the other Mogwai appear to be?
Final Thought/Extras/For Fun: This film, along with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Awesome Quote: Clerks (1994)
Randal Graves: "I believe in the authority of a ruling class, especially since I rule."
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Happy Birthday: Nick Stahl & Walt Disney
Nick - my favorite movie of his is Bully
Disney - his name alone is probably worth more now than when he died in 66.
Disney - his name alone is probably worth more now than when he died in 66.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Happy Birthday: Julianne Moore & Daryl Hannah
Julianne - my favorites films of hers are Children of Men and The Big Lebowski
Daryl - my favorites of hers are Kill Bill (1,2) and Blade Runner
Daryl - my favorites of hers are Kill Bill (1,2) and Blade Runner
Awesome Movie Quote: Love Actually (2003)
Billy Mack: "Hiya kids. Here is an important message from your Uncle Bill. Don't buy drugs. Become a pop star, and they give you them for free!"
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Bob's Quick Look: A Very Harold and Kumar 3d Christmas (2011)
After burning down his father-in-law’s prize Christmas tree (in a marijuana related accident) Harold sets out to replace the fir tree before the family returns from midnight mass. At his side throughout this new adventure is his old, yet estranged friend, Kumar, who again cannot help but to cause more problems than he solves.
In their quest for the perfect tree, Harold and Kumar are drugged at a holiday party, pursued by mafia thugs, and are pressed for time as Christmas Eve presses on.
*Spoiler Alert* I am a fan of “Harold and Kumar go to White Castle.” “…Escape from Guantonamo Bay” was okay at best.
I’ve seen this movie in the theater twice already, and might go one more time before Christmas; it is THAT funny.
All the classic elements are there; pot jokes, sexual humor, comical chases, a fantasy-esque sequence, and Neil Patrick Harris acting like a perverted drug fiend.
The 3d effects in the film are very well done and do a good job of adding to the humor of the film. One of the first shots of the movie is Kumar blowing pot smoke into the face of the audience in 3d, which I thought was funny. Also, the film takes the opportunity to poke fun at the gimmick by adding a minor plot point of Harold buying a 3d TV for his holiday party to make his father in law happy.
The film also takes the opportunity to lampoon other holiday movies and specials. For example, Harold gets a body part frozen to a poll much like in “A Christmas Story,” but let’s just say it’s not his tongue that gets stuck. Also, one of my favorite scenes in the film involves Harold and Kumar drinking spiked egg nog and trip out, which causes them to see themselves in claymation, at which point they are chased by a giant, psychotic snow man.
The acting in the film is what one might expect. John Cho and Kal Penn have an excellent chemistry together on screen and Danny Trejo is awesome as Harold’s father-in-law (seeing him in a Christmas sweater in just hilarious to me.) Elias Koteas has a small roll as a Russian mafia lord and plays his roll very well.
As I said, you know what your gonna get for the most part. This one is for fans of raunchy comedy. Definitely try to catch this in theaters in 3d.
Interesting note: There is a joke in the film in which on of Kumar’s friends says, ”If anyone asks, I said you work for the White House,” to which Kumar replies, “like anyone will buy that.” This is a joke in reference to Kal Penn’s position as an associate director for the Obama administration, which means he works at the White House. He took time off from his job to make this movie.
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