Cornetto Trilogy: Part III

The World’s End is my least favorite of the “Cornetto Trilogy”.  That is not to say that I do not like the film.  In fact, I enjoy it very much.  However, it just does not seem to hit the same stride as the previous two films.

The World’s End is the story of five friends who reunite to conquer a pub crawl amidst an alien invasion.  This movie, like Shaun of the Dead, deals with very personal human issues.  Gary King (played by Simon Pegg) is in his 40’s, and is going through somewhat of a mid-life crisis.  He feels that finally conquering the Golden Mile will rid him of his pain.  The problem is, he has not changed at all from when he was a kid.  He drives the same car and wears the same clothes.  Every one of his friends has grown up and moved on, so they are reluctant to join him.  Amidst the comedy (or lack thereof), this actually is a very moving story.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost return as Gary King and Andy Knightly.  I have a hard time taking Pegg seriously in this movie.  It feels like he is trying too hard to be a villainous character.  Everything he does just feels so forced.  Nick Frost is a quite serviceable dramatic actor.  I like that Andy looks down on Gary because he has not changed.  There is also a very personal reason why the two characters have not spoken in many years, and that felt very meaningful.  If Gary was not the leader of the group, Andy easily could be.

The World’s End has the most visual effects of the three movies, and Edgar Wright uses them in spectacular fashion.  There are some awesome fight sequences that will make your jaw drop.  The big problem with The World’s End is that, in comparison with the previous movies, it is just not that funny.  I think the writers thought that what they were writing was funny and I think they knew it was funny to them personally, but it just did not resonate with me.

I do not want anybody to be discouraged by this blog.  The World’s End is a good movie, and I think if I was ten years older I would enjoy it even more because of the issues that it deals with.  Overall though, I was a bit disappointed with the movie.  

Cornetto Trilogy: Part II

Hot Fuzz is my favorite of the “Cornetto Trilogy”.  The movie has a natural flow to it that is just seamless.  I would easily put this movie on my “stranded on a desert island” movie list.

Hot Fuzz is the story of a cop who gets transferred, and gets paired with a moron for a partner.  I liked the idea that someone who has successfully accomplished everything in his career gets sent away to essentially start over.  Nicholas Angel is an officer who enforces the law and loves it.  Therefore, he gets promoted to Sergeant….in the countryside of Sandford.  Things are not as they seem in Sandford though, and Simon Pegg (as Nicholas Angel) and Nick Frost (as Danny) are back to rid the town of its cruelty.

The action-based cuts are clean, the swan gags are hilarious and the action is better than ever.  The action in the last 20 minutes of the movie is so good, I felt like I was watching a Tony Scott film.  After a climactic brawl between Simon Pegg and the legendary Timothy Dalton, this movie leaves you eagerly anticipating the final chapter of the trilogy.

Hot Fuzz is one of my favorite action/comedies, and it is because of Edgar Wright.  As a director, he understands the genre perfectly.  Finally, an original movie that you can watch over and over again!!!

Cornetto Trilogy: Part I

I have only recently become a fan of Simon Pegg because of the Star Trek movies he has been in.  I was somewhat hesitant to watch the “Cornetto Trilogy” because I was not sure if I would understand his brand of humor.  I have to say that not only was I surprised by the originality of these films, but with the humor as well.  These films make American humor seem bland and generic.

Shaun of the Dead is the story of a man who decides to turn his life around while he deals with a zombie apocalypse affecting his town.  The great thing about all of these movies is that there is an underlying dramatic story amidst all of the humor.  Shaun and Ed are best friends who realize that their town is suddenly full of zombies, and that bond they have is present throughout the movie.  I love the fact that Shaun’s job is so boring that a “zombie apocalypse”, as it were, is the most excitement he has seen in his entire life.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost play Shaun and Ed respectively.  Ed is a bumbling idiot who is almost completely clueless of what is happening around him.  Nick Frost is almost too good at playing this part.  I have a feeling his role was written specifically for him.  You get the feeling that Frost is just being himself.  Simon Pegg is wonderful to watch.  It is awesome to see him get his friends together to save his town.  I know it is weird to say about this kind of a movie, but seeing Simon Pegg in leadership role feels almost natural.

Kate Ashfield plays Shaun’s girlfriend, Liz.  She is just as foul-mouthed as Shaun, and you can see that they are a natural couple.  There are actually a number of dramatic and intimate scenes where you can see that Ashfield is a very gifted actress.  She lent the perfect blend of comedy and drama to her role.

Edgar Wright is the director of the movie.  I had never seen any of his films before.  The way he uses action-based cuts gives you such an adrenaline rush.  While he is great at making comedies, his action scenes are as good as any I have ever seen.  I would love to see him do a straight-up action movie.

I loved this movie.  It was great to see an original take on this particular genre.  Zombie movies seem so generic these days, but Edgar Wright brought the perfect blend of action, comedy and drama to Shaun of the Dead. 

Birdman is Batman

This is probably going to be one of the more controversial blogs I write.  The great thing about being a film fan is getting into debates with people about movies.  Just because I love a movie does not mean anyone else does.  All art is subjective.  I thoroughly love the movie Birdman, but I do not necessarily think that it deserved all the accolades that other people thought it did. 

Birdman is the story of an actor’s struggle to branch off from doing superhero movies by doing theatre.  Whether Michael Keaton will admit this or not, this movie is basically a commentary on his career.  I am not saying this is a good or a bad thing.  What I am saying is that, for me personally, this particular aspect actually made me enjoy the movie even more.

Michael Keaton plays Riggan Thomson.  Essentially, Keaton is just playing a version of himself throughout the film.  Again, this is neither a good nor a bad thing.  However, the Academy Awards are not given to actors who play themselves.  If they were, then Robert Downey Jr. should win an Oscar every time he plays Tony Stark.  I am glad Keaton did not win Best Actor because he did not deserve it.  Personally, I do not even think he should have been nominated.  Do not misunderstand me, Keaton is great in the movie.  In fact, he has never been better.  He is just not Oscar great.  Maybe Jake Gyllenhall (Nightcrawler) or David Oyelowo (Selma) should have been nominated in his place. 

Alejandro G. Inarritu directed Birdman.  From a technical standpoint, this film is bloody brilliant.  The entire movie is all one shot (or at least meant to look that way) that follows Riggan in his struggle to be successful in the theatre.  The character relationships that he has along the way are what drive the story so brilliantly.  I became a fan of Inarritu overnight because of Birdman.

From a technical point of view, I personally feel that Birdman broke new ground.  This makes it one of the more interesting movies to win Best Picture.  It is one of those rare films that keeps your eyes glued to the screen no matter how many times you watch it.  I highly recommend checking this movie out.  It is like nothing you have ever seen before.

Staying Connected

Still Alice is a movie that I wanted to see very much because of one reason: Julianne Moore.  Julianne Moore has been doing great work for a very long time, and I think she is probably my favorite actress.  I would easily put her on a “Mount Rushmore” of greatest actresses ever.

Still Alice is the story of a linguistics professor who gets diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.  The thing that I love most about this film is that it educates you on what it is like to struggle with this disease.  This is a disease that not only affects Alice, but her family as well.  While this story is heartbreaking, there is something rewarding about watching Alice refuse to give up. 

Julianne Moore plays Alice Howland.  Much like The Theory of Everything, we see Alice start to struggle with Alzheimer’s at the beginning of the movie.  There are a couple times during the course of the film, there are a couple times where it feels like Alice is using Alzheimer’s so that she can get her way.  Her own youngest daughter even tells her that it is not fair of her to do that.  Alice always delivers the perfect response:  the fact she has this disease is not fair.  Life is not fair.  Watching the character of Alice deteriorate throughout the film is jarring, and that is thanks to the acting of Julianne Moore.  She is perfect in the role, and it was wonderful to see her finally get up on that Oscar stage.

I have been a fan of Alec Baldwin for many years.  He can do anything, whether it be comedy or drama.  He plays John Howland, Alice’s husband.  This is probably the most genuinely wholesome character Baldwin has played.  John is very understanding of what is happening to his wife.  However, he struggles with making her a priority because he is a workaholic and sometimes his emotions get the better of him.  I would have liked to have known a little bit more about the character (I’m still not sure what his job is), but Baldwin displays a wonderful dramatic piece of acting, and the chemistry he has with Julianne Moore is great as well.  I do not think I have ever seen him this good.

I have never been a fan of Kristen Stewart….not ever.  Personally, I do not think she belongs anywhere near the movie business.  That being said, I was pleasantly surprised to see that she was actually quite good in the film.  This proves that, given the right director, a not-so-good actor/actress can really shine.  Kristen Stewart plays Lydia Howland, Alice’s youngest daughter.  Lydia is an actress living in California who is not exactly making it, and her mother wants her to get a “real job”.  However, Lydia stands up to her mother and tells her she is doing what she loves.  It is because of this conflict that they do not always get along with each other.  Kristen Stewart is very good at playing someone who bottles up their emotions rather than letting them out.  It is nice to see her challenge herself with her roles.  I cannot say that I am necessarily looking forward to what she does with her career, but seeing her actually act was nice to see.

Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland directed Still Alice.  I was sad to learn of Glatzer’s death, and quite honestly this made me want to see the movie even more.  I loved that the camerawork is used to visually represent what Alice is going through.  When Alice is struggling to remember things, Julianne Moore is in focus but everything around her is blurred.  Also, when Alice goes to see her neurologist for the first time, the camera is on Julianne Moore the entire time.  I loved this because it really shows what it is like to be a patient sitting in that chair and receive this kind of news.  This movie really tells us what it is like to be in Alice’s shoes, and that is thanks to the great direction.

Still Alice is a very emotional and educational movie to watch.  I cannot say that this movie is for everybody.  You also have to be in the right mood to watch it because it is quite a struggle to get through, and I say that as a good thing.  This is not a movie that you watch on a movie night with your family.  This is a powerful film with equally powerful performances.  

Time-Traveling Trilogy: Part III

Back to the Future: Part III is my favorite of the trilogy.  Westerns are one of my favorite genres, and the fact that a Western is used as a storytelling device in a time-travel movie always excited me.  On rare occasions the final chapter of a trilogy can be disappointing (I’m looking at you, Iron Man 3), but Back to the Future: Part III is exactly the opposite.

Back to the Future: Part III is the final chapter of the trilogy, and now Marty must travel even further into the past so he can rescue Doc Brown from Biff’s great-grandfather Buford.  The fact that Marty uses Doc Brown’s 1955 counterpart to travel back to 1885 is sheer genius.  If it had not been for Biff, Marty would have never gone to 1955 in the first place.  So let me get this straight….Biff is to blame for all of this?!  I would have knocked him out just like George McFly did.  The 4^th dimension is used brilliantly in the movie, such as the painting of the Indians and the cave holding the time machine.  The fact that Marty and Doc Brown have to use 1885 technology to get them back to the future (see what I did there?) is fantastic.  I mean, a train pushing the time machine up to 88 miles per hour??  Robert Zemeckis, you are a genius!!!!  We even see the construction of the Hill Valley clock tower.  After everything is said and done, including an homage to Clint Eastwood and his movies, Marty finally gets back where he belongs.  He arrives in Hilldale where we see him live in the future in Part II, and also avoids the crippling car accident that was referenced in that movie. 

Mary Steenburgen joins the cast as Clara Clayton.  She is fascinated by Doc Brown and all of his interests.    Clara and Doc Brown fall for each other immediately, which is quite romantic to watch.  Steenburgen is wonderful in the role, and she provides good levity in a movie that has some very tense situations.

The Back to the Future Trilogy just may be the greatest trilogy of all time.  It is exciting, adventurous and has some of the greatest characters in film history.  The fact that kids today are still watching these movies proves that Back to the Future truly is a phenomenon.

Time-Traveling Trilogy: Part II

The Back to the Future Trilogy were the first movies I ever purchased for myself.  The thing is, for the longest time I never knew there were two more movies.  I remember when I bought the trilogy that I was quite surprised to find this out.  I knew the original movie like the back of my hand, so I popped in the other two.  It took me a while to appreciate the sheer genius of Part II.  For a long time, I thought it was the weakest of the trilogy.  Nowadays, simply from a continuity standpoint alone, I think Back to the Future: Part II is nothing short of brilliant.

Back to the Future: Part II is the continuing story of Marty McFly and Doc Brown, who must now travel to the future AND the past to prevent disaster within the space-time continuum.  This movie literally picks up right where the original left off.  Marty and Jennifer travel with Doc Brown to the year 2015 to fix whatever problems their kids have started.  The only thing is….Biff sees the flying car.  It is funny sometimes how a character you never thought mattered much ends up mattering the most.  After fixing the problems his children have caused in the future, Marty and Doc Brown must now travel back to 1955….again….to fix the problems Biff has started.  Okay, now everybody remember how at the end of the first movie Marty watched himself go back in time?  Well, now THAT Marty McFly is on stage playing the guitar while the ACTUAL Marty McFly is watching him!  Make sense?  Good.  I have to say that this scene is wonderful to watch.  The visual effects alone are worth the price of admission.  The end of the movie has one of the best cliffhangers ever, so you cannot wait to see final chapter.

While Back to the Future: Part II is still not my favorite of the bunch, I still enjoy it very much.  In a three-part story, the middle chapter is usually the part where bad things end up happening to the characters, and this movie does so in such a fantastic fashion.  Back to the Future: Part II is grand, epic storytelling at its finest.

Time-Traveling Trilogy: Part I

Back to the Future is one of those movies that reminds you why 80’s movies are so much fun.  I will never forget the first time I saw it.  It is easily one of my favorite movies of all time.

Back to the Future is the story of Marty McFly, who travels back in time to save his own existence.  It is easily the greatest time-travel movie ever.  This movie perfectly shows that even the most minor actions in the past will affect the future (such as Twin Pines Mall becoming Lone Pine Mall because Marty crashed into one of the trees with the car).  History does indeed change in the movie, for better or worse. 

Michael J. Fox plays Marty McFly.  I have always liked the idea of an ordinary person being thrust into an extraordinary situation.  Marty is both afraid and fascinated by what he encounters, and Michael J. Fox really taps into that as an actor.  What I love so much about Back to the Future is how crucial Marty McFly is to the story.  As important as the year 1955 is, with his parents kissing at the dance and Doc Brown inventing the Flux Capacitor, none of that would have happened without Marty’s involvement.

Christopher Lloyd is one of my favorite actors.  I could watch him do anything.  In Back to the Future, he plays Dr. Emmett Brown.  I always liked that is evident that Marty and Doc Brown clearly have an existing friendship even though we do not see Doc Brown until almost 20 minutes into the movie.  Emmett Brown is thought of by the public as a mad scientist, except he is not mad at all.  He knows exactly what he is doing, even though he may be a little weird.  Christopher Lloyd plays this role perfectly with all his quirky body movements and facial expressions.  It is the performance of a lifetime in a long and storied career.

I have been a huge fan of director Robert Zemeckis my whole life.  When it comes to combining visual effects wizardry with characters you can connect with, nobody does it better than him.  Back to the Future is a perfect example of that.  1955 is recreated spectacularly.  Everything from the music, the clothing and even the gas prices at that time….it is all there.  You really feel like you are on this journey with the characters, which is why the climax of the movie is so wonderful both visually and emotionally.

Writing a time-travel movie can be excruciating, but Zemeckis and co-writer Bob Gale really knocked it out of the park because they made sure that everything from the past is connected with the future.  I would put Back to the Future on one of those “Movies To See Before You Die” lists.  It is one of the greatest movies of all time, no pun intended.

Pushed To The Limit

There are two things that I understand in this world:  movies and music.  With Whiplash, a movie ABOUT music, somehow I knew I was going to love it.  If I was stranded on an island with a television, a BLURAY player and five movies to choose from, Whiplash would be one of those movies.

Whiplash is the story of a young drummer who has his ambitions tested by a cutthroat instructor.  This is one of those movies that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.  The world of music has its own language, and I feel like musicians might enjoy this movie more than the general audience because of that language.  Nevertheless, this movie tells a great story about what happens when ambition turns into obsession.  This movie really hit home for me even though it is about a different profession than mine.  Andrew Neyman wants to be one of the greatest jazz drummers who ever lived.  In fact, he wants it so badly that he sacrifices personal relationships because he feels they will keep him from doing that.  I have always wanted to make movies that matter.  I want to inspire people the way I was inspired by so many filmmakers.  However, sometimes I wonder if I am paying as much attention to my personal life as I am to my professional life.  Even though I am still just a film student, there have been many times when I come home and dinner is waiting in the oven and my fiancé is asleep in bed.  She tells me every day that she knew what she was getting into.  Still, I cannot help but wonder if I am doing a good job balancing both my life and career.  I hope I am.

Miles Teller plays Andrew Neyman.  Neyman is a boy who truly comes alive when he is playing the drums.  His strive to achieve perfection is almost bursting from inside.  Miles Teller is great at playing this character because he does so much by doing so little.  When Andrew is not playing in the band, you can tell he is uncomfortable just by the physical movements Miles Teller does as an actor.  It really is a great performance by one of the hottest rising young actors today.

I have been a fan of J.K. Simmons for many, many years.  He is a great chameleon actor, slipping into any role with the greatest of ease.  I was so happy to see him win the Oscar for this movie.  In Whiplash, he plays music instructor Terence Fletcher.  Fletcher is a man who has no tolerance for slacking off, as he spews humiliating insults at his band members left and right.  There are scenes where Fletcher is getting to know Andrew a bit more, but then you find out that the only reason Fletcher did so was so that he could make the insults that much more personal.

Damien Chazelle is the director of Whiplash.  This movie feels like a horror movie the way the camera and the lighting are used, which reflects how terrifying Fletcher is.  When Andrew is playing the drums, I love the way the camera cuts to the different sections of the drum set.  This movie also has a great ending which, as a music lover, made me geek out hard over.

If I could listen to J.K. Simmons insult people for the rest of my life I would do so, and I mean that in the nicest way possible.  Whiplash is one of those rare films that has almost no flaws, if any.  If you love music, movies or both, you will love this movie.

Journey To Manhood

Anybody that knows me knows that I have seen many movies in my time.  I have to say that Boyhood is one of the most extraordinary movies I have ever seen.  That being said, there are some flaws in the movie that I will point out.

Boyhood is the story of the early life of a boy named Mason. This movie takes place over twelve years, using the same actors for the whole movie.  Watching these actors grow up on screen, particularly the kids, is one of the most emotional things I have ever experienced in movies.  Almost every character has a story arc in this movie, which makes for wonderful storytelling.  However, I did find the time jumps a little jarring.  I would have liked to see some kind of transition or caption like “Six Months Later” instead of the typical cut. 

Patricia Arquette plays the mother of the two children.  She is a single mom that struggles with working two jobs while also taking care of her children.  It is very clear that she wants a better life not only for herself, but for the kids as well.  It is also very evident that her track record with men is not that great.  This is also difficult on the children because every time she leaves a man they end up moving, and it is hard for the children to make any friends.  Living this kind of life is an emotional, and sometimes physical, struggle and she is almost pushed to her limit several times.  Throughout all this, however, it was great to see her set a goal for herself and achieve it.  Patricia Arquette is exceptional in the role.  I did not feel like I was watching an actress in this movie.  I felt like I was watching a real human being, which is one of the reasons Arquette deserved her Oscar.

Ellar Coltrane plays Mason.  Mason is generally a good kind who enjoys living life.  Coltrane is very good in the role.  He oozes coolness and confidence just like any teenager. He also effectively conveys what an emotional struggle it is to accept that his mother is moving on after a divorce, and that the men she dates are not of the highest quality.    It is great to see Mason find his passion in life, and not care about anything else but that.  He procrastinates with his schoolwork sometimes, but it is only because he is so good at what he does that it does not take much time for him to do it. 

Lorelei Linklater plays Mason’s sister, Samantha.  I was quite shocked at how little of this movie revolves around her.  I understand that the movie is called Boyhood and the story is mainly about Mason, but it would have been nice to see Samantha have a story as well instead of just arguing with her brother.  Her character is almost a behind-the-scenes role.  Every other character in the movie has a story arc.  Why not her?

Ethan Hawke plays the father of Mason and Samantha. He was the first husband of Patricia Arquette’s character, and they got divorced.   He shows up on weekends and during the summer to see the kids.  I like the fact that you are not quite sure about him the first time you see him.  You fear that he is going to abandon the kids again, and actually what happens is that you see that he wants to become a better person and a better father.  It is also great to see that Mason and Samantha get along with their father better than the other men that their mother marries, especially considering that their mother and father do not have the best relationship after the divorce at first.  However, as the movie progresses they really develop a mutual respect for each other.  Ethan Hawke is fantastic in the role.  There is a certain mystery about his character, but he also has a good heart and Hawke is so good at playing this kind of character.  This may go down as Ethan Hawke’s best role of his career.

Richard Linklater is the director of Boyhood.  In my opinion, there is a strong argument to be made for Linklater winning the Best Director Oscar for this movie.  I am not saying he should have won, I am just saying there is an argument to be made.  Filming a movie over the course of twelve years is by no means an easy task, and the journey these characters go on is truly epic to watch.  This is an emotional story that shows the struggles of this family, and you really feel like you are along for the ride with them.

There is a quote from this movie that says, “You kind of find your people in college.”  This line resonated with me for many reasons.  For many years, quite possibly most of my life, I felt like this lone movie nerd.  I felt like I was the only one in the world who really had a passion for film and moviemaking information.  Two years ago, I finally decided to go to film school and pursue my dream.  I found my people.  I felt welcome, and I did not feel alone anymore.  I am so happy that I found my passion, because there is nothing I would rather do with my life.  While I am not upset that Birdman won Best Picture, I also would not have been upset if Boyhood would have won.  This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime movie.  If you do not mind Samantha’s lack of story and the occasional plot hole (when exactly did the mother leave her 2^nd husband….or is it her 3^rd?), I highly recommend this movie.

A Ridiculously Raunchy Sequel

Clerks 2 is a movie that suffers from what I like to call Sequel Identity Crisis (S.I.C.).  Sequel Identity Crisis is when a movie sequel gets compared to its predecessor too often, instead of being judged on its own merits.  As it stands, Clerks 2 is a movie that should be appreciated for its snappy dialogue, ridiculous scenarios, and originality that comes with every Kevin Smith movie.

Clerks 2 is the story of how Dante and Randal are ultimately planning their future. I absolutely loved this movie.  The great thing about Clerks 2 is that underneath all the donkey shows and ass-to-mouth jokes, this movie is really is really about the love and friendship that has formed between the characters.  I would easily that this movie is one of the greatest sequels ever made.

Brian O’ Halloran and Jeff Anderson are back as Dante and Randal.  Randal is offensive as ever, while Dante continues to attempt to keep him in check.  The “Lord of the Rings vs. Star Wars” debate is bound to drive any nerd crazy.  As unfiltered as Randal is, however, there is a beautiful moment of compassion from him when he tells Dante his true feelings about him. 

Also amongst the returning cast are fan-favorites Jay and Silent Bob, played by Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith.  Jay continues to be all about smoking weed and getting laid, while Silent Bob is the voice of reason.  It never ceases to amaze me how expressive Kevin Smith can be using just his face.

Rosario Dawson joins the returning cast as Becky.  She is just as foul-mouthed as Randal, and if Dante cannot put him in his place, she can and will.  It is hard not to fall in love with her, and the rooftop scene between her and Dante (followed by a great dance sequence) proves that.  Rosario Dawson really holds her own against the veterans of the cast.

I have always admired and respected Kevin Smith as a filmmaker.  He makes movies with his friends, which is incredibly inspiring.  You can tell that everyone had fun making this movie, and it is as equally as fun to watch it.

Clerks 2 may be one of my favorite movies ever.  It is great to see him do a sequel to the movie that put him on the map, and get everyone back to do it.  If you are not easily offended, or even if you are, I highly suggest picking this movie up.

Much Love For Adam Sandler

I am not a fan of Adam Sandler’s comedy in recent years.  His dramatic work, on the other hand, is something that I have always been a fan of.  He has the potential to be an Oscar-caliber actor, and that is one of the reasons I was very excited to watch Punch-Drunk Love.

Punch-Drunk Love is the epic story of a socially awkward man who finally finds love in his life.  I absolutely loved this movie.  The idea of a socially awkward person finding acceptance and love in their life makes for very heartfelt storytelling.  It is also quite emotional when Barry Egan’s (Adam Sandler) private life, which involves a phone-sex company, impacts the both of them.  He has to clean up his personal issues while at the same time protect the woman he loves, and this is very emotional to watch because of the kind of person he is.

Adam Sandler plays Barry Egan who, as I stated before, is very socially awkward as well as being depressed and self-deprecating.  Sandler is brilliant in the role, right down to the awkward physical movements and yelling when he is uncomfortable.  Seeing Adam Sandler in this role reminds you that sometimes comedic actors can turn in great dramatic performances. 

Emily Watson plays Lena Leonard.  The thing that I love about her character is that she and Barry meet under the most awkward of situations, and yet she still asks him out on a date.  She is fascinated by him, even though he seems like such a weird individual.  She understands the kind of person that Barry is, but that does not matter.  She will be by his side no matter what.

Paul Thomas Anderson brilliantly directs this movie.  The way he frames his shots is a direct reflection of the kind of person Barry is, which I love.  One of my favorite moments in the film is when Barry goes to visit Emily while she is out of the country.  The moment he calls her, the light on the phone booth turns on because it is getting dark outside.  It is moments like these that make good films.

Punch-Drunk Love is so good, it made me giggle like the film nerd I am.  The story is great, the cast is great, and it is directed to perfection.  Two thumbs way, way up!!!

It Is Greener On The Other Side

I hated The Green Mile the first time I saw it.  I thought it was slow, mundane and quite boring.  As of this writing, I have now watched it for the second time.  I must have been on something, in a bad mood or something the first time because this truly is a brilliant piece of film-making.

The Green Mile is the story of a man who is accused of child murder.  However, this man also has a gift that no one understands.  This is a heartbreaking, emotional movie that moved me to tears on more than one occasion.  It is a story about treating people with respect, and how bad things unfortunately happen to good people.  The movie also shows us that bad things should happen to bad people, and that more often than not they do not.

Tom Hanks is, without question, one of the greatest actors of all time.  He commands the screen as Paul Edgecomb.  Edgecomb is a man who commands authority and keeps the peace on his block.  He also is able to maintain a wonderful sense of humor whenever an inmate is being disruptive.  The emotion that Hanks conveys when John Coffey reveals the truth to him is incredible.

Frank Darabont is the director of the movie.  What I love so much about what Darabont does with this film is that he shows that these guards on death row are not necessarily proud of what they do for a living.  This really is a cruel world that they live in.  The movie also shows, for Edgecomb in particular, how hard it is to come home to your wife and live a typical life knowing that you have just put a man to death in the electric chair.

The Green Mile is truly a great film with a great cast (including the late Michael Clarke Duncan in an Oscar-nominated role).  I love movies with a message, and this movie does so profoundly.  This movie is an instant classic, and I highly recommend it.

Roger Victor, Over

I am ashamed of myself that it took me all 31 years of my existence for me to finally see Airplane!  It is a revered classic in every sense of the word.  I am so very glad that I own one of the funniest movies of all time.

Airplane! Is the story of a man who is afraid to fly that has to land a plane safely after people on the plane become sick.  It is one of those movies that made me laugh so hard that I began to feel faint.  The scene where Robert Stack is karate-chopping all the people at the airport had me rolling on the floor.  It was so much fun to be reminded of the good old days when spoofs were actually funny.

This movie is stacked with a great cast, but it just would not be fair if I did not talk about Leslie Nielsen.  Often referred to as the “King of Spoofs”, Leslie Nielsen was one of the funniest comedic actors and he was someone that I greatly admired.  At times, he is the funniest actor in this movie.  I was truly heartbroken when he passed away, and I still miss him greatly to this day.

Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker directed Airplane!  Some would think that a 90 minute movie full of gags (some that repeat themselves) would get tiresome and boring, but this movie made it work to near-perfection.  The directors really understood the comedic timing of the actors.  The really funny thing about this movie is that there are some jokes that, while funny in 1980, would be downright offensive today.

I am convinced that the day of the spoof is dead.  While I did have a fantastic time watching Airplane!, it also made me think of how low the genre has sunk.  Airplane! is one of the funniest movies ever.  Do not wait over 30 years to see it like I did!

Religious Destruction

I have always been a huge fan of Kevin Smith.  In an industry full of sequels, franchises and remakes, Kevin Smith always brings us something original.  Red State is a movie that is not only original, but it can be quite controversial as well.

Red State is the story of a group of teenagers who receive a party invitation, and then get thrust into the world of a fundamentalist group with an evil moral agenda.  I have to admit that the beginning of this movie made me feel very uneasy, and very offended.  This movie revolves around a group of religious extremists who have a very controversial moral agenda, and the beginning of the movie felt very preachy (literally and figuratively).  As I was watching “The Making of Red State” documentary, however, I realized that Kevin Smith’s point with this movie was to poke fun at these kind of people that exist in real life.  This explains why the performances are a little over the top at the start of the film, and honestly this makes me love the movie even more.

Michael Angarano and Kyle Gallner play Travis and Jarrod, respectively.  These boys are just a couple of teenagers who are looking to have a good time, and get caught up in the nightmare of the Five Points Trinity.  These two young actors effectively convey the shock and terror that they feel when they encounter this world, while at the same time acting like typical teenage boys.  You actually end up feeling a little bit of sympathy for them.

Michael Parks plays Pastor Abin Cooper, and Melissa Leo plays his daughter Sara.  These two are downright frightening as members of the Five Points Trinity.  Michael Parks in particular gives a very haunting performance, one that is easily compared to Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs.  Melissa Leo plays her character so convincingly that it is at times so annoying that you cannot wait to see her kick the bucket.

John Goodman plays Joseph Keenan, and in my opinion he steals the show.  I think Goodman is a very under-rated and under-appreciated actor.  He has turned in many stellar performances throughout his career.  He commands the screen like never before in this movie.  It is not your typical John Goodman character, and he flat-out crushes it.

There are still two Kevin Smith movies that I have not seen, but I truly believe that this is his best work.  There is an action sequence towards the end of the movie that is better than some full-length action movies I have seen.  Smith also uses the handheld camera very effectively because he really captures the horror of what is happening to these boys.  This is a movie that people will talk about, and rightfully so.  Bravo, Kevin Smith.

A Real Feeling Good Movie

Trading Places is a movie that I had not heard much about prior to my first viewing of it a few days ago.  I have always been a big fan of both Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd, but I just was not sure what kind of movie it was.  I am very pleased to report that I flat-out loved this movie.

Trading Places is the story of two people who have their lives reversed because of a bet by two millionaires.  This movie is ripe with twists and turns that will leave you in stitches.  The “drunk Santa” sequence with Aykroyd made my sides hurt because I was laughing so hard.  The brilliant thing about this movie, however, is that when Aykroyd and Murphy find out what is really going on, the movie becomes downright hilarious.

Dan Aykroyd plays Louis Winthorpe.  Winthorpe is a rich prick, and he enjoys every minute of it.  He is rich, greedy, rides in fancy cars, gets waited on, and he loves every minute of it.  Aykroyd is able to pull this off in a way that makes you completely hate his character at the beginning of the movie, while at the same time you sympathize what happens to him.

Eddie Murphy plays Billy Ray Valentine.  Valentine is a con-artist who is pretending to be a blind, wounded war veteran so that people will give him money.  Once the “switch” happens, he cannot believe all that he has inherited, even going so far as to voluntarily break his own things.  Murphy is great in the role, making you very eager to see what he does next.

John Landis is the director.  Having seen his other films, I knew exactly what kind of movie this was going to be.  He understands comedy very well, keeping the camera on the actors just in case they improvise something.  He also uses the city as a character in the movie very well.

Trading Places is a gem of a movie.  If you love comedy, more specifically 80’s comedy, you will enjoy this movie very much.  I just wish Aykroyd was doing more movies these days instead of doing TV commercials.

A Genius Film

There is something about geniuses being portrayed in film that is very compelling.  Seeing what these particular people have contributed to society is always interesting.  Stephen Hawking has contributed so much to what we know about the universe, and I was very excited to watch The Theory of Everything and learn his story.

The Theory of Everything is about the relationship between Stephen and Jane Hawking.   What surprised me about this movie, and very pleasantly so I might add, is that this movie is not just about the story of Stephen Hawking.  This movie is the story of Stephen and Jane and their life together.  It is a story of a passionate love that is tested due to the disease Stephen has contracted.

Eddie Redmayne delivers a brilliant performance as Stephen Hawking.  We see him struggle with the beginning stages of ALS at the start of the movie, so we already know that this is going to be an emotional story. What is particularly emotional is Stephen’s unwillingness to give up his research, even after he learns he has ALS.  Eddie Redmayne’s performance in this movie is on a level I have not seen since Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, and his Best Actor Oscar is well-deserved.

Felicity Jones plays Jane Hawking.  She is perfect as a devoted wife who is pushed to the edge because of Stephen’s physical limitations.  Even after she has an affair, of which she is not proud of, she still remains at his side.  It is a very heartbreaking performance.

James Marsh is the director of The Theory of Everything.  The cinematography in the movie is absolutely beautiful, as the use of color often reflects what the characters are going through.  Marsh does a very good job of showing the journey that these people go through, even though the outcome is not necessarily a pleasant one.  That is the great thing about what Marsh does with this movie: he keeps us invested in the story even though we know what happens.

I must have watched the trailer for this movie 50 times, and each time I got more excited to see the film.  This movie shows what Stephen Hawking was like when he was a young man, which so many of us know so little about.  This is a beautiful movie with excellent performances, and a Best Actor win that will go down as one of the greatest moments in Oscar history.

Jump!! Jump!!!!

White Men Can’t Jump is a movie that I had heard good things about, but never actually seen until now.  The genre of sports-comedy is one that I find very entertaining, as was this movie.  It is also a movie that disproves itself:  white men CAN jump!

White Men Can’t jump is the story of two basketball hustlers who team up to take part in a tournament.   I quite enjoyed the film.  The environment of street basketball was captured very well, and with the combined talents of Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson this movie is funny as well having some strong dramatic points.  The juxtaposition of their lifestyles also comes across well in this movie, which is one of the reasons this movie is so entertaining.

Wesley Snipes shines as Sidney Deane.  Deane is a man who has trash-talked his way to victory on the court countless times, and Snipes plays that perfectly.  At times it feels like you are just watching Wesley Snipes be himself, not that there is anything wrong with that.  He oozes confidence in the movie, and that makes for a great character.

Woody Harrelson plays Billy Hoyle, the fish-out-of-water white kid who has hustled his way all over California.  As I see more of Harrelson’s work, I become a bigger fan of his.  I like the fact that his character’s off-court persona is a kind of mask, and that once he gets on the court he really breaks out.  He truly is someone who is not to be messed with because he will send you home crying.

Ron Shelton is the director of the movie.  There is a very naturalistic feel to the movie, as if he just put the actors on the court and let them do their thing.  I also like the way he moves the camera around the basketball court.  It really makes you feel like you are in the game.

Naturally, if you are a sports fan you will probably enjoy this movie more than most.  However, I also feel that if you are unfamiliar with the street basketball environment, this movie might give you some insight into what it is like.  This is a great film that should not be missed.