Category Archives: Writing

That’s Entertainment! (1974) and That’s Entertainment, Part II (1976)

10 Tuesday Jan 2017

Posted by in Movies, Music, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

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For centuries, great entertainers
Wowed the crowds and made them cheer,
With song and dance, speech, and romance,
Their famous names known far and near.

Yet soon they died, their plays and songs
Preserved in libraries and hearts;
We saved the page, but those on stage
Were soon forgotten from the arts.

Not till the novelty of film
Could actors prove their artistry
And ply their skill to awe and thrill
With hope of immortality.
_______________

MPAA rating for both: G

It’s hard enough trying to keep up with all the new releases that pass through the cinemas week after week, but what about the plethora of old classics stretching back to the 1920s? What about the hundreds of musicals that MGM churned out back in the days when contracted actors were assigned roles rather than offered them? Where does one start? Well, That’s Entertainment! is an excellent reference point, a star-studded documentary that also serves as a highlight reel of old musicals, famous and obscure.

Older musicals often seem to have just a thin plot meant solely to string together spectacular song-and-dance numbers, and That’s Entertainment! gets rid of the connective tissue to provide a musical tour of MGM’s forgotten pageantry. The early days of 1929’s The Broadway Melody may not be all that impressive, but within a few years, MGM had the musical extravaganzas down to a science. I’m well familiar with favorites like Singin’ in the Rain and The Wizard of Oz or famous scenes from On the Town (the three sailors singing “New York! New York!”) and Royal Wedding (Fred Astaire dancing on the ceiling), but there are boatloads more that I’d never even heard of, such as the series of suspiciously similar small-town romances starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. Most of the clips are worth watching just as highlights, but a few have made me curious to check out the films themselves, such as the navy grandeur of Hit the Deck (1955) or the High School Musical forerunner Good News (1947).

Image result for royal wedding fred astaire

Sprinkled throughout the singing and dancing are introductions filmed by a variety of stars in 1974 as they wander the decaying MGM backlot where these musicals were filmed decades earlier. (The sets were torn down shortly after filming.) The star power is incredible, including Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Jimmy Stewart, Fred Astaire, Mickey Rooney, and the late Debbie Reynolds. Each screen legend introduces the work of one of their friends and costars, passing the baton as the film progresses. Old film buffs are sure to recognize the less widely known stars from the old film clips more than casual viewers like myself, but seeing some of these stars in action helped me appreciate the talents of performers whose reputations have waned over the decades. I wasn’t familiar with the incredible tap dancing of Ann Miller, the water-fountain displays of Esther Williams, or the impressive voice of Kathryn Grayson, but I’m glad I am now.

The film also features a few familiar faces in unexpected musical roles. Mainstream musicals may be anomalies these days, but back in the day, they were everywhere, and stars didn’t always have a choice of whether to sing or not. I never thought to see Jimmy Stewart trying to carry a tune, much less Clark Gable dancing to “Puttin’ on the Ritz” in 1939’s Idiot’s Delight. Let’s just say, there’s a reason they eventually left the dancing to Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire.

Speaking of Kelly and Astaire, they actually teamed up to host That’s Entertainment, Part II, proving that there was far too much material in MGM’s vault to fill only one documentary. (There’s also a Part III from 1994, but I didn’t get to see that one.) While it features the same retrospective montage of film clips, Part II feels even less like a documentary, thanks to the more sensational production values and the entertaining interludes of Kelly and Astaire as the sole hosts. In the first That’s Entertainment, Astaire admitted that his favorite dance partner was actually Gene Kelly, whom he had danced with only once in 1946’s Ziegfeld Follies. In Part II, the two reunite to dance together again, which was actually Astaire’s last dance on film, and they reportedly did so just to prove that they hadn’t lost their mojo, even in their sixties and seventies.

Image result for that's entertainment part II

As with the first film, the musical moments are plentiful and dazzling, again with a few stunning dance numbers that are undoubtedly the centerpieces of their films. I won’t soon forget the operatic rebellion of New Moon, the athleticism of Kiss Me, Kate, or the amazing extended shot of a young Bobby Van literally hopping across town in Small Town Girl. Plus, the almost disturbing sight of Fred Astaire, Nanette Fabray, and Jack Buchanan singing on their knees dressed as babies in The Band Wagon. Plus, I did get to recognize a few familiar scenes, including one for Cabin in the Sky, an all-black older musical I happened to randomly watch last year. In addition, there are more than just musical scenes. Part II also has tributes to screen greats like Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn and comedians like the Marx Brothers, including the famous packed stateroom scene from A Night at the Opera.

That’s Entertainment! and its sequel reveal just how much fabulous musical cinema is on the verge of being forgotten, and I’m quite glad that MGM kindly boiled down its heyday into these affectionately repackaged collections. I only knew of these films from my mom, who talks about how they opened her eyes to the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals, and in some ways, it did the same for me. The tunes are both new and familiar (I had no idea that the music to “Make ‘Em Laugh” predated Singin’ in the Rain and was used in The Pirate), the choreography and star power are staggering, and the whole package is, well, entertaining. I doubt I’ll ever get around to seeing all the films featured, but at least I know I’ve seen all the best parts.

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Best line: (Liza Minnelli) “Thank God for film. It can capture a performance and hold it right there forever. And if anyone says to you, ‘Who was he?’ or ‘Who was she?’ or ‘What made them so good?’ I think a piece of film answers that question better than any words I know of.”

 

Since documentaries are ineligible for my List, it’s the return of the five-star system.
Rank for both: Five Stars out of Five

 

© 2017 S.G. Liput
437 Followers and Counting

 

My Top Twelve Songs of 2016

08 Sunday Jan 2017

Posted by in Movies, Music, Writing

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Okay, just one more list to close out 2016; then it’s on to the new year. I don’t frequent the cinema nearly as much as many bloggers out there, so I rarely feel confident enough to make an end-of-year best-of list when there’s so much I have yet to see. But while a movie could run up to two hours or longer, songs are much faster and easier to digest, and we hear them on the radio or online throughout the year often without even trying.

So here are the musical highlights of the year for me. When I first thought to compile this list, I expected it to look quite different until I found out that many of the best songs I heard this year were actually released in 2015. So I didn’t’ feel I should include favorites like Adele’s “Hello,” DNCE’s “Cake by the Ocean,” Lukas Graham’s “7 Years,” or Mark Posner’s “I Took a Pill in Ibiza,” even though some of them were nominated for Grammies this year. I don’t know all the nomination rules there, but I drew solely from songs released as singles in 2016. My musical tastes may not be everyone’s, since they so clearly diverge from most of the recently announced Grammy nominees. I’m not a fan of rap, hip hop, or much mainstream pop so you won’t find any Twenty One Pilots, Beyoncé, or Drake here.

Several of these were also included in films of the past year so at least there’s the movie connection I always try to work into these lists. I’m sure I’ll hear more winners from last year in the months ahead, but right now, here are my favorite songs of 2016.

 

  1. “How Far I’ll Go” – Moana

I still have yet to see Disney’s Moana, but as with Frozen’s “Let It Go,” I got to hear its music even before I watch the film itself. This Golden Globe-nominated tune sung by Auli’i Cravalho as Moana and by Alessia Cara during the end credits is a beautiful ballad of longing for the unknown.
 

 

  1. “Handclap” – Fitz and the Tantrums

I first heard this song when Fitz and the Tantrums appeared on a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and while it gets off to a so-so start, it’s pretty darn catchy by the end, even if it’s not quite as good as “The Walker” from their previous album.
 

 

  1. “Make You Mine” – High Valley

While I used to be a more devoted listener, I only listen to country music occasionally these days, and luckily I had the radio on a country channel at the right time to hear the feel-good romance of “Make You Mine.” This may be a cheat since High Valley first released the song in Canada in 2014, but it had its first American release this year.
 

 

  1. “Gunned Down” – Nicco & Solid&Sound

I discovered this obscure electronic tune more or less by accident, as part of a compilation music video, and it stuck in my mind as worthy of much more attention. The more I hear it, the more I like it.
 

 

  1. “Birds” – Coldplay

Again, “Birds” may be from Coldplay’s 2015 album A Head Full of Dreams, but it just barely made the cut by being released on January 2, 2016. It’s less widely played than the singles on the album, but its subdued high-speed energy is infectious, despite the sudden ending.
 

 

  1. “Happy Birthday” – Kygo, featuring John Legend

This might be considered a cooler alternative to the more traditional birthday song. I love the prominent piano riff, and with John Legend’s vocals, it’s an underrated gem of a song.
 

 

  1. “Good Grief” – Bastille

Bastille improved on their earlier hit “Pompeii” with this outstanding single with a much more serious undertone than its catchy tune and risqué video would suggest. And for movie buffs, see if you can identify the movie line embedded in the bridge.
 

 

  1. “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” – Justin Timberlake (from Trolls)

For pop music stations and sales, this was the #1 song of the year. Also nominated for a Grammy and Golden Globe, this upbeat dance hit from DreamWorks’s Trolls sounds a lot like a Michael Jackson song and may be Timberlake’s best work.
 

 

  1. “Something Wild” – Lindsey Stirling, featuring Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness (from Pete’s Dragon)

The musical high point for me last year was attending a Lindsey Stirling concert in the summer. Not only did she play all my favorite songs of hers, but included a few from her new album Brave Enough, particularly this Celtic-sounding addition to the soundtrack of Pete’s Dragon.
 

 

  1. “Drive It Like You Stole It” – Sing Street

This also made #3 for my list of 2016 movie scenes. Sing Street was made special by its nostalgic soundtrack of original tunes that actually sounded like they could have been unreleased hits from the 1980s, and “Drive It Like You Stole It” is the best and most toe-tapping of the bunch.
 

 

  1. “Too Much Is Never Enough” – Florence and the Machine

If this song had been in a movie, it would have the Best Song Oscar written all over it. Instead, it was written for the game Final Fantasy XV, as was the song “I Will Be,” and while I’m not a gamer, this song is exceptional. 2016 was the year that introduced me to Florence and the Machine, now one of my favorite bands by their sound alone, and after the fantastic album released in 2015, even the smaller singles from 2016 carry on the uniquely majestic style.
 

 

  1. “Wherever I Go” – OneRepublic

While it hasn’t gotten nearly the airplay of their other hits, “Wherever I Go” is OneRepublic at their catchiest. I may have been a little obsessed with this song after first hearing it on the radio, but I’d say its frenetic, funky rhythm warrants it. I doubt it will win any awards, but I love it nonetheless. This is one song during which I just can’t stay still.
 
 

 

And here are other great songs of 2016, loosely ranked from best to least, ending with four radio hits that aren’t really my cup of tea but there’s something I like about them anyway.

 

“Riddle of the Model” – Sing Street

“It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To” – Billy Currington

“Work This Body” – Walk the Moon

“The Arena” and the rest of the Brave Enough album – Lindsey Stirling

“She Sets the City on Fire” – Gavin DeGraw

“Up&Up” and “Hymn for the Weekend” – Coldplay

“Scars” – Tove Lo (from The Divergent Series: Allegiant)

“It’s Nothing” and “Sparkle” – Radwimps (from Your Name.)

“Water under the Bridge” – Adele

“Try Everything” – Sia and Stargate, sung by Shakira (from Zootopia)

“Quicksand” – Feenixpawl with APEK

“In the Blink of an Eye” – Paul McCartney (from Ethel and Ernest)

“My Wonder” – Dan Winter and Ryan T., featuring Damae

“Scars to Your Beautiful” – Alessia Cara

“In the Name of Love” (Syzz remix) – Martin Garrix and Bebe Rexha

“Cold Water” – Major Lazer

“Rockabye” – Clean Bandit, featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie

“What About the Love” – Sam Feldt

“Send My Love” – Adele

“Closer” – The Chainsmokers, featuring Halsey

“Treat You Better” – Shawn Mendes

“My House” – Flo Rida

“Starving” – Hailee Steinfeld and Grey, featuring Zedd

 

What songs did I miss this year? I’m sure there are quite a few so feel free to tell me your favorites!

My VC also suggested I end this music post with a mournful mention of the musical greats lost in 2016 as well. Rest in peace, David Bowie, Maurice White, Keith Emerson, Merle Haggard, Prince, Christina Grimmie, Leonard Cohen, George Michael, and Debbie Reynolds, alongside many others. Let’s remember them at their best, like George Michael in one of my VC’s favorite songs of his.
 
 

My Top Twelve Scenes Seen in 2016

06 Friday Jan 2017

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In the spirit of all the 2016 best-of lists out there right now, I couldn’t resist putting together a list of my favorite scenes of the last year. My blogiversary post covered my top films seen in 2016, but what about the individual scenes that served as highlights for the year? You know, the scenes that make good movies great and bad movies worth watching anyway. And these don’t necessarily have to be from my favorite films of the year either; even films that didn’t make my official List are eligible for this one.

Remember, these don’t have to be from 2016 films either (since I’m sure there are plenty of good ones I have yet to see) but are scenes that I personally saw for the first time in 2016. And keep in mind also that these videos could contain spoilers, especially #8 and #1. Let’s see what cinematic remembrances await….

  1. Final Performance – Pitch Perfect 2

I enjoyed the second Pitch Perfect far more than the first, but one thing they both feature are some fun a cappella mash-ups of pop songs, and IMO, the finale at the A Cappella World Championships is the best number.

  1. “Starman” montage – The Martian

The Martian had a great soundtrack of 1970s tunes, and a stand-out was David Bowie’s “Starman” played over a brilliant montage of NASA working to resupply the Hermes shuttle for its return trip to Mars. The only video of the scene I could find has Spanish dialogue so I guess you could call this El Marciano.

  1. Final chase – Mad Max: Fury Road

The most recent Mad Max reboot had no shortage of explosions, but the high point of the pyrotechnics comes during the big chase at the end as Max, Furiosa, and the women they’re protecting make one last dash for freedom.

  1. Backwards time – Doctor Strange

No video for this scene yet, but Doctor Strange excelled at its mind-bending visuals. My VC loved Strange’s gravity-defying chase in the Mirror Dimension, but my money’s on the scene toward the end where Strange makes time rewind while battling the villains in forward time. It sounds confusing, but it sure looked cool.

Image result for doctor strange time manipulation gif

  1. Beastie Boys – Star Trek Beyond

Speaking of looking cool, the most recent Star Trek may have gone a little overboard with its use of the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage,” but boy, did they do it in style! I love it when a movie makes me say “whoa” in the theater.

  1. Sniper fight – Skyfall

Sam Mendes’ artistic eye shone forth in this exceptional scene from Skyfall, my new favorite James Bond movie. As Bond and a sniper wrestle for a gun in a high rise, their scuffle in silhouette is mesmerizing.

  1. Mami vs. Homura gun battle – Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Rebellion

I may have been deeply disappointed in the third film in the Madoka Magica franchise, but Rebellion does feature one of the series’ best action sequences, pitting two fan-favorite characters against each other with dazzling use of Homura’s powers of time manipulation. (No subtitles in this video, but it’s mostly action anyway.) Now the question remains: are they exceptionally quick to dodge bullets or are they both just bad shots?

  1. Quicksilver again – X-Men: Apocalypse

Evan Peters stole the show as Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past, and he did the same in Apocalypse, singlehandedly saving Professor X’s student body in slow-mo, backed by the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams.” The movie itself may have been disappointing, but I thought this one scene was worth the price of admission.

  1. “Death, Be Not Proud” explained – Wit

Perhaps a lecture on poetry isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but this flashback’s profound exploration of John Donne’s “Death, Be Not Proud” has changed how I view the poem, which I memorized long ago in elementary school. It’s also a testament to the importance of punctuation!

  1. “Drive It Like You Stole It” – Sing Street

The feel-good high point of the year, this dream sequence from Sing Street reveals just how talented a ragtag band of Irish schoolboys can be. It sounds like a perfect hit from the 1980s, and I sincerely hope it’s not snubbed by the Oscars just because it rocks!

  1. Scarif battle – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Again, it’s too soon for a genuine video of the latest Star Wars spinoff’s epic finale, but Rogue One did not disappoint in the action department. Recalling the space-and-planet offensive of Return of the Jedi, the shoot-out on the tropical planet of Scarif is a pure blend of bittersweet and awesome, especially the part with the two Star Destroyers.

  1. Airport fight – Captain America: Civil War

Considering Civil War was my favorite film of the year, it’s not surprising the best scene is #1 here too (brief language warning for the video). The epic clash of six heroes against six heroes at the Leipzig airport may be the coolest fight of the MCU so far, pairing off the combatants in clever mini-confrontations that provide plenty of geeky thrills.

As you can see, I’m more drawn to scenes of spectacle, but other great scenes I saw this year include:

The dangers outside the bunker – 10 Cloverfield Lane

Dog scrapbook – The Age of Adaline

Battle scene – Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Image result for anchorman battle

Space station escape – Armageddon

Ending – The Babadook

Three-way confrontation with Batman, Joker, and Red Hood – Batman: Under the Red Hood

Gaelic Christmas song – Brooklyn

Piano scene – Coming Home (2014)

Desk set conversation and the final scene – Dead Poets Society

Hugh Jackman’s 90m jump – Eddie the Eagle

Otter distraction – Finding Dory

Oscar Isaac’s one against fourteen gun battle – For Greater Glory

Ferris wheel roll – Goosebumps

King Louie’s temple collapse – The Jungle Book (2016)

Waking up to a bloodbath – King of Thorn

Pie baking – Labor Day

Image result for labor day pie

South African embassy – Lethal Weapon 2

Apology song – Music and Lyrics

Any scene with a flying pirate ship – Pan

Final performance – Pitch Perfect

Singing the Pokémon theme – Paper Towns

Escape – Room

Dam burst – San Andreas

Anti-Nazi conversation (about an hour in) – Sophie Scholl – The Final Days

Opening continuous shot – Spectre

Romantic dance behind curtain – Strictly Ballroom

Image result for strictly ballroom dance

Tightrope between the Towers – The Walk

Tanker explosion – Waterworld

Twilight meeting – Your Name

THE LIST (2017 Update)

03 Tuesday Jan 2017

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Behold, the third iteration of my much-obsessed-over list of 365 favorite films. I already mentioned in my previous blogiversary post which films have been added and which have been dropped since last time, but the new additions are listed in bold below, fit in among their more established brethren.

As you can see from the list, not a lot has changed since last year in the top 200 or so, with only six new films making it into the top 100, the placement of Finding Dory owing to its sequel status. However, the bottom half of the list has had quite the makeover, with multiple titles being shuffled, lowered, or dropped altogether. Know also that I’ve combined sequels with their franchises, with some exceptions. Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, for instance, are linked together as stories and are thus grouped separately from other James Bond movies, while I enjoyed Skyfall so much more than its siblings that it has a higher place to itself. I also felt Captain America: Civil War was more on par with The Avengers than Age of Ultron was, so the former replaced the latter. Other combinations of films may seem like cheating on my part (I admit it), but their similarities seemed to warrant it in my mind, such as pairing the mental-disordered brotherhood of Dominick and Eugene with Rain Man (both from 1988), putting Paper Towns with the other John Green adaptation The Fault in Our Stars, and placing Mad Max: Fury Road alongside Waterworld since they really are pretty similar actioners. A special mention also for the wonderful documentary Life, Animated, which probably would have made The List if I wasn’t excluding documentaries altogether.

Without further ado then, here is the latest update of THE LIST, all films I count among my very favorites. Let me know what you think, and here’s hoping I’ll have even more great movies to add next year, even though it will mean painfully removing something else. That’ll be rough. A very happy 2017 to all!

 

  1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003)
  2. Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)
  3. Forrest Gump (1994)
  4. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
  5. The Sound of Music (1965)
  6. Star Wars Trilogy (1977, 1980, 1983)
  7. Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016)
  8. Titanic (1997)
  9. Toy Story Trilogy (1995, 1999, 2010)
  10. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
  11. The Princess Bride (1987)
  12. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
  13. Groundhog Day (1993)
  14. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
  15. The Prince of Egypt (1998)
  16. You’ve Got Mail (1998)
  17. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  18. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
  19. War Horse (2011)
  20. The Incredibles (2004)
  21. Cast Away (2000)
  22. Heart and Souls (1993)
  23. Pirates of the Caribbean (2003, 2006, 2007)
  24. Tarzan (1999)
  25. Les Miserables (2012)
  26. The Avengers (2012) and Captain America: Civil War (2016)
  27. Ben-Hur (1959)
  28. Star Trek (2009)
  29. The Chronicles of Narnia (2005, 2008, 2010)
  30. The Family Man (2000)
  31. The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001)
  32. Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
  33. Oliver! (1968)
  34. Whisper of the Heart (1995)
  35. Spider-Man Trilogy (2002, 2004, 2007)
  36. The Five People You Meet in Heaven (2004)
  37. Elizabethtown (2005)
  38. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
  39. Chariots of Fire (1981)
  40. The Blind Side (2009)
  41. Babe (1995)
  42. The Blues Brothers (1980)
  43. Jurassic Park (1993)
  44. 84 Charing Cross Road (1987)
  45. National Treasure (2004)
  46. Ratatouille (2007)
  47. The Fugitive (1993)
  48. True Grit (1969, 2010)
  49. Evita (1996)
  50. The Lion King (1994)
  51. Inception (2010)
  52. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
  53. Lilies of the Field (1963)
  54. Life of Pi (2012)
  55. Mary Poppins (1964)
  56. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
  57. Glory (1989)
  58. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
  59. The Sixth Sense (1999)
  60. Back to the Future Trilogy (1985, 1989, 1990)
  61. Aliens (1986)
  62. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
  63. Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
  64. The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
  65. Awakenings (1990)
  66. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
  67. Paulie (1998)
  68. Home Alone (1990)
  69. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
  70. Big (1988)
  71. Jumanji (1995)
  72. Somewhere in Time (1980)
  73. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
  74. A Christmas Story (1983)
  75. Speed (1994)
  76. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
  77. 1776 (1972)
  78. High School Musical Trilogy (2006, 2007, 2008)
  79. Wit (2001)
  80. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
  81. Gone with the Wind (1939)
  82. Aladdin (1992)
  83. Saints and Soldiers (2003)
  84. Fantasia (1940)
  85. Shadowlands (1993)
  86. Hook (1991)
  87. Young Frankenstein (1974)
  88. The Truman Show (1998)
  89. The Ten Commandments (1956)
  90. Star Wars Prequel Trilogy (1999, 2002, 2005)
  91. Serenity (2005)
  92. October Sky (1999)
  93. Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
  94. Holes (2003)
  95. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
  96. The Martian (2015)
  97. Taking Chance (2009)
  98. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
  99. Star Trek into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016)
  100. Signs (2002)
  101. Star Trek: Generations (1994)
  102. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
  103. The Santa Clause (1994)
  104. Starman (1984)
  105. My Fair Lady (1964)
  106. The Passion of the Christ (2004)
  107. On Golden Pond (1981)
  108. Brother Bear (2003)
  109. WALL-E (2008)
  110. The Green Mile (1999)
  111. Air Force One (1997)
  112. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2013)
  113. Shrek 2 (2004)
  114. Big Hero 6 (2014)
  115. Iron Man Trilogy (2008, 2010, 2013)
  116. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
  117. The Matrix (1999)
  118. Ghostbusters II (1989)
  119. The Right Stuff (1983)
  120. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
  121. The Mask of Zorro (1998)
  122. The Color Purple (1985)
  123. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
  124. Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
  125. Shrek (2001)
  126. Inside Out (2015)
  127. The King’s Speech (2010)
  128. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
  129. The Hunger Games series (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)
  130. Yentl (1983)
  131. Men in Black Trilogy (1997, 2002, 2012)
  132. Skyfall (2012)
  133. The Music Man (1962)
  134. Ghostbusters (1984)
  135. Regarding Henry (1991)
  136. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
  137. Alien (1979)
  138. National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)
  139. The Polar Express (2004)
  140. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
  141. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
  142. Julie and Julia (2009)
  143. Airplane! (1980)
  144. Extraordinary Measures (2010)
  145. Secondhand Lions (2003)
  146. A Christmas Carol
  147. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
  148. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
  149. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
  150. United 93 (2006)
  151. The Little Mermaid (1989)
  152. Die Hard trilogy (1988, 1990, 1995)
  153. Castle in the Sky (1986)
  154. Out of Africa (1985)
  155. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
  156. Source Code (2011)
  157. Overboard (1987)
  158. Coal Miner’s DaughterCoal Miner’s Daughter (1980)
  159. The Nativity Story (2006)
  160. Cinderella (1950)
  161. A League of Their Own (1992)
  162. The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971)
  163. Tangled (2010)
  164. Zootopia (2016)
  165. The Untouchables (1987)
  166. As Good As It Gets (1997)
  167. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
  168. Ella Enchanted (2004)
  169. Splash (1984)
  170. Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Monsters University (2013)
  171. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
  172. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)
  173. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
  174. Enchanted (2007)
  175. Up (2009)
  176. Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011)
  177. What’s Up, Doc? (1972)
  178. The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005, 2008, 2012)
  179. Ant-Man (2015)
  180. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)
  181. Cars (2006)
  182. Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
  183. Doc Hollywood (1991)
  184. Foul Play (1978)
  185. Pocahontas (1995)
  186. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
  187. Rudy (1993)
  188. Mulan (1998)
  189. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
  190. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
  191. Labyrinth of Lies (2014)
  192. Treasure Planet (2002)
  193. Wolf Children (2012)
  194. Les Miserables (1998)
  195. The Hobbit Trilogy (2012, 2013, 2014)
  196. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
  197. Spaceballs (1987)
  198. King of Thorn (2010)
  199. The Way (2010)
  200. The Prestige (2006)
  201. Frozen (2013)
  202. Woman in Gold (2015)
  203. Twister (1996)
  204. Funny Girl (1968)
  205. Rocky (1976) and Rocky III (1982)
  206. Hello, Dolly! (1969)
  207. Joyeux Noël (2005)
  208. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
  209. To Sir, with Love (1967)
  210. Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
  211. Hoosiers (1986)
  212. Gravity (2013)
  213. The Great Escape (1963)
  214. The Naked Gun (1988)
  215. Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986)
  216. Soul Man (1986)
  217. Philadelphia (1993)
  218. Raising Arizona (1987)
  219. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
  220. Ghost (1990)
  221. Misery (1990)
  222. Captain Phillips (2013)
  223. School of Rock (2003)
  224. Something the Lord Made (2004)
  225. Vantage Point (2008)
  226. Peter Pan (1953)
  227. The Terminal (2004)
  228. Superman (1978)
  229. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
  230. Jane Eyre (1970)
  231. Casablanca (1942)
  232. Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension (2011)
  233. The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
  234. The Girl Who Leapt through Time (2006)
  235. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and Waterworld (1995)
  236. Casino Royale (2006) and Quantum of Solace (2008)
  237. Annie (1999)
  238. The Elephant Man (1980)
  239. Anastasia (1997)
  240. X-Men (2000) and X2: X-Men United (2003)
  241. Surrogates (2009)
  242. Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
  243. Your Name (2016)
  244. My Girl (1991)
  245. The Ultimate Gift (2006)
  246. The Way Back (2010)
  247. Memphis Belle (1990)
  248. Dances with Wolves (1990)
  249. The Judge (2014)
  250. The Terminator (1984)
  251. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
  252. Rain Man (1988) and Dominick and Eugene (1988)
  253. Have a Little Faith (2011)
  254. Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)
  255. Pinocchio (1940)
  256. City Slickers (1991)
  257. Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
  258. Steel Magnolias (1989)
  259. Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
  260. Remember the Titans (2000)
  261. Scrooged (1988)
  262. Forget Paris (1995)
  263. Eddie the Eagle (2016)
  264. The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)
  265. Cloud Atlas (2012)
  266. The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
  267. Doctor Strange (2016)
  268. Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
  269. The Legend of Zorro (2005)
  270. Superman II (1980)
  271. The Brave Little Toaster (1987)
  272. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
  273. Murphy’s Romance (1985)
  274. Shenandoah (1965)
  275. The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
  276. Bridge of Spies (2015)
  277. Hidden (2015)
  278. A View to a Kill (1985) along with most other Bond films I’ve seen, including Spectre (2015)
  279. The River Wild (1994)
  280. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
  281. Finding Forrester (2000)
  282. Wuthering Heights (1970)
  283. Unbreakable (2000)
  284. The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
  285. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
  286. Sister Act (1992)
  287. Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
  288. Music and Lyrics (2007)
  289. The Iron Lady (2011)
  290. The Abyss (1989)
  291. The Breakfast Club (1985)
  292. Sheffey (1977)
  293. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
  294. Everest (2015)
  295. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
  296. X-Men: First Class (2011) and X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
  297. Places in the Heart (1984)
  298. Citizen Kane (1941)
  299. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2003)
  300. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
  301. Spy Kids (2001) and Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002)
  302. Minority Report (2002)
  303. Coma (1978)
  304. The Peanuts Movie (2015)
  305. Almost Famous (2000) and Sing Street (2016)
  306. Trading Places (1983)
  307. The Age of Adaline (2015)
  308. Quiz Show (1994)
  309. Seven Samurai (1954)
  310. The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
  311. Galaxy Quest (1999)
  312. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)
  313. Sophie Scholl – The Final Days (2005)
  314. The Fault in Our Stars (2014) and Paper Towns (2015)
  315. The Others (2001)
  316. Joseph: King of Dreams (2000)
  317. Baby Boom (1987)
  318. Amazing Grace (2006)
  319. The Wind Rises (2013)
  320. Cloak and Dagger (1984)
  321. Chicken Run (2000)
  322. Sneakers (1992)
  323. Cannery Row (1982)
  324. Ordinary People (1980)
  325. Hercules (1997)
  326. Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)
  327. Room (2015)
  328. Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Beginnings and Eternal (2012)
  329. Time after Time (1979)
  330. Footloose (1984)
  331. Being There (1979)
  332. Silverado (1985)
  333. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
  334. Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
  335. Tomorrowland (2015)
  336. The Maze Runner (2014) and The Scorch Trials (2015)
  337. The Rocketeer (1991)
  338. Bambi (1942)
  339. The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)
  340. Dave (1993)
  341. Patema Inverted (2013)
  342. Innerspace (1987)
  343. War of the Worlds (2005)
  344. The Walk (2015)
  345. A Bug’s Life (1998)
  346. Harrison Bergeron (1995)
  347. Time of Eve (2010)
  348. Counterpoint (1967)
  349. The Conjuring (2013)
  350. Roman Holiday (1953)
  351. Song of the Sea (2014)
  352. The Social Network (2010)
  353. Kung Fu Panda Trilogy (2008, 2011, 2016)
  354. The Quick and the Dead (1987)
  355. The Impossible (2012)
  356. The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)
  357. Meet the Robinsons (2007)
  358. The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)
  359. WarGames (1983)
  360. The Iron Giant (1999)
  361. Of Mice and Men (1992)
  362. 12 Angry Men (1957)
  363. Gettysburg (1993)
  364. I Am Legend (2007) and World War Z (2013)
  365. Psycho (1960)

My 3rd Blogiversary and 2016 List Additions

31 Saturday Dec 2016

Posted by in Movies, Reviews, Writing

≈ 8 Comments

Happy third blogiversary to me! It’s hard to believe I’ve been blogging for three years now, and this is my 698th post. At the beginning of 2014, I started writing reviews and poems to count down my top 365 films, a list I had compiled just for fun, and since the initial list ended, I’ve enjoyed all manner of new movies, tested my writing ability, and enjoyed the debates and camaraderie of fellow bloggers.

While 2016 has undoubtedly been a rough year, at least there have been movies to give us some escape from the messy politics and sad celebrity deaths. Now that 2016 has finally come to an end, I’m excited to add my new favorites of the last year to my movie list. These aren’t all 2016 films but new movies for me seen in the last year. I’m not one to try to catch every new release in the theater, so there are plenty of new films that won’t be here simply because I haven’t yet seen promising candidates like Moana, Passengers, or most of the current Oscar bait. A special shout-out to other films that came really close to being List-Worthy and might have made it onto a less crowded list, including Armageddon, Dead Poets Society, the live-action Jungle Book, Say Anything, Persepolis, Waitress, Wrinkles, The Babadook, and 10 Cloverfield Lane.

Yet I’ve seen some really great films in the last year, both new and old, and as hard as it was to kick off previous members of my list, I feel these new additions deserve their places. Like last year, there’s also some surprising diversity here, including past Oscar nominees, action spectacles, war thrillers, one horror, the four most recent James Bond movies, a direct-to-DVD Batman movie, two German dramas haunted by Nazi crimes, two Pixar sequels, and four anime. It’s been a hallmark year for me and anime, in particular, since I’ve found some amazing lesser-known features and discovered some great series, like Steins;Gate (seriously, any fan of time travel ought to see that show).

With a grand total of 51 new additions to choose from, here are my Top 12 New Films Seen in 2016, with the top five managing to crack my Top 100. The other list additions follow afterward in alphabetical order, along with some unofficial awards to certain standouts. A big thank you to all who have liked, followed, and commented in the last three years, and I hope to continue blogging for the foreseeable future, albeit at a more relaxed pace of two or three posts a week. Feel free to suggest other films that might make next year’s addition list!

  1. Captain Phillips (2013)

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Just like with United 93 (which made my top twelve list last year), director Paul Greengrass put a highly realistic urgency into this brilliantly acted docudrama about the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama cargo ship by Somali pirates in 2009. Tom Hanks gives one of his best recent performances as the ship’s captain taken hostage and should have received a Best Actor nomination to go with the film’s two Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor.

  1. Finding Dory (2016)

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Since Finding Nemo is possibly my most beloved of Pixar’s canon, no way was I going to miss the sequel focusing on Ellen DeGeneres’ lovably forgetful Dory. While it can’t compare with the original, Finding Dory has even more wondrous animation, enjoyable new characters like Hank the octopus, and a suitably emotional story that recasts Dory’s humorous handicap as a more tragic burden.

  1. Woman in Gold (2015)

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Helen Mirren is brilliant as spirited grandmother Maria Altman on a legal quest to reclaim a famous painting stolen from her family by the Nazis. Aided by an understated Ryan Reynolds as her hesitant attorney, she takes on the nation of Austria as it tries to protect a national treasure that holds a much more personal meaning for Maria. A great film that was sadly snubbed last year.

  1. King of Thorn (2010)

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While Your Name is the more acclaimed anime I saw this past year, I was even more amazed by this sci-fi-survival-horror-thriller that I’d never heard of before. I stand by my earlier description: it’s a combination of Inception, Aliens, and Lost, with mind-bending thrills and a thoroughly unpredictable story, complete with a virus epidemic, grieving twins, video-game monsters, and Sleeping Beauty analogies. Exciting, violent, and a little confusing, it’s my favorite anime of the year.

  1. Labyrinth of Lies (2014)

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How could the nation of Germany forget Auschwitz within a generation? This fact-based German drama of a prosecutor’s search for the uncomfortable truth brings home how easily history can be lost if everyone agrees to forget. Helmed by a DiCaprio-esque performance by Alexander Fehling, it’s a hard-hitting and effective call to remembrance.

  1. Zootopia (2016)

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One of the high points of Disney’s CGI Renaissance of late, Zootopia is an inventively animated fable full of anthropomorphized animals. Both a fun buddy-cop mystery and a timely look at stereotypes and those who maintain them, it’s the likely choice for Best Animated Feature this year.

  1. Skyfall (2012)

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This was the year I finally checked out Daniel Craig’s version of James Bond, and I’ve got to say I was pretty impressed, not so much with Craig himself as the quality of his adventures. Gone is the camp and absurd gadgetry, but the slick intrigue of this latest Bond is at its best in Sam Mendes’ Skyfall. Full of action scenes that are almost an art form, this thrilling look at the unexplored relationship of Bond and M has much more depth than the majority of the franchise’s outings.

  1. Star Trek Beyond (2016)

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It’s not better than the original reboot, but as a self-proclaimed Trekker, I enjoyed a lot of the most recent addition to the franchise, which will sadly be the last with Anton Yelchin as the new Chekhov. The action is frenetic and abundant here, and even if I have some issues with the villain, this effect-heavy episode was a solid hit for me, especially since it seemed to draw some inspiration from my favorite Trek series, Voyager.

  1. The Martian (2015)

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This holdover from last year is something of a modern marvel. It’s full of technical jargon and plenty of ways that it could have transformed into a dull affair, yet it’s inexplicably watchable. I’ve gotten to see it multiple times over the last year, since HBO airs it regularly, and its humor and intelligence never get old. Matt Damon’s wisecracking Mark Watney helps a lot, but everything just works perfectly, from the supposedly annoying soundtrack of ‘70s hits to the universally marvelous supporting cast and the awesome visuals. No offense to last year’s winners, but my VC and I agree that this was the best film of 2015.

  1. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

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I’m gratified to see that Star Wars is still going strong now that Disney is behind it, even without Jedi and familiar main characters. This ensemble prequel set between Episodes III and IV was a risky venture, but one worth the effort. It’s different from what we’ve come to expect from Star Wars but close enough to still be of a piece with the trilogies, and even with the minor qualms it perhaps deserves, Rogue One fills in the gaps in riveting fashion, especially with its thrill-a-minute climax. The Force Awakens is still my least favorite Star Wars movie, but Rogue One reminded me how ripe the galaxy far, far away is for new stories to be told.

  1. Wit (2001)

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No explosions or funny characters here. Wit is a profoundly personal film for me because of its poignant use of poetry, particularly John Donne’s “Death, Be Not Proud.” Emma Thompson delivers a career-best performance as an English literature professor diagnosed with Stage IV ovarian cancer, who addresses the camera with insightful monologues on death, pain, and empathy. The best scenes are shared with Eileen Atkins as her former professor, who adds beauty to this depressing tragedy. I’ll never read or recite “Death, Be Not Proud” the same way again.

  1. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

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Who says it was a bad year for blockbusters? Even if every other superhero movie failed expectations, Civil War exceeded them. While it’s technically the third Captain America movie, it also feels like a culmination for the Avengers thus far, especially Cap’s relationship with Bucky and Tony Stark’s family past. Dealing with complicated issues about which every character has a worthwhile opinion (well, except Hawkeye), this well-structured conflict deftly introduces new characters like Black Panther and the latest Spider-Man while allowing for some truly glorious hero-on-hero battles. This is a geek’s paradise of a movie.

And here are the rest of the list additions. A few are only here because I believe in combining franchises, as with X-Men: Apocalypse and The Scorch Trials, and I’ll be pairing some with similar films already on the list.

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The Age of Adaline (2015)

Akeelah and the Bee (2006)

Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Bridge of Spies (2015)

Casino Royale (2006)

Cloud Atlas (2012)

Counterpoint (1967)

Doctor Strange (2016)

Dominick and Eugene (1988)

Image result for dominick and eugene tom hulce

Eddie the Eagle (2016)

Everest (2015)

Finding Forrester (2000)

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)

Hidden (2015)

Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)

Minority Report (2002)

Monsters University (2013)

Music and Lyrics (2007)

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Of Mice and Men (1992)

Paper Towns (2015)

The Peanuts Movie (2015)

Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Movie – Beginnings and Eternal (2012)

Quantum of Solace (2008)

Room (2015)

School of Rock (2003)

Sing Street (2016)

The Social Network (2010)

Sophie Scholl – The Final Days (2005)

Spectre (2015)

Time of Eve (2010)

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Tomorrowland (2015)

The Walk (2015)

Waterworld (1995)

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Your Name (2016)

 

And here are those unofficial awards I promised for the new additions:

Best opening scene: Skyfall

Best final scene: Tie between The Breakfast Club and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Coolest scene: Captain America: Civil War

Biggest emotional impact: Wit

Oldest film: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Most recent film: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Longest film: Cloud Atlas (172 minutes)

Shortest film: Batman: Under the Red Hood (75 minutes)

Best soundtrack: Sing Street

Best score: Cloud Atlas

Best special effects: Doctor Strange

Most mind-bending: King of Thorn

Most family-friendly: The Peanuts Movie

Most mature: Cloud Atlas

Scariest: Hidden (only because The Babadook didn’t quite make the cut)

Funniest: School of Rock

Most controversial: Cloud Atlas

Best VC Pick: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Best male performance: Tom Hanks in Captain Phillips

Best female performance: Emma Thompson in Wit

Most represented year: 2015, with fourteen films

And a fond farewell to these 39 films being dropped from the list. They are still among my favorites, and it was grueling trying to make room for the new additions. I’ll need to be even more frugal in handing out the title of List-Worthy this year because a movie will have to be pretty darn good to knock off any more of my favorites.

(500) Days of Summer (2009)

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

American Graffiti (1973)

The Artist (2011)

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Brave (2012)

The China Syndrome (1979)

“Crocodile” Dundee (1986)

Cross Creek (1983)

The Day after Tomorrow (2004)

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (2008)

Ernest and Celestine (2012)

Flightplan (2005)

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (2009)

Hugo (2011)

Independence Day (1996)

Immediate Family (1989)

La Bamba (1987)

Lunopolis (2010)

The Miracle Worker (1962)

My Name Is Bill W. (1989)

Nine to Five (1980)

No Way Out (1987)

The Perfect Storm (2000)

Princess Mononoke (1997)

Prometheus (2012)

The Road to El Dorado (2000)

Rocky II (1979)

Separate But Equal (1991)

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)

Soapdish (1991)

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

Stuart Little (1999) and Stuart Little 2 (2002)

Summer Wars (2009)

Teachers (1984)

The Towering Inferno (1974)

U.S. Marshals (1998)

Watership Down (1978)

Won’t Back Down (2012)

Oh, and a Happy New Year to everyone! 2017 has to be better than this past year, right?

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

28 Wednesday Dec 2016

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

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Image result for rogue one film

 

While Luke was still on Tatooine,
Before his escapades were seen,
The rebels fought
With secret plot
For every desperate, daring shot.
Some fled, some died, and some were caught,
For freedom’s never cheaply bought.

Before the rebels found success,
They found a chance that none would guess,
A chance that few
Would dare pursue
But those who hopes were overdue.
The groundwork of the tried and true
Was laid by names we never knew.
__________________

MPAA rating: PG-13

I’ve been a little disconcerted at Rogue One’s mixed reception, with half the people loving it and the other half accepting it halfheartedly. I know how the latter group feels since that’s how I reacted to The Force Awakens last year, but not this year, not with Rogue One. I enjoyed it a lot, probably more than The Force Awakens, mainly because The Force Awakens will always have the shadow of Han Solo’s death hanging over it. No matter how many times I see it, it will always be “the one where they killed Han Solo.” I remember gloomily walking out of the theater in shock last year, but I left Rogue One as one should leave a Star Wars movie, exhilarated and satisfied, even if the film is meant for a more bittersweet kind of appreciation. I wanted to love it, and there was nothing that kept me from loving it.

What many find iffy about Rogue One is that it doesn’t quite feel like a Star Wars movie. There’s no in-your-face opening crawl and no Jedi; the overall tone is darker and grittier than the other films, and the rebellion is depicted in a more ruthless and morally ambiguous light. All this is true, yet the settings and sci-fi trappings feel enough like Star Wars that it seems more like an unexplored region of the franchise than an entirely separate affair. And of course, since Rogue One is set between the fall of the Jedi and the beginning of A New Hope, there are clear connections to both trilogies, most notably in the return of Darth Vader and another character whose very presence brings the magic of CGI to new heights.

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Yet unlike The Force Awakens and its unoriginal blow-up-yet-another-Death-Star climax, Rogue One has no lack of originality. It does take its time getting started, establishing the various rebels and their motivations, particularly Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), the daughter of the scientist (Mads Mikkelsen) forced to build the Death Star, and Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), a rebel fighter committed to following orders no matter what. The ragtag band that collects around them is especially highlighted with some humor by the blind kicker-of-butt Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen) and the tall droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), who combines the snarkiness of R2 and the grumbling of C-3PO.

None of these characters are particularly deep or destined to be fan favorites, but as they band together to find Jyn’s father and the plans for the Death Star, most of them have some moment of truth or coolness that makes them memorable, like the machine-gun blaster of Chirrut’s friend Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen). I can’t say I had that much more connection with the new characters of Force Awakens after one viewing, but at least they have the benefit of further sequels. Rogue One is clearly a stand-alone film with characters that could be viewed as disposable, but by the time sacrifices were made, I cared enough about the characters that they were clearly more than cardboard cutouts. It’s a good balance, one that kept me invested without being overcome by grief like last year.

Image result for rogue one a star wars story chirrut imwe

Even in the most mocked of the prequels, George Lucas always proved his skill at action sequences, and director Gareth Edwards does the same here. The film breaks out of that slow start with some highly entertaining thrills, ranging from ground combat to close escapes, and the big battle at the end had several “whoa” moments to bring out my inner Star Wars geek. Michael Giacchino’s score also complemented every scene, deftly incorporating the original John Williams music where apt. I also liked how the film provided an explanation for the Death Star’s glaring design flaw, which Luke so famously took advantage of. You know, one shot and the whole thing blows up—who thought that up? Well, someone did, and there’s actually a good reason.

Riding high after leaving the theater yesterday, I was brought down a bit by the sad news of Carrie Fisher’s death. Considering how Rogue One ends, it seemed strangely fitting that I picked that day to visit the movies. Now, of course, the film and its final scene will have  a touch of bittersweet to it, even more than it already had, but at least I got to see it the first time without the sad connection. Rest in peace, Leia.

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Rogue One may not be a perfect Star Wars film. Perhaps the characters are a bit thin; perhaps the effect used in the final scene is a little imperfect; perhaps the tone is a bit different from the familiar stories we grew up with. Forest Whitaker as extremist rebel Saw Gerrera isn’t as important as he seems at first, and he’s probably the reason some of the early scenes felt off. Likewise, I might have liked a little more screen time for known characters like Vader. Yet Rogue One isn’t about the movers and shakers of that galaxy far, far away; it’s about the rough-and-ready rebels on the front lines, the previously unknown players who made the heroics of Luke and Leia possible, and in that it’s a more than worthy addition to the Star Wars universe.

Best line: (Jyn and Cassian) “Rebellions are built on hope.”

 

Rank: Top-100-Worthy

 

© 2016 S.G. Liput
437 Followers and Counting

 

The Young Messiah (2016)

24 Saturday Dec 2016

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

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Image result for the young messiah film

 

[Today’s the final day of my Pre-Christmas Marathon, and for my final review, I chose a religious film as a reminder of my faith at Christmas. A very Merry Christmas to all!]

 

When Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem,
What did He know in His heart?
Was he a child, a blank slate like all of them,
Or was He wise from the start?

How would it be for His mother and Joseph
To know that their Son was the Lord?
Would His divinity capture much notice,
Or would it be veiled and ignored?

What questions and theories must Mary have pondered
While holding her Lord in His youth!
For centuries since, the same matters we’ve wondered,
And still only God knows the truth.
_________________

MPAA rating: PG-13

It’s no secret that faith-based films usually play to a niche market of believers, yet even as a Christian myself, I still must admit that few of them transcend the usual preaching-to-the-choir lessons that are reassuring but rarely challenging. Bible-based stories are particularly predictable since I and most viewers know these stories like the back of our hands and have probably seen multiple versions of the same tales. I don’t mean to dis Biblical films because I think more quality adaptations should be made, as they were back in Hollywood’s Golden Age, but The Young Messiah stands separate of most of its cousins because it focuses on Jesus’ childhood, a time that is barely mentioned in the Bible.

Based on Anne Rice’s novel Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, the film follows Jesus (curly-haired Adam Greaves-Neal) as a seven-year-old as His family leaves Egypt to return to Nazareth and visit Jerusalem. A key question that apologists have surely debated for centuries is that, if Jesus was God, when did He know? Did He shift from a naïve child to a Messiah knowledgeable of God’s will when He reached a certain age? The Young Messiah posits such questions earnestly as Jesus himself wonders what is so special about Him, and Mary (Sara Lazzaro) and Joseph (Vincent Walsh) debate whether they should reveal the miraculous story of His birth or wait. As Joseph tells his adopted son, “your questions are the questions of a child, but the answers are the answers for a man.” Such discussion could have been boring (and perhaps to uninvolved viewers, it is), but it’s treated as an important question for a warm and close-knit family. Said family is also kept personable by the jovial presence of Jesus’ uncle Cleopas (Christian McKay) and the relationships of Jesus and his cousins, one of whom admits he is jealous of Jesus’ specialness.

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None of this is in the Bible, a fact that has derailed many a speculative story in the past. It didn’t actually happen this way, but it could have. My VC refused to watch The Young Messiah because of its non-Biblical basis, but unlike revisionist accounts that question the roots of faith, The Young Messiah approaches its material with a key belief as part of its foundation: Jesus is God. In all its discussions of what that meant for a young Jesus, it never questions that tenet of Christianity and ultimately affirms it. I don’t consider it wrong that the filmmakers have turned a debate over Jesus’ early days into a feature film because the respect they feel toward the subject is obvious and its connections to actual Bible events anything but sacrilege. Certain aspects are even kept greatly conservative, such as making Jesus’ “brother” James his cousin, a detail held more closely by Catholics than Protestants.

A good example of the film’s taking a credible idea and running with it is depicting Herod’s son Antipas as a paranoid weirdo who has inherited his father’s fear of being overthrown by the promised Messiah. Since that fear made his father murder the infants of Bethlehem, Antipas continues the thirst for blood by hiring a Roman centurion (Sean Bean) to hunt Him down. Since we know the Biblical account, we know what will not happen, but the film’s narrative remains interesting and sometimes tense because, unlike most Biblical films, we don’t know exactly how its embellishments will play out. Likewise, another threat is kept present as Jesus is shadowed by a demon (Rory Keenan) who whispers into others’ ears of who Jesus might be; it makes sense that Satan knew about the young Jesus, but any involvement he might have had before their confrontation in the desert must be left to the realms of speculation.

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It helps too that The Young Messiah is of a respectable quality, fitting in nicely with other Biblical films of artistic merit, such as The Nativity Story and The Passion of the Christ. The cinematography is consistently handsome, especially as Jesus’ family journeys across the Judean countryside. There is a bit of an overreliance on slow-motion when certain scenes are meant to have spiritual significance, and perhaps letting the profound moments speak for themselves could have made them stronger.

Yet The Young Messiah does what few faith-based films do in depicting a story that’s never been told while keeping its basis in the Gospels. Even in Jesus’ final monologue, the simple fictional lines hold an insightful truth: beyond coming to die, Jesus became man to live, both as a child and as an adult, so He could relate to His creations in all things but sin. The Young Messiah may appeal mainly to Christian audiences, but it has more food for thought than most Christian films try to deliver.

Best line: (Joseph) “I know you have many questions, but you need to let them sleep in your heart for now. Why? Because your questions are the questions of a child, but the answers are the answers for a man. That is one bridge I cannot build. I don’t know how. But God can, and we must trust Him.”

 

Rank: List Runner-Up

 

© 2016 S.G. Liput
437 Followers and Counting

 

Cloud Atlas (2012)

23 Friday Dec 2016

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

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The centuries are full of tales,
Not all of which are told for sales.
Some barely dent; some tip the scales,
And those who lived them rarely knew
If theirs for others would ring true.

The choices made for centuries
By king and kid and star and sleaze,
By massive and minute degrees
Affect, destroy, create, and bless
More fates than anyone could guess.
____________________

MPAA rating: R

Remember that feeling of being blown away that I mentioned back when I reviewed Inception and King of Thorn? Well, it’s back with a vengeance. After the credits of Cloud Atlas began rolling, I was left speechless and strangely satisfied. As Tom Hanks said in one of the DVD featurettes, upon reading the script, “I didn’t have any questions.” When the interviewer then asked, “So you understood it?” he replied with an unabashed “No.” Cloud Atlas is such a huge, epic, multi-layered piece of work that it’s no surprise that the most common descriptor from both admirers and detractors has been “ambitious.” It’s one of those rare films that found its way onto the best-of and worst-of lists of different critics, and I can easily understand both opinions. I feel I should recommend it to everyone, yet I can guarantee not everyone will like it. But I did.

I’m having trouble even coming up with a succinct way to describe Cloud Atlas, if there is one. Based on David Mitchell’s novel and adapted by Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis of Matrix fame, it’s six separate stories in one, all linked by the continuity of souls and the bonds of literature, love, faith, music, kindness, and loss. The first tale is a 19th-century seafaring voyage of a dying lawyer (Jim Sturgess) and a runaway slave (David Gyasi). The lawyer’s journal is later read by a gay composer (Ben Whishaw), whose dealings with a famous maestro (Jim Broadbent) are like The Imitation Game with sheet music. The former’s letters are later read by Luisa Rey (Halle Berry), a journalist whose investigations play out like Silkwood meets Coma and inspire a mystery novel read later by Timothy Cavendish (Broadbent) as he plots against his Cuckoo’s Nest-style incarceration. Then, there’s the distant future, where a submissive clone named Sonmi-451 (Doona Bae) is saved by a resistance fighter (Sturgess) in Neo-Seoul, plus an even further post-apocalyptic future where Zachry (Tom Hanks) and a technologically advanced stranger (Berry) journey to potentially save what is left of mankind. How’s that for succinct?

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With so much sheer plot to cover, it’s no surprise that the film stretches for close to three hours and could easily have been lengthened into a mini-series event. One of the most divisive aspects of Cloud Atlas is how it was edited, not with each story being told individually (as is the case in the novel, I’ve heard), but with every other scene jumping randomly to another time period to continue one of the other plotlines. One minute, we’re watching Tom Hanks as an apocalyptic goat herder, the next he’s playing a murderous author in 2012. I don’t know how the editing team kept track of everything, and it so easily could have turned into a confusing mess, but as odd as it seems, this unorthodox strategy works. It’s not every film that begins by explaining that, if the audience “can extend [their] patience for just a moment, you will find that there is a method to this tale of madness.” Each story is straightforward enough that I was able to follow it, especially with the settings and costumes differentiating them from each other. The method works too to drive home certain similarities between the timelines, in one instance someone walking along a precarious perch, in another a villain being knocked out from behind just before killing someone.

Each story seems to have its own genre too, whether it be the corporate espionage of the 1970s plot or the British comedy of the Cavendish tale. Probably the most entertaining are the futuristic Neo-Seoul segments, which also have the coolest visuals. Watching how these stories are connected in ways big and small, with questions raised early and answered late, is a journey which requires patience but which I found rewarding as some of the stories end tragically but some with great satisfaction. I also recognized quite a few little influences from other films, ranging from Silkwood, Soylent Green, and Mad Max to Logan’s Run, Wrinkles, and The Fellowship of the Ring.

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As I alluded to earlier, the extensive cast make cameos of varying importance in the six stories, often playing such wildly deviating roles that I can imagine the actors viewing this film as a special treat and challenge for their abilities. Luckily, the entire cast rises to the occasion to make every character distinct, sometimes even playing roles of different gender and ethnicity. It’s practically a game trying to spot every recognizable face. Hanks, Berry, Broadbent, and Sturgess are the most significant presences throughout the film, but also making important impacts on the story are Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant, Keith David, James D’Arcy, and Hugo Weaving. Weaving may be inescapably recognizable in every role, but he’s certainly diverse as a villain, playing a Nurse Ratched wannabe, a Korean board member, and a specter of the devil called Old Georgie. The care taken to hiding the actors in plain sight is incredible, and not to invalidate that Tom Hanks quote from earlier, but my main question afterward was where they incorporated everyone, even in unrecognizable cameos.

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I suppose I should answer why Cloud Atlas appealed to me, when it clearly turns off so many others. I remember seeing the monumental 5+-minute trailer back in 2012, honestly the best trailer I think I’ve ever seen (see the bottom), and I’ve had a burning curiosity about it ever since, which has been delayed by reports of its confusing and objectionable narrative. And yet, I had to see it. I guess I’m simply an enormous appreciator of continuity, the idea that a storyteller knows where he’s going from the start and mixes the myriad ingredients and characters of his tale in subtle but memorable ways. That’s why I love Lost; all the little flashbacks converge at times, with characters bumping into each other long before they meet in earnest, hinting at a larger story and hand at work. I’m a sucker for this concept of cosmic connections which Cloud Atlas manages to capture across centuries; when the tapestry threads of the story come together and the music swells, I…I just can’t help but get goosebumps.

Yet I must admit that it’s not done in a particularly Christian way. Aside from the frequent language and occasional sex and violence, the plot hinges on the idea of reincarnation and the continuity of souls, things in which I do not believe. In fact, I usually roll my eyes at this kind of New Age metaphysical mumbo-jumbo, yet I can accept it as a movie concept for the sake of appreciating the bigger picture it paints, if only in a three-hour movie. Similarly, the long runtime and jarring changes of place and tone can be a bear to sit through, but it’s worth it once you get over the hump in the middle. Oh, and by the way, watch with subtitles; the furthest future segment has a crazily stylized pigeon-English that is admirable in a cultural sense but hard to understand without reading along.

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Love it or hate it, Cloud Atlas is a film hard to forget, a piece of crazy cinematic art that is as bizarre and challenging as it is beautiful and daring. If its methods were a bit more mainstream, I could see it as a Best Picture nominee, but it’s a crime that it didn’t receive one Oscar nomination, not even for the effects or the universally lauded score. (It should have effortlessly won Makeup and Hairstyling, at least.) The cinematography and talented cast clearly mark it as a noble effort, and I suppose it’s up to each individual viewer to decide whether it’s a masterpiece or a train wreck. It’s a monument of a film, one full of ideas and themes I do not endorse or believe in and others that are simply universal. This is not a film to watch casually, but it is undoubtedly worth watching.

Best line: (Haskell Moore, played by Weaving) “There is a natural order to this world, and those who try to upend it do not fare well. This movement will never survive; if you join them, you and your entire family will be shunned. At best, you will exist a pariah to be spat at and beaten; at worst, to be lynched or crucified. And for what? For what? No matter what you do, it will never amount to anything more than a single drop in a limitless ocean.”   (Adam Ewing, played by Sturgess) “What is an ocean but a multitude of drops?”

Rank: List-Worthy

© 2016 S.G. Liput
437 Followers and Counting

Here’s that trailer that so captivated me. It’s a perfect little encapsulation of how the film made me feel too.

My Name Is Bill W. (1989)

21 Wednesday Dec 2016

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, TV, Writing

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Although I sit in the cabinet,
I shall not stay for long.
My contents undeniably tempts
My owner with its song.
Its call is far too strong.

Though some can sip with a managed lip,
A few can’t get enough.
No need to think when an amber drink
Can smooth life when it’s rough.
One swig, and “That’s the stuff!”

I’ve been his friend for years on end;
He’s rarely missed a day.
This latest trick, I hope, won’t stick,
Or I may fade away.
I’m lonely since A.A.
____________________

MPAA rating: TV movie (should be PG)

Back in 1986, James Woods and James Garner starred in a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie called Promise, a tale of an older brother (Garner) who must come to terms with caring for his schizophrenic sibling (Woods). While the acting is phenomenal and it remains one of the most celebrated TV movies ever with Emmys, Golden Globes, and a Peabody to its name, it fell short of greatness for me thanks to a downer of an ending. Three years later, Woods and Garner teamed up again in this other Hallmark Hall of Fame member titled My Name Is Bill W., and what was apparently intended as a reunion turned out to be even better than their original collaboration.

My Name Is Bill W. is the story of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, particularly Bill Wilson (Woods), who begins as a happy husband with great business aspirations in the stock market. Over the years after World War I, he schmoozes investors and stock opportunities to work his way up the ladder of success, all with drink in hand. The habit of a few drinks to loosen lips and pocketbooks quickly becomes a lifestyle for him, much to the dismay of his faithful wife (JoBeth Williams), and he soon starts to spiral into alcoholism. It’s difficult to watch a man willingly destroy his life, but at least we have the promise of a revelation, one which unites Wilson and fellow drunk Bob Smith (Garner) into a dynamic duo dedicated to supporting alcoholics everywhere in need of hope.

 

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Both main actors are in top form, with JoBeth Williams being an extra surprising standout as Wilson’s long-suffering wife, and other strong roles go to Gary Sinise and George Coe. With the inebriated mistakes and desperation he pulls off so convincingly, it’s no wonder that Woods won an Emmy, just as he did for Promise three years earlier, though it’s sad that Garner didn’t win for either.

Above all, the film warns against the dangers of overdrinking, not by demonizing alcohol itself but reminding us that some people simply lack the self-control of others, whether it be “a disease” as one doctor states in the film or a psychological addiction. It’s clear from Bill Wilson’s life that oftentimes a desperate man can only pick himself up after hitting his lowest point, but his story serves as a caution for anyone who refuses to listen to the love and advice of their friends and family. What might have been a tragedy thankfully turned out to be an inspiration because, for Bill Wilson, a man whose life was ruled by alcohol both in its excess and its absence, success didn’t simply involve dragging himself out of the gutter, but helping others to do the same.

Best line: (Bill) “It’s like any journey, Fred. It begins with the first step.”

 

Rank: List-Worthy

 

© 2016 S.G. Liput
437 Followers and Counting

 

VC Pick: Dune (1984)

20 Tuesday Dec 2016

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Far, far away, both in distance and year,
On a planet of sand known as Dune,
Spice was the word they all wanted to hear,
Its wealth their desire, its dearth their worst fear,
But the devious monarchs would learn all too soon
That they would not easily conquer this sphere.

Though long ago, a great prophecy stood
Of a savior to liberate Dune.
Though rivals and emperors did what they could
To see that he never would reach adulthood,
His destiny rose like the taciturn moon
To rescue this coveted planet for good.
____________________

MPAA rating: PG-13

Since I mentioned Dune in my post yesterday, guess what movie my VC wanted me to review next? While some of her picks end up being pleasant surprises for me, I’ve seen Dune enough times (thanks to her) that I knew this latest viewing wasn’t about to change my opinion. She loves it; I don’t, and neither of us are alone. David Lynch’s long, tiresome adaptation of Frank Herbert’s celebrated sci-fi novel was savaged by critics at the time, but over the years, it’s gained more appreciation, even a cult following. I can understand why it warrants a cult following, but the simple truth remains, it’s not a very good movie.

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Perhaps the hardest challenge facing Lynch as director and screenwriter was somehow compressing Herbert’s enormous otherworldly tale into a feature-length film. The story has so many characters, foreign names and gadgets, and plot-specific terminology that it’s no wonder casual viewers were thoroughly lost. Luckily, my VC has read the book, which I’m sure helps her, and I’ve seen the film enough times that I can follow what’s going on well enough. However, it’s hard to ignore the fact that the first 20 or 30 minutes is spent with different characters taking turns to spout exposition. Before the story even begins in earnest, we have to learn about the four key planets and their rulers, and the drug-like Spice that enables space travel and is only found on Arrakis/Dune, and the subterfuge of the emperor (José Ferrer) in pitting the houses of Atreides and Harkonnen against each other, and the telepathic Bene Gesserit sisterhood that has breeding rules broken by Duke Leto Atreides’ concubine (Francesca Annis) in order to give her love a son named Paul (Kyle MacLachlan), who may have a dangerous messianic destiny. You got all that? Well, I guarantee that it’s easier reading it than listening to it all in one go, which is probably why Herbert’s book was so much more popular than Lynch’s film.

The 137-minute film is so packed with plot that there’s literally no time for character building. Every character is formed solely by how they’re explained to us and what they do to further the plot. When Paul meets a lovely Fremen girl (Sean Young) after he’s been banished to the desert, you know they’ll end up together, not because of their chemistry or anything, but because Paul had visions of her and it makes sense for the plot. There are smaller quibbles too, whether it be the constant internal monologuing, the bizarre intentions of a traitor in the Atreides house, or the casting of an important character from the books only to kill him off in a trice, not to mention the strange and disgusting Harkonnen villains and the sudden ending.

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Wow, sometimes I convince myself to like a film more by writing about all its strengths, but I think the opposite has happened here. I don’t hate Dune by any means, nor am I sorry to have seen it since it is not without some redeeming factors. True, most of the actors are in “serious sci-fi mode,” but it was enjoyable to see so many familiar faces before their more recognizable roles, which were often still in the realm of science fiction. There are Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Dean Stockwell (Quantum Leap), Brad Dourif (Voyager and Lord of the Rings), Jürgen Prochnow (Air Force One), Max von Sydow (Dreamscape, Flash Gordon), and even Sting (yes, the singer), among many others. Plus, I must commend Lynch and his set design team for bringing these extraterrestrial deserts and palaces to life. Even if some of the effects are still dated, the giant worms are admittedly impressive too, especially when backed by the symphonic rock score supplied by the band Toto.

As much as I wish I could count Dune among my favorites, its negatives are just too conspicuous to overlook. Even I will concede, though, that it was a valiant effort for all those involved, one which my VC and other fans clearly appreciate more than most.

Best line: (Duke Leto Atreides) “I’ll miss the sea, but a person needs new experiences. They jar something deep inside, allowing him to grow. Without change, something sleeps inside us and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.”

 

Rank: Dishonorable Mention

 

© 2016 S.G. Liput
437 Followers and Counting