The Film Emotion Blogathon

10 Monday Aug 2015

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Connor at Conman at the Movies has created a thought-provoking blogathon, one that calls movie fans to think of films that embody the emotions in Pixar’s instant classic Inside Out.

Joy: A film that always puts a smile on your face

Sadness: A film that sends tears streaming down your face

Fear: A film that made you want to cover your face (in fright)

Anger: A film that made you want to punch someone else’s face

Disgust: A film you wouldn’t want to face again (this one’s a bit more open-ended)

After much thought, I’ve come up with five choices that epitomize these emotions in me, so here goes:

JOY: Elizabethtown (2005)

While it’s sometimes more of a dark comedy, Elizabethtown is still a delight for me every time. It starts out with Orlando Bloom having the worst day imaginable (how could any of my bad days compare?), topped off by his being sent to Kentucky to bring home his dead father. If the small-town quirk doesn’t win you over, how about Kirsten Dunst’s Claire, who makes it her mission to raise this suicidal visitor out of his despair and into a new appreciation for life, complete with a fantastic soundtrack. “Freebird” has never made me smile so much.

SADNESS: Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

I cannot imagine a film more depressing, more heart-rending than Grave of the Fireflies…and it’s a cartoon! (Sorry, anime.) The story of two orphaned Japanese children during the last days of World War II is just so tragic, and the feelings of sorrow keep growing throughout until the inevitable, quiet, hopeless, gut-wrenching end. I hardly ever cry anymore, but this film does it every time.

FEAR:  Poltergeist (1982)

I haven’t seen many horror movies so my choice here may seem wussy compared with others, but seriously, this film traumatized me when I saw it as a kid. I can’t stand jump scares, and that clown still rules my greatest moment of cinematic fright. Not to mention that swimming pool full of corpses. *Shiver.*

ANGER: Urban Cowboy (1980)

I’ve already ranted about how much I despise this movie, but this gives me another opportunity. John Travolta and Debra Winger play such pitiful white trash, and Travolta’s character especially is so childish as he insists on proving his alpha-male status even as he flagrantly cheats on his wife to make her jealous. The country music cannot save this maddening “romance,” in which the characters think a mechanical bull ride can heal a marriage more than the words “I’m sorry.” Can you tell I don’t like this film?

DISGUST: The Last Airbender (2010)

While it doesn’t have the gore or raunch that would normally turn me off from a film, M. Night Shyamalan’s film version of Avatar: The Last Airbender is unfathomably, disgustingly bad, the kind of bad that makes you wonder why no one noticed while making it. Wooden acting, stilted dialogue, weak special effects, laughable action scenes—on its own, it may have been just a bad film, but as an adaptation of the beloved Nickelodeon series, it tramples on everything that made that series great. Is there anything so disgusting as a missed opportunity?

Thanks for a fun idea, Connor!

My Top 50 Movie Scores — Part 10

09 Sunday Aug 2015

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At last, we have reached the end of this long list of marvelous movie scores. Except for #5, all of these are venerable franchises that needed memorable music to enchant listeners throughout the series, and each of their composers delivered in spades. All of these films hold a special place in my heart, and the music played a huge role in making them true favorites. Enjoy!

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#5: Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986), no nomination – Joe Hisaishi

Words cannot describe the sense of peaceful grandeur this score gives me. Not only is this my favorite Miyazaki film, but it boasts the best music of all the Studio Ghibli movies. With this theme (and Nausicaä), Joe Hisaishi entered the club of my favorite composers. Ideally befitting a story of flying high amid ancient civilizations, this is one tune I hum on a regular basis.

 

#4: Indiana Jones franchise (1981-2008), Oscar nominee – John Williams

Action themes don’t get much better than that of famed archaeologist Indiana Jones. As much as I love the music in Chariots of Fire, I have no doubt that the score for Raiders of the Lost Ark should have won that year. The other three films borrow and build on Williams’ original masterpiece, which is a standard by which all other action movie composers are judged.

 

#3: Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy (2003, 2006, 2007), no nominations – Klaus Badelt/Hans Zimmer

Step aside, Sinbad. This will forever be the greatest pirate music, the kind of rip-roaring soundtracks that make listeners want to swashbuckle with the likes of Jack Sparrow and Will Turner. While Klaus Badelt isn’t as well-known as Zimmer, who collaborated for the first film and took over for the second and third films, Badelt will forever be remembered as the man credited for the first’s fantastic music. One of the most recent scores to be instantly iconic.

 

#2: Star Wars saga (1977-1983, 1999-2005), Oscar winner (only the first film) – John Williams

Do I really have to say anything? Can anything really trump the iconic strains of John Williams’ most famous work? Well, one thing can in my book, but for countless fans, including the AFI, this score reigns supreme. As unlikely as it seemed, Williams actually managed to match his own achievement with the operatic theme for The Phantom Menace, which I probably enjoy listening to even more than the original. With Williams returning to score The Force Awakens, I’m looking forward to hearing his continued brilliance this December.

 

#1: The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003), Oscar winner (first and third films) – Howard Shore

I suppose it’s not surprising that my favorite films would also feature my favorite scores. Unlike Pirates or The Piano, there isn’t just one track in this trilogy that I love to death; I adore the entire soundtrack, all three, from start to finish. The charming folksiness of the Shire, the medieval bombast of Khazad-dûm, the equestrian stateliness of Rohan, those ethereal vocals that heighten the splendor of each film’s climax—it’s all so perfect, whether for the film or for pleasure listening afterwards. Middle-earth would not be the same without Howard Shore.

 

Full list to come!

Predestination (2014)

07 Friday Aug 2015

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Destiny knocks
On paradox
And grants the wise
A big surprise.
______________

Rating: R (for frequent obscenities and two scenes of nudity, which are easily anticipated)

Predestination is an Australian film that is hard to describe without spoilers, but I’ll do my best. It revolves completely around the secrets and connections of its characters, creating one of the most paradoxical stories imaginable, courtesy of Robert Heinlein’s short story “’—All You Zombies—.’”

Stating the early facts, there’s a mysterious time-traveling agent intent on stopping a mysterious bomber, which then segues into a conversation between said agent as a Bartender (Ethan Hawke) and a confession writer who writes under the pen name “The Unmarried Mother” (Sarah Snook). (I thought Loretta Modern might have been a good pseudonym too.) From this intriguing start, there are flashbacks and quantum leaps and some fascinatingly subtle time-jumping effects, which all lead to a conclusion that I sadly already knew going in. I’m sorry; I just usually like to know what I’m getting into instead of going into a film cold, but in this case, I wish I hadn’t known, if only to see how much I would have guessed as the story progressed.

Sarah Snook earned the most acclaim for her versatility in playing a highly malleable role, and both she and Ethan Hawke carry the film almost by themselves. As I said, the twists are everything. Whereas most films use them to progress the story, here they are the story, which makes for a compelling puzzle but not so much a satisfying conclusion. Even I who knew what would generally happen still had trouble wrapping my head around everything, and it’s a film that would certainly reward a second viewing. Compared with many blockbusters, Predestination is high science fiction, with an ambitious story that goes a bit too high for my middlebrow tastes.

Best line: (the Bartender) “Preparation is the key to successful, inconspicuous time travel. Luck is the residue of design.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2015 S. G. Liput

329 Followers and Counting

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (2002)

05 Wednesday Aug 2015

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How provincial is the province where no one has heard the name
Of Dumas or Dostoyevsky or the books that earned them fame!
Why are some so sadly eager to commit the page to flame?

Do not heed the narrow tyrant quick to outlaw and condemn.
Read the words or listen close, and you may find a worthy gem,
But beware that written words have ravished many, changing them.
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Rating: G (should be PG for light language and a few mature themes)

Language: Chinese and French w/ English subtitles

Born in China and now settled in France, director Dai Sijie obviously has deep ties to the story of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, which he adapted himself from his first novel of the same name. Set during China’s Communist Cultural Revolution, it follows his own personal experience of spending three years in a rural re-education camp from 1971 to 1974.

From the very start, the film’s tone is clear. While the village’s devoted Communist Chief promptly burns a cookbook for mentioning chicken because it is too bourgeois, the new arrivals Ma and Luo convince him to preserve Ma’s violin by insisting that Mozart wrote music with Chairman Mao in mind. Like the film overall, the scene is a little pitiful and a little funny, but it clinches the role that music and Western civilization play in helping the oppressed feel human again. Love can do the same thing, and when a tailor visits with his beautiful granddaughter, this “Little Seamstress” wins the hearts of both young men. She, like most of these country folk, is sadly ignorant, and they commit themselves to transform her with their “reactionary” Western ideas.

Based on the mention of re-education camps, I might have thought that this was some dark, murderous picture of persecution like The Killing Fields, but it’s not. In fact, there’s a notable lack of life-or-death danger here. With their forbidden books, the three friends are always in danger of being found out by the semi-vigilant Chief. As an authority figure, though, he’s less like a severe commandant and more like an inattentive parent, who barely notices when his charges sneak behind him with banned ideas and hidden abortions and fibs that prey on his ignorance.

At the same time, these work camps are rather effective, forcing many into a mindset of fear and submission. Yet the stories and concepts that Ma and Luo and the Seamstress keep and slowly spread to others also disseminate a starry-eyed freedom. Can you imagine such a beautiful, exotic name as Ursule Mirouet? Can you imagine a poor man becoming a wealthy count like Edmond Dantes? It’s ironic that, at a time when burning a bra was seen as liberating to women in the U.S., its introduction had an empowering effect on the Little Seamstress, leading to a bittersweet choice.

There’s a “Hitler Reacts” YouTube video (parodying a famous scene from Downfall), in which he decries Balzac’s ending and questions the point of the entire story. However, the film overall has that romantic quality of someone reminiscing, perhaps not of the best years of their life but the most memorable. Like all memories, they are swallowed by the floods of time but not forgotten.

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2015 S. G. Liput

329 Followers and Counting

My Top 50 Movie Scores — Part 9

02 Sunday Aug 2015

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Nearing the end of the Top 50 countdown, we have now entered my top ten film scores, which has actually been a long time coming since I’ve only done five a week. This week, I’ve included some widely regarded classics and some personal favorites, several with a decidedly Celtic sound, themes I regard so highly that they’re basically interchangeable on the list. Only one week to go for the top 5. Enjoy!

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#10: Titanic (1997), Oscar winner – James Horner

My original cryfest, Titanic is a marvelous film on nearly every level, but nowhere does it excel so masterfully as in the music department, thanks to the late great James Horner. His soothing Celtic strains play much more to the romance rather than the disaster, but there’s a deep sadness to it that fits the tragedy to a capital T.

 

#9: Forrest Gump (1994), Oscar nominee – Alan Silvestri

Yet another emotional journey with a memorable rock soundtrack as well, Forrest Gump had to have a fittingly poignant theme, and frequent Robert Zemeckis collaborator Alan Silvestri was just the man for the job. The first few notes alone bring back all the feels from one of my favorite films, starting with that drifting feather, while the ending makes me feel like I could run across the country. I don’t know if I should smile or cry. I think it’s both.

 

#8: Jurassic Park (1993), no nomination – John Williams

Putting the awe in awesome, Jurassic Park would be incomplete without John Williams’ exquisite themes. Again, the music conjures the immense glory of reborn dinosaurs, as well as the fascinating terror when they run amok. While I haven’t seen Jurassic World yet, I’m glad to hear that apparently Michael Giacchino has both honored and complemented Williams’ achievement.

 

#7: How to Train Your Dragon (2010), Oscar nominee – John Powell

The more I listen to this score, the more I absolutely LOVE it! I enjoy almost any kind of Celtic music, but this film amps it up beautifully to nail the tension, the fun, the wonder—pretty much everything one would expect from riding on a dragon. I could listen to this music forever. DreamWorks knew they had something great; they recently used the action theme for their 20th anniversary ads.

 

#6: The Chronicles of Narnia (2005, 2008), no nominations – Harry Gregson-Williams

From my list, it’s clear that I’m fond of epic and majestic film scores, and the music for the current trilogy of Narnia adaptations certainly fits that description. I’m only including the first two films here, though, since the third, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, had a different composer and was generally not quite as good. I probably admire Prince Caspian’s score most of all, since it builds on the first film’s themes and gets even more epic. Someone hurry up and make The Silver Chair already!

 

The Fault in Our Stars (2014)

31 Friday Jul 2015

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They say that pain demands to be felt,
And we’re the ones to feel it,
The ones to bear the cards we’re dealt,
Unable to conceal it.

But pain is not the only one
Demanding our attention,
Although it blinds us like the sun
From others’ intervention.

Yet if we look beyond the pain
To love without regret,
We’ll see that neither is in vain
If love’s demands are met.
_____________________

Rating: PG-13 (for language, sexuality, and some heavy themes)

The first time I heard about The Fault in Our Stars was when a female coworker of mine gushed over how much she loved it and how much she cried and how much she loved crying at it. Thus, I thought it was merely some weepy chick flick. Then I heard all kinds of buzz about the movie adaptation and its talented young stars. Then my VC read the book and was wholly unimpressed, finding the character of Hazel Grace Lancaster so ill-tempered and somber as to be irritating.

Thus, I didn’t know what my opinion would be once I finally saw the blockbuster tearjerker of 2014, and I must say that it deserved its praise. Shailene Woodley is indeed melancholy as Hazel Grace, but with good reason: riddled with cancer since the age of thirteen, she has few joys in life. All the normal teenage pleasures of friends and such have yielded to chemotherapy sessions and constant fears about those who fear for her. Her morbidity is understandable and, as my VC pointed out, off-putting, but that only makes the subsequent romance more surprising and heart-winning.

As Augustus Waters, Ansel Elgort is the nicest guy imaginable, able to keep his spirits high with life-affirming metaphors and willing to part with everything from trophies to wishes for the sake of his friends. Like me and Pat from Silver Linings Playbook, he can’t abide unsatisfying endings, and he won’t accept that life is meaningless. He’s “kind of awesome” and almost too good to be true, but therein lies his appeal. My VC and I both love Elizabethtown, and I pointed out to her that Orlando Bloom’s character in that film also starts out depressed and obsessed with death (with only good looks being a reason for anyone to be attracted to him), yet he is captivated and encouraged by Kirsten Dunst’s Claire, who seems to consider his happiness her mission. Augustus is the same way. When Hazel desires further information about her favorite book (which happens to be about cancer), his efforts on her behalf are more than enough to win her heart.

Based on what I’ve written so far, this may seem like a happy, uplifting story that starts low but keeps on getting better, “a rollercoaster that only goes up,” but such is not the case. Like life itself, there are ups and downs and a tear for every smile. The film is sometimes shockingly abrupt in ungilding the lily, but even then it achieves a touching balance of bitterness and humor, of cynicism and sentiment.

That’s not to say that it is without fault. I didn’t care for how the lone Christian character is mocked as a sincere but inept “Kumbaya” advocate. It’s easy for cynicism to slough off the assurances of religion, but I for one can’t imagine finding meaning in suffering without faith (Christianity, in my case). As convinced as Hazel is from the start, I don’t believe in oblivion, and it’s a bit sad that even the most buoyant character can only say he believes in a heavenly “something.”

Even so, The Fault in Our Stars treads the line between the two viewpoints, Hazel’s sarcastic pessimism and Gus’s vague optimism, and retains a unique intelligence within its familiar romantic storyline, acknowledging that one deep love can be life-affirming. While it’s essentially this generation’s Love Story, The Fault in Our Stars engages both mind and heart far better than the usual tearjerker, though it can still jerk the tears with the best of them.

Best line: (Augustus, to the mother of his friend’s ex-girlfriend) “Hello, ma’am. Your daughter, she’s done a great injustice, so we’ve come here seeking revenge. You see, we may not look like much, but between the three of us, we have five legs, four eyes, and two and a half pairs of working lungs, but we also have two dozen eggs, so if I were you, I would go back inside.”

Rank: List-Worthy

© 2015 S. G. Liput

328 Followers and Counting

Genre Grandeur – Beetlejuice (1988) – Rhyme and Reason

31 Friday Jul 2015

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For this month’s Genre Grandeur of Dark Comedies, I picked Tim Burton’s paranormal comedy Beetlejuice. It’s a movie about dead people; what could be funnier?

movierob's avatarMovieRob

darkFor this month’s next review for Genre Grandeur – Dark Comedies, here’s a review of Beetlejuice (1988)  by SG of Rhyme and Reason

Thanks again to Reut of Sweet Archives. for choosing this month’s genre.

Next month’s Genre has been chosen by Steven of Past Present Future TV and Film  We will be reviewing our favorite B&W films prior to 1990. Please get me your submissions by the 25th of August by sending them to b&w@movierob.net  Try to think out of the box! Great choice Steven!

Let’s see what SG thought of this movie:

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Geena Davis , Alec Baldwin , Michael Keaton Directed by Tim Burton Geena Davis , Alec Baldwin , Michael Keaton
Directed by
Tim Burton

Beetlejuice (1988)

I know you’ve been waiting; don’t head for the door.

You’re number nine trillion five million and four.

I hear that you died; well, that happens a lot.

Just handle death daily and try not to rot.

I’m sorry…

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VC Pick: Funny Farm (1988)

29 Wednesday Jul 2015

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Well, come on up to Redbud;
We would love to have you here.
A life out in the country’s good
For those who persevere.

Just look at Andy Farmer,
Why, when he moved here at first,
He very nearly went insane
Before things got their worst.

If he can handle country life,
Then anybody can.
Just know that moves here rarely go
According to the plan.
_______________

Rating: PG (for some language and slapstick)
Another film beloved of my VC and liked by me, Funny Farm features Chevy Chase doing what Chevy Chase does best: getting in over his head. In this case, he’s Andy Farmer, a writer planning his first novel and wishing to get away from it all in the country with his wife Elizabeth (Madolyn Smith). With similarities to Baby Boom and Newhart, the film upholds the view that Vermont must be full of eccentrics, though in this case some are a bit more mean-spirited and vindictive.

While Andy and his wife desperately try to relax and squeeze enjoyment from small-town life, everything—literally everything—goes wrong. Furniture moving, fishing, gardening, placing a phone call, writing his ingenious novel, even getting mail—everything has unfortunate, humorous outcomes, the kind of mishaps that make you laugh even as you feel sorry for the poor saps being tormented. All these problems naturally take a toll on their marriage, particularly when Andy’s wife reads his masterpiece. One of the greatest fears of all authors is being told that their work stinks, and as much as Andy overreacts, I can say from personal experience that he’s at least somewhat believable. (I love how his wife complains that his manuscript has too many flashbacks, flash forwards, and even a flash sideways. He could have written Lost!) By the time they’ve had enough of Vermont, they’re ready to do anything to escape, and the plot they hatch with the entire town is hilarious.

I wouldn’t say Funny Farm is one of the greatest comedies, but it has its fair share of visual humor and crack-up moments, which get funnier as they pile onto each other. Some actually manage to be educational. For instance, if you move to Vermont, never buy an untrained dog. Never chop down road signs. Never write books inspired by real people and then kill them off. If you don’t know what a menu item is, ask first, especially for something as enigmatic as Lamb Fries. Never gild the lily. In fact, according to this and other movies, perhaps it would be best to just not move to Vermont at all, if you value your sanity.

Best line: (a young vandal, after cutting down an important traffic sign) “Think we should put this back?”   (another boy) “What are you, nuts? This sign is mint. There’s not a bullet hole in it!”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2015 S. G. Liput

328 Followers and Counting

Opinion Battles Round 7 Best Sports Movie

27 Monday Jul 2015

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Take a look-see at everyone’s picks for Best Sports film at good ole Opinion Battles over at Movie Reviews 101. Quite a diverse selection (I ought to see more of these), but surprisingly I was the only one to pick a football movie, the inspirational Rudy. Pick your favorite!
(Thanks again, Darren, for letting me participate this week.)

Unknown's avatarMovie Reviews 101

Opinion Battles Round 7

Best Sports Movie

When it comes to Sports movies we have had nearly every sport put onto camera, we have had football to ping pong, ice staking to boxing and most include the typical underdog story but just what is the best film?

If you want to join the Opinion Battles our next round will be Best Remakes, email moviereviews101@yahoo.co.uk by 9th August 2015

Darren – Movie Reviews 101

Warrior (2011)wrrior

When it comes to fighting films I am normally turned away because I find boxing films rather boring, but when I sat down to watch this one I wasn’t really sure what to think. I couldn’t believe how intense this film was, I have never seen UFC before but the film managed to pull me into a world of sport I have no interest in. the fights come off realistic and the conflict between…

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My Top 50 Movie Scores — Part 8

26 Sunday Jul 2015

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Onward and upward with my Top 50 Film Scores! This week, there’s a mix of Oscar recognition (or lack thereof), but all of these have distinctive and memorable sounds that capture the heart and the imagination. Enjoy!

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#15: Out of Africa (1985), Oscar winner – John Barry

How could I not include this outstanding score from such an epically tragic film? Full of profound and painful feelings, the music evokes the sweeping African savannas and the swooning romance of Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. It inevitably breaks my VC into tears, though she’s noted that it reminds her of Barry’s later score for Dances with Wolves (which didn’t quite make the list). Along with E.T. and Star Wars, this is a rare choice that I actually agree with AFI’s top 25 film scores.

 

#14: Sherlock Holmes (2009), Oscar nominee – Hans Zimmer

As my favorite incarnation of Holmes (though Cumberbatch comes darn close), Robert Downey, Jr.’s take on the famous detective deserved some marvelous mystery music. In this case, the mixture of the tinny piano with whiny violins, plus an unconventional tempo, lend the story a unique and manic energy that echoes both its humor and its action. The sequel’s music is a bit more conventional/less unique, but it’s still excellent as a continuation of the original. Don’t you just feel like you’re in Victorian England; well, maybe just Guy Ritchie’s version of it?

 

#13: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), no nomination – Michael Kamen

Epic, uplifting, heroic, magnificent—these are just some of the words I could use to describe Michael Kamen’s energizing score for Kevin Costner’s version of the Hood. Critics can say what they will about the film’s faults, but there’s no denying that this is great music. For a while, Disney even used the main theme for the intro montage of all of their DVDs, so even some who ignore the movie have surely heard its overture many times.

 

#12: The Piano (1993), no nomination – Michael Nyman

I haven’t actually seen The Piano, but my VC has (and does not recommend it). Yet beyond the Oscar-winning acting, one key part of the film refused to let go: the music. While most of the score is just good, one track in particular singlehandedly brought it to #12 on this list. “The Heart Asks Pleasure First” is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard and ranks among my favorite pieces of music. I always feel this peaceful, floating sensation that lingers even after the melody stops. Goosebumps.

 

#11: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), no nomination – Joe Hisaishi

It’s not the most well-known of scores, but it should be. As John Williams is to Steven Spielberg, Joe Hisaishi is to Hayao Miyazaki. This pre-Studio-Ghibli dystopia features a score that instantly became a favorite upon my first viewing. A few parts have a weird techno vibe, but the bulk of the score is glorious and thrilling, laden with strings and choirs. The “la la la” section alone is sure to stick in your mind. In a good way.