Best
Children of Men (2006)
The camera work in this film is exquisite; the scenes containing the greatest dramatic tension are each played out in a single shot. In a world where women have lost the ability to give birth, civilization decays as humanity dies out. And then Theo (Clive Owen) meets a pregnant woman and must find a way to bring her to safety to where her baby will be cared for and not exploited. There are many wonderful, beautiful moments in this film, but the one that stands above the others, and impacted me the most emotionally, is one in which Theo escorts the newborn baby and her mother through a crowded apartment building, past soldiers and guerilla fighters alike, all stunned in amazement at hearing the sound of a baby’s cry for the first time in almost 20 years.
Worst
The Three Caballeros (1944)
Where is the story in this mess? All I got out of it was Donald Duck lusts after human women. That and people in Brazil and Mexico do nothing but party all day. The two shorts at the beginning were fun, but had nothing to do with the rest of the film.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Top & Bottom of 2007 - #3
Best
Going My Way (1944) & The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)
Bing Crosby stars as Father O’Malley, the coolest priest in movies. Going My Way is essentially the story of a friendship that develops between O’Malley and the much older Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald). Father O’Malley must get Father Fitzgibbon to change his ways in order to be more relevant to younger generations while still giving him the respect due him as an older, senior priest. The Bells of St. Mary’s has Father O’Malley teaming up with Sister Mary Benedict (Ingrid Bergman) to keep the St. Mary’s school open, with prayer being one of the main tools used to combat the unfriendly developer next door who wants to turn St. Mary’s into a parking lot. It also contains one of the sweetest nativity stories in it. Each film stands on its own, and they can be watched in any order. With people like Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman in the clergy, it makes the priesthood look that much more attractive.
Worst
Red Sonja (1985)
And I thought Conan the Destroyer was bad. The action scenes were anything but thrilling, the kid was almost more annoying than the kid in The Poseidon Adventure, and the dialog was wretched. Just about the only saving grace of the film is that it has some interesting art direction (some of which works well while other aspects fall under the category of over-the-top silliness) with the skeleton bridge being the highlight. Also, there’s the fatal flaw in the construction of the world: the thing that made the world needs sunlight (which it created) to survive, and to keep the world from being destroyed, it has to be destroyed (though wouldn’t that destroy the world too?). Talk about a bad rip-off of Lord of the Rings.
Going My Way (1944) & The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)
Bing Crosby stars as Father O’Malley, the coolest priest in movies. Going My Way is essentially the story of a friendship that develops between O’Malley and the much older Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald). Father O’Malley must get Father Fitzgibbon to change his ways in order to be more relevant to younger generations while still giving him the respect due him as an older, senior priest. The Bells of St. Mary’s has Father O’Malley teaming up with Sister Mary Benedict (Ingrid Bergman) to keep the St. Mary’s school open, with prayer being one of the main tools used to combat the unfriendly developer next door who wants to turn St. Mary’s into a parking lot. It also contains one of the sweetest nativity stories in it. Each film stands on its own, and they can be watched in any order. With people like Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman in the clergy, it makes the priesthood look that much more attractive.
Worst
Red Sonja (1985)
And I thought Conan the Destroyer was bad. The action scenes were anything but thrilling, the kid was almost more annoying than the kid in The Poseidon Adventure, and the dialog was wretched. Just about the only saving grace of the film is that it has some interesting art direction (some of which works well while other aspects fall under the category of over-the-top silliness) with the skeleton bridge being the highlight. Also, there’s the fatal flaw in the construction of the world: the thing that made the world needs sunlight (which it created) to survive, and to keep the world from being destroyed, it has to be destroyed (though wouldn’t that destroy the world too?). Talk about a bad rip-off of Lord of the Rings.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Bragging Time
I just saw, on the big screen, with an audience, in a double bill with The Magnificent Ambersons, the greatest movie of all time: Citizen Kane. It is still all it's cracked up to be, and seeing it on the big screen caused me to notice a couple things I had never seen before. If you have the chance to see it on the big screen, go directly to the theater, do not pass Go, do not collect $200.
Top & Bottom of 2007 - #4
Here we have a silent film and a film featuring a silent comedian. One is much better than the other.
Best
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
This is a wonderfully simple and beautiful love story of a man who, after falling prey to the vixen from the city, falls in love with his wife all over again, remembering why he married her in the first place. There are some beautifully realized camera effects in the beginning, and the final half hour is told exclusively through the visuals, without a single title card to be found (I think).
Worst
How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965)
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting very much when I watched it, but it had Buster Keaton in it, and I figured that even if the rest of the movie was a waste of time, at least Keaton’s scenes would be funny. As it turned out his scenes were the most amusing part of the film, but since he played such a broad stereotype of a witch doctor with minimal physical comedy, even his scenes were painful to watch. The rest of the film is pretty standard beach movie stuff where all the boys go gaga over the new exotic beach babe, and all the other girls get jealous. (The ironic thing is I usually find most of the "plain" beach babes to be more attractive than the new "exotic" one.) I felt like I should go to confession after watching this film. Buster Keaton should go to confession for being in the film.
Best
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
This is a wonderfully simple and beautiful love story of a man who, after falling prey to the vixen from the city, falls in love with his wife all over again, remembering why he married her in the first place. There are some beautifully realized camera effects in the beginning, and the final half hour is told exclusively through the visuals, without a single title card to be found (I think).
Worst
How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965)
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting very much when I watched it, but it had Buster Keaton in it, and I figured that even if the rest of the movie was a waste of time, at least Keaton’s scenes would be funny. As it turned out his scenes were the most amusing part of the film, but since he played such a broad stereotype of a witch doctor with minimal physical comedy, even his scenes were painful to watch. The rest of the film is pretty standard beach movie stuff where all the boys go gaga over the new exotic beach babe, and all the other girls get jealous. (The ironic thing is I usually find most of the "plain" beach babes to be more attractive than the new "exotic" one.) I felt like I should go to confession after watching this film. Buster Keaton should go to confession for being in the film.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Top & Bottom of 2007 - #5
Best
Cape Fear (1962)
Robert Mitchum oozes quite menace as he harasses the man (Gregory Peck) responsible for sending him to prison. He makes subtle threats, leers at Peck’s preteen daughter, and always manages to be right around the corner, no matter where the family goes. What makes the film even more sinister is that Mitchum’s character manipulates the law, using it to further his harassment of Peck’s family. Truly one of the greatest Hitchcock films Hitchcock never directed (along with Charade and Les Diaboliques).
Worst
Witchfinder General (1968)
This might have made an interesting film, but instead it was content to be a heavy-handed, nihilistic indictment of power in general and the church in particular.
Cape Fear (1962)
Robert Mitchum oozes quite menace as he harasses the man (Gregory Peck) responsible for sending him to prison. He makes subtle threats, leers at Peck’s preteen daughter, and always manages to be right around the corner, no matter where the family goes. What makes the film even more sinister is that Mitchum’s character manipulates the law, using it to further his harassment of Peck’s family. Truly one of the greatest Hitchcock films Hitchcock never directed (along with Charade and Les Diaboliques).
Worst
Witchfinder General (1968)
This might have made an interesting film, but instead it was content to be a heavy-handed, nihilistic indictment of power in general and the church in particular.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Top & Bottom of 2007 - #6
Best
Sergeant York (1941)
Gary Cooper puts in the performance of a lifetime as Alvin York, a man who after finding God, spends the rest of his life trying to be the best person he can. This leads him to WWI, where he manages to win just about every award and commendation available for his heroics. And yet through it all he remains as humble as ever. One thing that really struck me was in a scene where York has a debate with one of his commanding officers over the morality of war, and the arguments of both men come from Scripture. And neither man has faulty exegesis. That is not something I would expect to see in a movie today.
Worst
Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)
The plot was mostly concerned with Dracula killing three men who were instrumental in bringing him back to life. It is also one of those dumb horror films in which none of the main characters die (though if the filmmakers are truly committed to their world they would) and yet all the supporting characters get bumped off. Sure the colors were gorgeous and Christopher Lee was fabulous as Dracula, but the deeply flawed script puts it squarely in Mystery Science Theater 3000 territory.
Sergeant York (1941)
Gary Cooper puts in the performance of a lifetime as Alvin York, a man who after finding God, spends the rest of his life trying to be the best person he can. This leads him to WWI, where he manages to win just about every award and commendation available for his heroics. And yet through it all he remains as humble as ever. One thing that really struck me was in a scene where York has a debate with one of his commanding officers over the morality of war, and the arguments of both men come from Scripture. And neither man has faulty exegesis. That is not something I would expect to see in a movie today.
Worst
Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)
The plot was mostly concerned with Dracula killing three men who were instrumental in bringing him back to life. It is also one of those dumb horror films in which none of the main characters die (though if the filmmakers are truly committed to their world they would) and yet all the supporting characters get bumped off. Sure the colors were gorgeous and Christopher Lee was fabulous as Dracula, but the deeply flawed script puts it squarely in Mystery Science Theater 3000 territory.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Oscar Predictions
For a short hiatus from my top and bottom 10 lists, since the Oscar nominations are being announced tomorrow, here are the five films I think will be nominated for best picture.
Atonement
Juno
No Country for Old Men
Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
There Will Be Blood
Of course I would not be terribly surprised if either Michael Clayton or American Gangster scores a nomination as well, and as for a couple dark horse candidates, I'm going with Ratatouille and Hairspray.
We'll see tomorrow how I did.
Atonement
Juno
No Country for Old Men
Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
There Will Be Blood
Of course I would not be terribly surprised if either Michael Clayton or American Gangster scores a nomination as well, and as for a couple dark horse candidates, I'm going with Ratatouille and Hairspray.
We'll see tomorrow how I did.
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