Friday Quote: Bambi

"Nearly everybody gets twitterpated in the springtime. For example: You're walking along, minding your own business. You're looking neither to the left, nor to the right, when all of a sudden you run smack into a pretty face. Woo-woo! You begin to get weak in the knees. Your head's in a whirl. And then you feel light as a feather, and before you know it, you're walking on air. And then you know what? You're knocked for a loop, and you completely lose your head!"

Bambi (1942)

The Karate Kid (1984)

After moving to The Valley, New Jersey kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) finds himself the target of bullies from the local Cobra Kai dojo. With the help of his apartment building's handyman Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita) Daniel-san is able to learn some important life lessons.

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Usually when one thinks of the cinema of the 1980's, thoughts turn to Stallone, Schwarzenegger and their countless imitators. It was an era of big guns, big muscles and buckets of blood. It was also the era of supply-side economics and cocaine. Everything in the 80's was about excess, just look at the shoulder-pads some chicks were rocking! And the hair! When viewed in this context, The Karate Kid is a bit of an anomaly. Put aside all the "wax on, wax off" and "catch fly with chopstick" stuff and this film is really about balance. It's not even a hidden message either, Miyagi talks about it several times in the film. And boy does it get you to hate macho men like John Kreese. When you think about how this film was marketed to teenagers, It almost seems downright subversive! Toaism for kids! But then again, to be truly subversive, don't you have to actually influence people's thoughts and actions? This movie only succeeded in filling karate classes to their breaking point. Oh well, it's at least nice to know that someone was attempting to restore balance to our cinemas.

Great Directors Poll: The Results!

Well here we are. Two years and 607 posts in. Not too shabby for a blog that generates roughly $0.15 a month if we're lucky. But then again this was never about the money. This blog emerged out of love. A love for cinema and desire to share that love with the world. And what do you know? Love is contagious! What began as two cinema nerds writing in their little apartment is now seven people on two continents sharing their love with the world. And if you are reading this, then the odds are pretty good that you have the bug as well. Don't worry. You're amongst friends here. Gooble gobble! We accept you, one of us!

Now on to why you are really here...

What follows are the results to our first ever Favorite Directors Poll! Lots of really great contributions from a lot of great people. In addition to readers and contributors to this blog, we also got lists from fellow film bloggers, a pair of comic book artists, a comic book writer, a painter, a film programmer and two filmmakers! Not too shabby if we don't say so ourselves! Lots of great directors can be found on these lists and all of them are worth checking out. Take this list as an opportunity to discover a new favorite!

In matters of a tie, names are listed alphabetically. Don't like ties? Deal with it!

Honorable Mentions: John Waters, David Fincher, Hayao Miyazaki

The Flight of Dragons (1982)

The power of magic is fading in a world of reason and logic. The wizard Carolinus (Harry Morgan) summons his three brothers in hopes that together they can create a haven for all magical creatures, safe from the outside world. The evil fourth brother Ommadon (James Earl Jones) refuses to hide away and instead vows to use his powers to control and destroy mankind. Carolinus then organizes a quest, headed by a 20th century man of science (John Ritter), to steal Ommadon's crown, the source of his power.

This film is one of the few non-Disney animated films I grew up with. I've met very few people who have seen this film, so I'm always defending it despite the fact that it's all over the place. Once you get past the somewhat wonky animation and crazy monsters, it's actually an interesting story about magic versus science. One could even look at it as a story of religion's place in the modern world ruled by logic. Can the two coexist? This film also gets props for being the only movie I've seen that attempts to scientifically explain dragon fire and flight. Not bad for a little cartoon from the 80s!

You'll have a tough time finding this one without purchasing it outright, but you can watch individual clips on YouTube if you're interested. At least get it for the kids!

Verisimilitude

Dear Hollywood Film Executives,

Long time fan, first time complainer. Like most Americans, I love to spend my hard-earned cash on seeing your movies in theaters while eating overpriced popcorn as well as buying every edition of certain movies on DVD and Blu-ray. Also, like many Americans, I love comic books and comic book movies. There is just something so fun about watching grown men and women run around fighting crime in suits made of iron or costumes that would put most fetishists to shame. Yet, as much as I love these movies you turn out, I have a beef with you — and it's a big one. Let me cut to the chase: Stop making comic book and superhero movies grounded in reality!

Wow, I feel so much better getting that off my chest. I will readily admit that I love the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight trilogy, but only so far. Those movies got a lot right where the Tim Burton/Joel Shumacher films got a lot wrong. Yet of course, where Nolan nailed Bruce Wayne as a man with personal issues, Burton and Shumacher succeeded in bringing big, bold comic book worlds to life on the silver screen.

When I read a Batman graphic novel, I love seeing the Dark Knight take on a psychotic mass murderer like the Joker or Victor Zsasz who are both grounded in a certain amount of reality. At the same time I also love seeing him grapple with Mr. Freeze, Solomon Grundy or Poison Ivy, who are characters so removed from reality it makes them a blast to read about.

Batman can have a dash of reality now and then, but think about it: he's a grown man running around dressed as a giant bat. Does no one in Gotham ever put two and two together, that the Caped Crusader has all the goods and equipment only a billionaire could buy? Yeah, that's real realistic. Now we have the upcoming Superman movie produced by Nolan, which you are so proud to tout as grounded in reality. Really? What the fuck Warner Bros.? Have any of you execs ever actually read a Superman comic? 

Double-Bill: B&W Bros

Rumble Fish and Tetro

Friday Quote: Vivre Sa Vie

"Why must one always talk? Often one shouldn't talk, but live in silence. The more one talks, the less the words mean."

Vivre Sa Vie (1962)

Audition (1999)

A the urging of a friend, a middle-aged widower (Ryo Ishibashi) agrees to hold a faux film addition so that he might find a new wife to share his life with. He may have found the perfect woman in Asami (Eihi Shiina), or maybe not...

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A lot has been made of Takashi Miike's recent forays into samurai films. Nearly every review for both 13 Assassins and Hara-Kiri: Death Of A Samurai brought up how classically styled and restrained they were. How could the man who perpetrated Ichi The Killer and Gozu be capable of directing slow-moving tracking shots and subtle performances? To me this is really no big surprise. Look no further than the first half of Audition. If it weren't for the cover art and quotes on the box, I think it would take quite a while for most viewers to realize that something demented was afoot. The early parts of this film play out like an average family drama about a widower trying to re-enter the dating pool. In fact, the low-key opening only helps to make the final reveal all the more shocking and disturbing. Any hack can go for shocking. It takes a true master to know when to hold back. I'm glad that Hara-Kiri got to screen in competition at Cannes. After twenty years and ninety films, the snootier cineastes of the world are finally waking up to the greatness of Takashi Miike!

Damsels In Distress (2012)

I feel like I should preface this by saying that I have not seen any of Whit Stillman's previous films, so I had no preconceptions of what this film should live up to nor about his style.

I think the best way to sum up how I felt after first watching Damsels in Distress is 'delightfully bewildered'. I wasn't entirely sure what I'd seen but I knew that I liked it. I possibly even loved it.

The film centers on three college girls lead by Violet (Greta Gerwig) who take on transfer student, Lily (Analeigh Tipton) as their latest in a series of projects. They also run the suicide prevention center (where donuts and dance classes prevail in favor of more traditional methods) and have encounters with a series of men, including wannabe-womanizer Charlie (Adam Brody) and idiotic frat-boys like Frank (Ryan Metcalf).

This film is really just...odd. But in a nice way. The dialogue is awkward and stilted and there seems to be a lack of 'brain to mouth' filter in many of the characters but that's part of the overall atmosphere.

As fantastical as this world can be, it's still somewhat based in reality. Stillman seems to be drawing his inspiration from the American (east coast) University culture that he grew up in. And though my knowledge of this world comes entirely via cultural osmosis, this did not hinder my enjoyment in the least.

Its episodic structure appealed to me, too, as these kinds of films, especially as they tend to be slower paced, feel quite calming to me. Instead of jump-cuts and BLAH we are left to meander along with the characters like a whimsical stroll in the park.

The film is largely dialogue driven so you need to be able to keep up with that. I feel that watching a lot of older films is a great way to get used to dialogue heavy scripts.

Overall highlights: the ridiculously roundabout description of anal sex that went over my head for a good while; the awkward dance sequence to 'Things Are Looking Up' an homage to A Damsel in Distress (1937) presumably the inspiration for Stillman's title; Violet's obsession with dance crazes and the closing scene with her own dance craze, The Sambola.

Oh, and I've fallen more than just a little bit in love with Greta Gerwig.

Spring Fashion at the Movies

Tomorrow is the first day of spring! As I stated in my fall fashion post, I think films are a great source of inspiration when it comes to my wardrobe. Spring to me means lots of brights and pastels, florals, and vintage silhouettes. Here are some of my favorite spring-ish looks from the silver screen!

Renee Zellweger as Barbara Novak in Down With Love (2003)

I love the costumes in this movie. When we first meet Miss Novak, she's wearing a pink and white dress with matching coat and hat, and it's so very 60s. Pink and white just makes you think of an Easter bunny in the best possible way!

The Godfather (1972)

Forget plot summary. What can one really say about The Godfather that hasn't already been said numerous times before and far more eloquently? It's a towering achievement, plain and simple. Great filmmaking, great storytelling, great acting. The fact that it emerged from so much studio chaos and doubt only makes it that much greater. As a film fan, I am always struggling with the debate between watching new films v. re-watching old favorites. At just under three hours, re-watching The Godfather will take up a sizable chunk of your day. Think about it: you could knock out two 90-min movies you've never seen in that same amount of time! But then again, what are the odds of either of those films being greater than The Godfather? Probably a billion to one. Though an equally great film did come along two years later in the form of The Godfather Part II, true masterpieces like this don't come along very often. It would be insane to only experience such greatness once in your lifetime. I look forward to watching this film and it's first sequel many more times before I leave this world. No matter what, that is time well spent.

Double-Bill: Old Maids

Late Spring and The Heiress

Friday Quote: Ben-Hur

"You can break a man's skull, you can arrest him, you can throw him into a dungeon. But how do you control what's up here? How do you fight an idea?"

 Ben-Hur (1959)

Mulan (1998)

Another Disney film out of the vault! I was so excited for the Blu-ray release of Mulan that I literally had it written on my calendar at home and at work (I'm a nerd, I know).  Had to go to two different places to find it, but now it's mine, MINE!

Why do I enjoy this film so much? First of all, the animation is pretty great. From the opening brushstrokes creating stylized clouds and the Great Wall of China, to the fun switch in style in "A Girl Worth Fighting For," to the jaw-dropping rush of the Huns on horseback, it's all amazing. I know I always gush about the animation when I'm talking about Disney, but they really know what they're doing over there. Secondly, the film has some seriously good songs. "Reflection" is moving for anyone who ever felt like a disappointment, "A Girl Worth Fighting For" is silly and fun, and "Be A Man" is a super catchy earworm that never leaves your brain EVER. Let's get down to business...to defeat...the Huns....HOOAH! Whoops, there goes my week.

Combine these elements with some topnotch vocal performances (Harvey Fierstein and Eddie Murphy being my favorites) and genuinely funny and touching moments, and you've got yourself another Disney classic. This is definitely one worth revisiting. Go watch Mulan kick ass!

End Of Watch (2012)

Somewhere I heard/read Edgar Wright lamenting how much movie trailers give away. In his ideal world, the trailer for Shaun Of The Dead wouldn't have included a single zombie. Can you imagine how awesome that reveal would be for a first-time viewer? Unfortunately we all know that is never going to happen. In order to get asses in seats, you have to present them with all that eye-candy up front. So what if there are no surprises remaining when they actually slap down their hard-earned cash?

I went into End Of Watch knowing next to nothing. I knew the conceit that this was a "found footage" film about cops. That was it. As a result, I found myself constantly surprised with the different and unexpected turns this film takes. Right up to the end. Everything was a first time experience. Thank GOD I had not seen this film's trailer. SO much is given away. Plot twists that come more than an hour into the run time are given away! Please see this movie and (if at all possible) please go in blind. It's so good you'll stop caring about who is supposedly holding the camera or who edited together all this supposedly "found" footage.

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure was already a comedic romp rife with creativity. So how do you follow up a film whose climax featured Ghengis Kahn wreaking havoc in a sporting goods store and Sigmund Freud cock-blocking Billy the Kid and Socrates in a mall food court? How about having your heroes get killed by evil future robot doppelgängers then challenge the grim reaper so they can escape their own private Easter Bunny-filled hell and return to the land of the living with a pair of martians to build good robot versions of themselves from parts bought at Home Depot. You got to admit, that's some bold storytelling right there. That's the screenplay equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting. Think about The Seventh Seal scene where our protagonists play chess (and Clue, and Twister...) with Death himself. The sheer amount of balls that screenwriters Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson had! To write a script that references a film 98% of its target audience hasn't even heard of? That earns my respect...and a little air guitar.

Funny Face (1957)

Ummm...how have I not written about this movie yet? It's one of my absolute favorites! Audrey Hepburn stars as Jo Stockton, a bookstore beatnik yanked into the world of modeling by Quality Magazine editor Maggie Prescott (Kay Thompson) and fashion photographer Dick Avery (Fred Astaire). They take gorgeous pictures, sing songs, frolic around Paris, and generally be fabulous. Could a fashion-loving cinema freak ask for anything more?

This film is a love letter to 50s fashion photography. The character of Dick Avery is based on renowned photographer Richard Avedon, and Maggie Prescott is based on legendary editor, eccentric, and icon Diana Vreeland (who I gushed about here). The film also features appearances by real models Dovima and Suzy Parker among others. But let's get back to the film. It's eye candy of the very best kind. The "Think Pink" number alone is just too fantastic! Add Hepburn's famous cafe freestyle dance, the photography montage, the grand reveal of her makeover, and the songs by Gershwin, and you've got yourself one chic and fabulously fun movie!

Here's a sneak peek at the "Think Pink" number...if you want more, it's streaming on Netflix right now! And do you really need an excuse other than looking at Hepburn's gorgeous face? I didn't think so!

Collateral (2004)

Cab driver Max (Jamie Foxx) gets more than he bargained for when he agrees to shuttle around hit-man Vincent (Tom Cruise) for one night in Los Angeles.

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There are upsides and downsides to hanging out with a sociopath. On the upside, he will take you to hip jazz bars and Korean dance clubs that you never would have gone to on your own. He'll also help you to stand up to that boss that's been giving you nothing but grief and will even buy flowers for your sick mother. And when things get out of control, he has your back. But then again he's probably the reason things got out of hand in the first place. Oh and heaven help you if you ever try to get between him and his intended target. He does not care if she's the woman you just met earlier that day and formed a strong bond with. "Bros before hoes" does not apply when a sociopath is involved. But I guess if can stand up to him and survive, you're pretty certain to get the girl. So the next time a sociopath enters your life, please keep all of these points in mind.

Double-Bill: Maccabees

Munich and Inglourious Basterds

Friday Quote: The Truman Show

"We've become bored with watching actors give us phony emotions. We are tired of pyrotechnics and special effects. While the world he inhabits is, in some respects, counterfeit, there's nothing fake about Truman himself. No scripts, no cue cards. It isn't always Shakespeare, but it's genuine. It's a life."

The Truman Show (1998)

The Piano (1993)

After seeing Quevenzhané Wallis at the Oscars this year, I was curious to finally see the film that won another young actress an Oscar. Anna Paquin became the second youngest Oscar winner for her performance in this film (see her adorable acceptance speech here) and it was well earned.

A mute woman (Holly Hunter) and her young daughter (Anna Paquin) are sent to New Zealand for an arranged marriage. Also along is the woman's beloved piano, which serves as her voice, in a way. Her marriage ends up being completely devoid of any affection on her part and her new husband sells her piano to his friend and neighbor. She learns she can earn the piano back by giving the neighbor lessons...but there are a few more conditions she didn't anticipate.

In addition to Hunter and Paquin's outstanding performances, two things stood out to me while watching this film, the first being the music. The music she plays on her piano isn't classically pretty. It's moody, it's dissonant, it communicates her innermost feelings and frustrations, and it's perfect for her character. The second thing was the photography. So many of the shots in this film are eerie and beautiful. A mother and daughter, dressed all in black, on a gloomy beach with all of their possessions in the world. The woman with her back to us, on her knees in the mud in utter despair. And the last shot, which I won't spoil, is one of the most hauntingly gorgeous shots I've ever seen.

As of this writing, The Piano is streamable on Netflix so I suggest you get some music in your life! Enjoy.

Stop Making Sense (1984)

Though I did not see this movie until I was in my 20s, I was already familiar with every beat and yelp of the music. You see, back before the advent of digital file sharing, music collections tended to be much smaller and as a result, you really really really got to know an album backwards and forwards. After more than a decade of hearing this album on numerous family fishing trips, I assumed this music held no new discoveries. And then I saw the film...

Unlike most concert films which consist primarily for the purpose of capturing a performance, Stop Making Sense is a visual feast! Each new song is like its own performance art piece. You get to watch the band literally evolve right before your eyes. From David Byrne alone with a guitar and boom box, to a four-piece, to a full-on party of musicians and backup singers. You never know what is going to come next. Running? Yes! Lamp dancing? Yes! A giant suit? YES! Due to an abundance of bad blood, the odds of Talking Heads ever reuniting are next to nil, but at least we have this visual document to cherish forever and ever. Oh and major bonus points for having it be directed by Jonathan Demme and shot by Jordan Cronenweth!

When You're Here, You're Cinefamily!

I have a Black Card. It may not get me expensive jewelry or allow me into the most exclusive lounges, but it does make me a member of one of the coolest independent cinemas around. That's right, I'm talking about The Cinefamily in Los Angeles. The only thing that would make this non-profit group of movie-lovers better is if they operated out of Orange County so I could go to more screenings.

You don't have to be a member to enjoy their showings though, and most events are a mere $12 — the same price as going to your local AMC. But if you can spare the scratch, it's definitely worth getting a Black Card (annual membership). It comes with some nifty perks, such as priority entry, free popcorn, neat swag and guest passes, plus you get the extra satisfaction of knowing you're donating to a worthy endeavor. And if you go often enough, you get to know the regulars and the programmers alike. It really is a welcoming, family dynamic. I'm a bit shy, myself, but this is the kind of place where you can strike up a conversation with the person next to you in line (true, said conversation usually begins with, “Is this the Black Card line?” but it hardly need stop there).

One of the great things about The Cinefamily is that they care about making their screenings fun. It's an experience, not just your typical theater outing. Part of the fun appears in the form of food (doesn't it always?). It's such a nice surprise to show up for a film and find that there are complimentary tie-in refreshments. For the midnight screening of Alien, for instance, they made their own "Android's Blood" to drink. My personal favorite snack provided so far was the Green (hardboiled) Eggs and Ham (bacon bits) to munch on while watching prints of Dr. Seuss' cartoons and the only version of The Lorax I choose to acknowledge.

Seasonal Movie Watching!

Last night we all watched The Prince of Egypt, like my sister and I do every year around Lent. We're not particularly religious, but we were raised Catholic and have found ourselves watching the biblical movies we grew up with over and over again this time of year. In fact, my entire year is organized by the movies I watch at certain seasons and holidays and I'm getting a little OCD about it. I have New Years Eve movies, St. Patrick's Day movies, Lent/Easter movies, Fourth of July movies, summer in general movies, Christmas movies, and don't even get me started on Halloween. And some don't even make sense! If I can't watch all my movies, oooooh gurl! Watch out!

I know it's a little crazy to insist on watching the same movies year after year, but it's nice having something to look forward to all the time. If I don't allow myself to watch the movie until it's "time," I get more excited to watch it, and it's like revisiting an old friend. I just have to make sure I'm giving myself time to watch new films!

Do you watch the same films every year? What does your list look like?

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

With the Spanish Civil War raging all around her, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) escapes into a horrific yet beautiful fantasy world of fantasy and horror.

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Whenever Pan's Labyrinth comes up in conversation (which is actually quite often if you're a film lover and love Guillermo Del Toro) I'm always surprised to hear, "Oh yeah, I love that movie!" It seems that regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, education, etc. people have seen and adore this movie. And it's not like this is Roadhouse which gets shown five times every weekend on cable either. This is a foreign film, with weird creatures, a political subtext and a less than happy ending. Nothing about that last sentence screams, "mass market appeal!" Yet my highly informal research method doesn't lie: People love this movie. So what is it that keeps them coming back? Maybe it's as simple as the extremely well-designed creatures, or maybe it's something more primal? Perhaps it has something to do with our collective unconscious? I don't really have any answers and I'm kind of glad I don't. To over-analyze the appeal of this film seems like a sure-fire way to make the magic disappear.  All I know for certain is that Guillermo Del Toro struck gold with this one. From an astounding and ever expanding filmography, this is the one he will be remembered for.

Double-Bill: Death From Overwork

Branded To Kill and Ichi The Killer

Friday Quote: Jesus Christ Superstar

"Every time I look at you I don't understand

Why you let the things you did get so out of hand

You'd have managed better if you'd had it planned

Why'd you choose such a backward time is such a strange land? 

If you'd come today you could have reached a whole nation.

Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication."

Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)