Movie Update X: The Sequel

As of right now, the only movies left on my list are the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Silence of the Lambs, and Leon.

Lawrence of Arabia (#32) – a good movie, but way too long. This movie was 3 2/3 hours long!!! It’s obvious this movie was meat to be a masterpiece, and it is. The shots were beautiful. The acting was excellent. The plot was interesting but it did drag at times. Alec Guinness was in it, and isn't that enough? Perhaps the best piece of information I got out of this movie was that I now know it is acceptable for a man to ride a camel side-saddle.

Modern Times (#74) – The second Chaplin movie on the list. I wasn’t so crazy about this one, but there are some iconic scenes in it. It is worth seeing simply for the “Nonsense Song” scene, it is great (and I believe it's the only time Chaplin is seen in a film speaking). I think this is still considered a silent movie, but I think a better classification is a non-talkie, while there was dialog, it came from inanimate objects – the characters were silent with very few exceptions (the aforementioned song is the only one I can think of). I preferred City Lights over this one, I think that one captured the genius of Chaplin more than this one, IMO, because it was more character driven (although this one is also character driven). I think CL was better in terms of showing off Chaplin’s talents. Also, I don't like it when films are so overt in their politics. This one was blatantly anti-capitalist.

City of God (#17) – I think this movie was excellent and went right were The Pianist and Hotel Rwanda went wrong. The director and cast were able to depict a horrible, real-life situation that that most people are unfamiliar with and told a compelling story with complex characters and actors doing an exceptional job. Maybe it’s the subtitles that keep this movie from getting its proper due, but this is an excellent film.

Amelie (#41) – I don’t think I’m qualified to say this, but I’m going to say it anyway – this movie was Very French. It’s a good story about a young girl who touches the lives of almost everyone she comes into contact with. I think it would have been nice to have followed the subplots a little further, but I can see how that would have taken way too much time and made this a much more complex movie than it was. I have to say there did seem to be unnecessary nudity and sex in this movie. Normally I wouldn’t mind this, but this movie would have made an excellent PG-13 or even PG movie, and therefore more accessible, but because of nudity and sex that is completely unnecessary, it gets slapped with an R. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think this movie, while not necessarily a children’s movie would have been great for young adults. Is this typical of French movies?

Singing in the Rain (#77) – I don’t like musicals. There, I said it. This was no exception. This was one of those movies that I kept tuning out (usually when the singing started). I’ve read that this is the best musical out there, but I think that award has to go to the Blues Brothers. Sure, some purists might say the BB isn’t really a comedy, but I once saw it called a “musical comedy” and that’s good enough for me. (And where the hell is the Blues Brothers on this list?)

Casablanca (#9) – Before this endeavor, I’ve never had any desire to see Casablanca because I thought it was just some sappy love story. I was wrong. This is a great movie with a lot of suspense, action, mystery, and yes – love. This movie is so much more than a love story. I’ve seen criticism of Bogart and Bacall’s acting in this movie, but those critics must have been watching something else. I highly recommend this movie to everyone.

The Elephant Man (#90) – How have I not known about this movie? This was a fantastic movie. The black & white really adds to the movie and it’s authenticity. I also like the intentional hiding of the Elephant Man for a significant part of the movie. This is a movie about much more than the man himself. My one complaint about the movie is that it didn’t explore the Dr’s internal conflict more. Then again, maybe it’s better the audience work through that on its own. I highly recommend this one.

UPDATE: I edited this post. I know I usually don't do that but this was bad, even by my standards. Sorry.

Finals Prep

I'm providing this as a public service announcement because I don't have any finals this semester. However, I care about my readers and hope they both do well.

The foundation to performing well on finals is to stay physically prepared. This, of course, begins with nutrition. In order to take care of that, go to Westlaw and look up this citation: 2006 WLNR 22810675

There, you have your assignment, now start working on that list.

Done

No more classes, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks!

SBA is trying to make its presence known

With comments like this:
“Why do LLM students trundle around the law school with rolling luggage instead of just renting a locker? It's impossible to say. As an immigrant myself, I'm going to guess it's fear of imminent deportation. I, personally, live in constant dread of being sent back to Ireland, where the Potato Famine is now in its 163rd consecutive year.”

First off, what the hell does this have to do with “Return Your Locker Key and Get $20!!” [never mind that it should read: Return Your Locker Key and Get Your $20 Back!!]?

Secondly, and I don’t know if 3 years of law school has just turned my sensitivity to super-high, but that comment seems pretty damn offensive. I was going to add that this was from the same class that brought us the infamous “Party” but decided not to.

At any rate, SBA will remain worthless, only now it looks like it will be worthless, annoying, and a douche about it. (Another thing 3 years of law school has thought me is how to use the word “douche.”)

Hurt

One of, if not the, best music videos I've ever seen.

I think I smell Oscar!

Movie Update IX: The Final Frontier*

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, its time for another movie update. I slowed down quie a bit from my original pace. I’ve seen these over the last two weeks or so.

Rashomon (#72) – the 2nd Kurosawa movie on the list and the second one I’ve seen. A simple story of a murder told from the perspectives of three witnesses. Kurosawa did a great job of illustrating how perception is rarely reality and really leaves you wondering. It was a fantastic movie. The imagery was great, the cinematography superb, and even for a black and white movie, beautiful shots. I think I prefer Seven Samurai over this one, but not by much. I highly recommend this movie, especially for those legally (or criminally) inclined.

The Pianist (#57) – I don’t get what was so good about this movie. I think it was okay at best. Adrian Brody’s acting was horrible, IMO. I’ll save you some time, pick up the DVD, take a good look as his serious expression in his face, and see if you can stand that expression (or lack thereof). If you can, you might like this movie.

There Will be Blood (#15) – This was an excellent movie. I can’t help but compare it with No Country for Old Men since they were both up for Best Picture. I think they were both great movies, but very different. While No Country was a character study, putting several interesting characters in a situation and watching them interact, this one was more plot driven. It was a good plot, but I didn’t see the connection of the two stories until after I thought more about it. Here’s the movie, in a nutshell, you have an oilman making his fortune during the turn of the 19th Century while a young boy follows a calling from God to start up a church. It is fascinating to see how these two correspond to each other. Overall, I think I like this one better than No Country, but both were excellent. Highly recommended.

A Clockwork Orange (#51) – A confession, for only the second time during this endeavor, I didn’t finish watching a movie. This one was too damn weird. After an hour into this movie, I couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on. The characters were beyond weird, the shots bizarre, the plot indecipherable – even the language was at, at times, nonsensical. I’m glad this was the last Kubrick movie I had to see. If it were the first I’d have dreaded seeing the rest. One day I’ll have to revisit this movie, but not now.

Maltese Falcon (#69) – This was a great movie. A suspense/mystery movie that really kept me wondering what was going on, who to believe, and what would come next – everything a mystery should do. Bogart’s acting was great (I think I’m becoming a fan) as was the rest of the cast. I also thought the story was good and didn’t waste time with a lot of character set-up. You are really put in the position of the private eye and you have just as much info as he does. Highly recommended.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (#49) – Can you believe this is the first Jim Carry movie I’ve ever seen? I usually find him annoying, but this looked like a different kind of movie so it had been on my to-see list for a long time. I really liked the story in this one. I also enjoyed the storytelling and thought it to be a very good movie. Basically, a guy wants to have memories of an ex erased. Midway through the procedure he changes his mind and tries to stop it. It also showed that Carry just might be able to act like more than a dumbass.

North by Northwest (#27) – Hitchcock has yet to disappoint me. This was a great mystery movie. I also give it kudos for the most accurate depiction of drunk driving I’ve ever seen on film… or at least I’ve heard. Anyhow, if you like Hitchcock, I’m sure you’ll love this one. If you don’t like Hitchcock, what’s wrong with you? I think it also worth mentioning this is the first Cary Grant movie I think I’ve ever seen. He did a great job.

Jaws (#91) – Yes, I’ve now finally seen Jaws. (Jennebelle is probably thinking “about damn time!”) I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Great suspense even if the ending can already be assumed. But exactly how it ended threw me for a loop. Very good performances by everyone, and good special effects. I also like how you can see this move and not immediately identify it as being from the 70s.

Well, that leaves 13 movies on my list. Next up are: Lawrence of Arabia, Amelie, Modern Times, City of God, and Some Like it hot. In what order, who knows, but LoA is roughly 3.5 hours (bleh).

Back to Clockwork Orange for a bit – this is the opening scene. It freaked me out and it just got worse from there.



*Yea, I know it's a little late to be adding (what I consider) clever subtitles to my movie updates, but I did it anyway.

My new favorite town

Cut N Shoot, Texas. I was going to post a link to its Wiki page, but they misspelled it as "Cut and Shoot." I went through the town this week and the population sign spelled it "Cut N Shoot."

Anyhow, any every other town in Texas, it has a story. Posted without the permission of JSTOR or Western Folklore.

Has sufficient time passed . . .

. . . for me to wonder if they pried the gun from Heston’s cold dead fingers?

An Absolut World

And, as expected, the controversy.

I think the funniest part of the story was the nimrod who said he poured all his Absolut down the drain. What sense does that make -- you already bought the booze.

For even dumber (and some racist) comments, you'd have to look here.

UPDATE: ad pulled

Movie Update VIII: The Revenge

The movie watching has slowed to a trickle lately. That’s probably a good thing; anyhow, I’m down to 20 movies left on my list for me to see. I’ve knocked out over 2/3 of that list. There are roughly 6 weeks until graduation meaning I’ll need to average 3-4 movies a week. Very doable.

So, here are the latest movies I’ve seen:

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (#54) – “Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinkin' badges!” What more do I have to say. Plenty, since I didn’t even know that this is the movie where that line came from. This is actually a very good movie. I think it’s the first Bogart movie I’ve seen, and the trivia I found over at IMDB is pretty interesting regarding this movie. Anyhow, it’s a movie about a few down on their luck Americans in Mexico. I’m sure there’s a good story as to how they got there, but they don’t go into that. Anyhow, they get a taste of gold fever and head out to them thar hill. Greed takes over, and what you have left is a great story about greed and human nature. I think this was a great movie and one I would likely see again. Recommended.

Sunset Blvd. (#30) – A great movie with a few iconic scenes and lines (“I’m ready for my close-up Mr. DeMille” is just one of the gems. Sure it might sound a bit trite, but in context it is a very sad scene). It’s a movie about a has-been silent movie actress who couldn’t make it in the talkies. Of course, I’m over simplifying it, there’s some social commentary and subplots involving romance, greed and friendship, but it really is a good movie. Highly recommended.

American Beauty (#38) – Somewhat disturbing. I think Kevin Spacy was very good in the movie, as was most of the rest of the cast. The subject matter can be offsetting at times, but only to the point that it serves its purpose in the film. I was hoping to see a little more ambiguity in the ending, but it works well as is. There is something to be said for a movie in which the most “normal” person in the movie is a troubled high school girl. This movie certainly isn’t for everyone, I’m still wondering if it was for me.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (#7) – Another Nicholson movie. Having already crossed The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly off my list, this was the highest ranking movie remaining. It was very good movie with a great performance from Nicholson (as well as Danny DeVito, whom I didn’t even recognize). In reading more about the movie, I find it odd that Nurse Ractched is taken as such a villain, even the AFI ranked her as #5 of the worst villains. Maybe I’m just a little morbid, but I didn’t think she was that bad. I’m not saying she was a sympathetic character, but I just don’t think she was all that bad. Anyhow, I recommend you see this movie. You should probably see it just because it was when Nicholson was a great actor unlike now where he is reduced to merely playing himself over and over.

R.I.P.

Moses

Movie Update VII

Okay, let me knock some of these out. I’ve seen these movies over the last week and a half.

The Manchurian Candidate (#95) – An interesting story, but pretty predictable until you get to the final twist. Then it’s completely predictable. Also, Frank Sinatra is not a good actor. This movie does have perhaps the cheesiest martial arts fight ever captured on film. Think Sinatra in a kung-fu movie, for a couple of minutes. I don’t recommend this one.

All About Eve (#81) – Here is another classic movie that I thought was very good. It’s a story of a young girl trying to make it in Hollywood who becomes enamored by an actress. If you catch it on TV, I say watch it, but unless you are really into old movies, I don’t recommend running out and getting it.

Chinatown (#46) – I had thought about removing any Roman Polanski movies from my list. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize this was a Polanski movie until it started. This is a noir film staring Jack Nicholson. It is purely a mystery movie and I thought it was very good. It has all the elements of a classic gumshoe story and nothing more. If you want to see a good mystery, and don’t mind seeing something by Polanski, give it a try.

Life is Beautiful (#86) – I’ve already talked about this, so I won’t rehash my thoughts other than to say you need to see this movie.

The Third Man (48) – Another Orson Wells movie. Another mystery movie, but it was far too predictable. I had the move almost completely figured out before the first 1/3. While the scenery is beautiful, the shots perfect, and the acting superb, the story was lacking. However, if you can put up with a lack of story in exchange for a beautiful film, you’ll probably like it.

Alien (#52) – I had seen parts of this movie when I was a kid, but never the whole thing. I really liked this film. It looks like it drew heavily from 2001, but had so much more story. I know I was in the minority for having never seen this one before, but if you are in that minority, I recommend you get out and watch this movie. It is great.

Aliens (#68) – Leave it to James Cameron. This movie was too much… well, everything. I didn’t like this one at all, the original was far superior. Maybe I should have seen the original theatrical release and not the “Restored (James Cameron ego-trip) version” that was nearly 2.5 hours.

There are a few others I’ll post in the next day or two.

In case you were wondering

I know I haven't posted my thought on movies in a while. I haven't had the time. And since I haven't been doing it, the number I need to write is increasing. Anyhow, in case you are wondering how my list looks now, here it is:

Wasted days and wasted nights

My movie watching endeavor has taken up far too much of my time. Frankly it’s become an obsession. It is now to the point that I’m scheduling appointments around my movie watching time. I’ve fallen way behind with all my class work and I really just need to get off my ass and do it. So, with all that said, I am abandoning my quest.

Does that mean I’ll probably never see the Lord of the Rings trilogy or Harry Potter? I hope so.

Will I miss out on a few gems that I haven’t gotten to? Probably.

But the bar is coming around the corner and I need to take this as a turning point in my life. While my endeavor has been fun, and I’ve seen some great movies because of it, I think I have to admit I’ve outgrown this.

I think I’m also outgrowing this blog. The state of the UT Blawgosphere is not where it was when I started posting. While there are some good UT blawgers, I’m just contaminating this part of cyberspace. I’m not sure what that means, but I’ll let you know.