Through my teen and adult years writing has been a passion of mine. From supernatural horror novellas staring my friends in middle school, to mystery stage plays in high school, to narcissistic blogging in my 20's... I've always picked up a pen (er, grabbed a keyboard?) at the slightest provocation.
Aspects of writing that I didn't enjoy as much - many of the essays I did in school :P, really bad poetry (I no longer have any delusions that I can be a poet), and creative writing assignments with few parameters. Last one's a little weird right? I'm happy to write about whatever comes to mind in my format of choice, and I'm happy with very specific guidelines like 'write a witty zombie haiku that will appeal to _______ director in order to win tickets to his/her movie'. But the assignments that fall in between? No thanks.
Since I can't very well go around telling people "write whatever you want" (well I could, but they would just think I'm an even bigger idiot), I will instead, propose a specific writing challenge to anyone who is interested (doesn't matter if I know them or not, actually it might be even better if I don't so please feel free to share this blog with all your creative friends):
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Describe yourself to me in 10 Movie Titles
Using titles of films that actually exist, choose 10 that best describe you as a person. You can use titles that convey the message directly (ie. The 40 Year Old Virgin) or where you relate to the content or a particular character (ie. your daily life is a bunch of scenes from Office Space)
Feel free to give a bit of an explanation why you chose the films you did (especially if it's humorous, I love a good real-life-is-funnier-than-fiction story). Or not. I mean, something like Requiem for a Dream is probably pretty self-explanatory.
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In turn I will work on the same assignment and post it here when I'm done. Along with any other lists that I receive. To submit please feel free to send me a message on Facebook, email me if you know the address, or leave a comment here and I'll send it to you.
(As a sidenote, I formulated this idea while signing up to participate in this other writing project of sorts http://aletterfor.me/ which seemed to be getting attention from a handful of friends, thought I should at least give this )
Very interested to see if I get any responses. Happy compiling and writing!
Friday, March 4, 2011
30 Films in 31 Days - 2011 Edition
I'm very late posting this, but my belief is good cinema is never outdated. As some of you are aware, a group of friends and I started doing this "30 Films in 31 Days" challenge about 4 years ago. Primary goals were to catch up on movie-watching and beat the boredom of the winter blahs. For each film watched, the homework was to write a minimum 2-line review of and give it a rating out of 5.
Since its inauguration the group has expanded over FB to include other acquaintances and strangers alike. The currently has 83 members, not all of whom actively take part in the challenge every year, but like to keep tabs on our progress and wish us well. And so, once again, we found ourselves this past January amidst lively discussions, movie poster images, trailers, and even a few movie dates in between.
Even amongst the active participants, we range from those who have to work really hard to get through 30, those who forget to do reviews after the 6th movie, to those who reach 30 by mid-month and keep going on going. I personally made it to 40 films this year owing to some very cold weekends where I didn't bother to leave my apartment.
Below are my collected reviews for 2010, if you would like to take part in the challenge next year, please join the group on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#/group.php?gid=7202166447&ref=ts I guarantee no spam throughout the year, just a few friendly reminders to get your movie on at the end of December.
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1) The Hangover - dir. Todd Phillips
What better way to kick of Jan 1st than with a hangover -- er, I mean THE Hangover! ;) I suppose punchlines that rely heavily on the 'WTF' factor will never be as good as the first time, but there were still plenty of laugh out loud moments. Also being familiar with Zach Galifianakis now, you really get a deeper sense of appreciation watching him master 'awkward' without always having to rely on physical comedy.
4/5
2. The Darjeeling Limited - dir. Wes Anderson
My favourite Wes Anderson film (from what I've seen -- I'm short Fantastic Mr Fox & Life Aquatic) which I watched today with Hotel Chavalier (for those who haven't seen, it's a short meant to precede The Darjeeling Limited and it paints a little background on Jason Schwartzman's character and his relationship with his ex-gf played by Natalie Portman) Seeing the short gives a little more depth to the movie, but is not required to enjoy the movie. Love the writing, love the dialogue.
4.5/5
3. Where the Wild Things Are - dir. Spike Jonze
Another fantastic director, a beloved children's book, and Jim Henson's Puppet Workshop. Not story-driven so much but truly taps into the raw emotion of youth.
3.5/5
4. Green Snake - dir. Tsui Hark
I was surprised when I imdb'd this title and discovered it was made in 1993 as opposed to 5 years (or more) earlier. It's based on Chinese folklore about 2 snake spirits impersonating 2 beautiful women (Maggie Cheung & Joey Wang), living amongst humans learning about love and life. Perhaps this was before Tsui Hark had proved himself enough for anyone to give him any money for special effects because I probably could've found more realistic "snakes" at the CNE midway. Also I found the language challenging (and the subtitles worse) as it flip flopped between vapid flirtations to Buddhist recitations with spiritual powers and mythical beings that have not been explained to me.
2/5
5. Madame X - dir. David Lowell Rich
The 1966 adaptation stars Lana Turner as Holly Parker, wife of a socialite who is blackmailed by her mother in law to leave her husband and son. She wanders the world and tries to forget her sorrows with absinthe, only to find herself decades later in New York with a man threatening to expose her true identity leading to events even more shocking. The DVD jacket gives even more details of the plot and after reading it I thought "what else could there possibly be to show after they've just told me everything?" But what I discovered was an amazing performance by Lana Turner and supporting cast, a character with a lot of depth, and emotional ending that's satisfying but not cliche.
4/5
6. Belle de Jour - dir. Luis Bunuel
This film is described as Bunuel's "most accessible" film and thank god for that! It's the story of a frigid young dr's wife who resorts to escaping to fantasy until she takes a day job at a brothel. However her attachment to one of her clients leads to shocking events blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. Catherine Deneuve is a stunning beauty if not lacking slightly in range when it comes to her acting and the story curious if not always logical.
3.5/5
7. Somewhere - dir. Sophia Coppola
Been looking forward to this one despite being told not to get my hopes too high. As a result I think it's rather pleasant to look at, kept me occupied but not obsessed. Don't expect conflict nor catharsis (even though I think that's what the end is supposed to be about), it's a voyeuristic look at an unconventional family coping rather well and each major character is rather likeable given the characters they're supposed to represent (ie. Stephen Dorff is about the best deadbeat celebrity dad I've ever seen, Elle Fanning is a delightful rich daughter, even the relationship between Elle's mother & father is probably best that can be expected)
Spoiler alert: I think it would've been better if the movie ended with him sending her off to camp with credits rolling after he turns to walk away and her car drives off.
3/5
8. Blow-Up - dir. Michelangelo Antonioni
I've seen this a few times before and enjoy re-watching it every so often. Aside from being iconically 60's (from dress to music to ideals), it's the story about a photographer who unknowingly photographs a murder. Not your typical hollywood storytelling (at least not by current standards), it has that distanced and slightly voyeuristic feel (so perfect for watching with Belle du Jour and Somewhere). Of course all the Antonioni trademarks are present -- the original scene compositions, objects that separate/divide the scene etc.
3/5
9. Good By Lenin - dir. Wolfgang Becker
Second time seeing this and for some reason I always think it's little more than a comedy (albeit a good one) but then upon viewing, realize it's so much more. It's the story of Alex and his family in East Germany, whose devout socialist mother has a heart attack and falls into a coma for 8 months, right before the wall falls and drastic change sweeps through the country. When she awakes, in order to prevent her from shock, which would be fatal, they need to pretend that her socialist world has not crumbled. (in short -- imagine creating a communist nation in the confines of a bedroom)
There are chuckles and giggles aplenty watching Alex round up his mother's former party friends, dumpster diving for remnants of former East Germany. But the greater story is watching one family pull together and do whatever it takes to care for one another. It's an intricate look at family and personal relationships, the factors that pull and push. A very well-told story.
4/5
10. Kvinnors vantan (aka "Secrets of Women" in North America, "Waiting Women" in Asia... I found several titles for this film) - dir. Ingmar Bergman
When I found this title in Singapore for $3 I thought what the hell, why not? Even though I little about Bergman and even less about the film. It's the story of 5 women (most of them sisters-in-law) waiting for the return of their husbands, in the meantime sharing stories of their marriages. 3 main tales are featured with content ranging from infideltiy to reigniting passions. I wasn't sure what I was getting into but it turned out to be a very interesting watch.
Each story not only covers different aspects of a relationship, but has distinct elements - ie. one is entrench with angry dialogue, another barely has any, while the third is a back and forth banter (that was almost like a foreign His Girl Friday). And yet, at the same time visual similarities would tie things together... I really liked his use of mirrors in the shots.
3.5/5
11. The Runaways - dir. Floria Sigismondi
Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett? Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie? Surprisingly they weren't bad at channeling 70's bad girls from the band The Runaways. It's your typical tale of young girls with big dream, living the rock 'n roll dream but finding out about the dark side of being a rock star too -- drugs, rivalry, leading mental & physical collapse. Nothing award winning, but if you don't take it too seriously and are a fan of the 70's glam rock, platform shoes, and bad-ass chicks this movie does score some points on the enjoyability scale. Made me realize I need more glitter and platform shoes in my life.
3/5
12. 12 Monkeys - dir. Terry Gilliam
Been a lot of years since I last saw this and kudos to Gilliam for production designs and dialogue that doesn't make this movie seem horribly dated. Bruce Willis is an convict from the future, back in time (to the 90's) to gather information about a deadly virus that wipes out the human race. I guess the problem with most post-apocalyptic movies is that they always have the character travel back to the year the movie was made, with references to that time so eventually it adds a certain cheesy element to the story over time (I like to compare this to Zach Morris' brick phone on Saved By the Bell, so cool when when we were kids, now that butt of every 90's joke) Admitted it's not too terrible in 12 Monkeys, but it is kinda there... I didn't love the movie when it first came out (like I'd hoped I would), 15 years later I appreciate it a lot more, but the freshness of the story is kinda gone.
3.5/5
13. Comic Book Confidential - dir. Ron Mann
Ok, this was seriously cool (perhaps a very nerdy thing for me to say?) It's the 1988 documentary by Ron Mann about the history of the comic industry covering a broad and diverse spectrum within the medium along with the turbulence and controversy artists have faced. Though many of us read them as children (or still do), comics have been largely overshadowed by television when it comes to cultural dominance. We talk about TV censorship and nipple-gate, but in every media class I've ever taken there was little to be said about the censorship issues that comics came up against.
Naturally I was pleased that this doc wasn't a 2 hour interview with Stan Lee (though he was in there and I respect him) but also included artists from different genres and a number of underground artists as well. I wish Mann or someone else would do a follow-up to this, naturally I'm biased but would love to see some interview footage with Gaiman, Clowes, Sacco, Tomine, etc. (in case anyone cares, I don't count Joe Sacco amongst my favs but I think he's made a huge contribution to comics in terms of reaching new audiences with his stories and subjects)
4/5
14. Yellow Submarine - dir. George Dunning
It's everyone's favourite 60's Beatles acid trip! Where the fab four (as Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) journey in a yellow submarine to Pepperland to expel the Blue Meanies and bring music back to the land! lol it's actually still a pretty decent movie to watch sober, the cliches are of the 60's ideology rather than those of primitive animation. In fact, visually it remains a lot of fun, with use of mix media, vivid colours, creative creatures, etc. I don't know why I don't watch this more often.
3.5/5
15. The A-Team - dir. Joe Carnahan
The blu-ray was sitting around my place and a couple others have watched & reviewed this month so I figured I'd get in on the action. There's a plot somewhere in the movie, but mostly what I derived from it is... bunch of army dudes getting together, shooting stuff, causing a ruckus, and spouting mediocre one-liners. Did I miss anything crucial? I think Mr T is supposed to have some crisis of conscience, and this is represented by his haircut. (so deep...) I had no expectations for this movie so it was 2 hours of watching macho-looking guys run around doing tough guy stuff. I suppose it kept my attention... or was that Bradley Cooper's crazy blue eyes and shirtlessness?
2/5
(Spoiler: I would've given it a 3 if Bradley Cooper had been in the tanning booth naked when they nabbed him and he had to do the follow scene naked...)
16. Slap Shot - dir. George Roy Hill
Some might think this is right up my alley, being a hockey nut n all. A story about a struggling minor league team resorting to goon-ish tactics to build a reputation and secure their team's future. I have to admit the Hanson brothers are the greatest yesmen & goons, and some of those on-ice tactics had me howling. The rest of the story was rather meh though, to my disappointment. Moved too slowly for my liking and I felt no attachment to any of the characters, I was actually looking for other things to do as the same time as they muddle through their conversations and did a whole lotta not much.
2/5
17. The 400 Blows - dir. Francois Truffaut
The touching autobiographical story of a mischievous, misunderstood young boy who finds himself neglected by his parents and often in trouble at school. Masterfully captured here is the mix of innocence and conscience that lands Antoine in situations he's not quite equipped to handle. Wonderful intricate storytelling.
4/5
18. The Joneses - dir. Derrick Borte
Demi Moore's perfect body,David Duchovny and their teenage children Jenn and Mick make up the model family in The Jones, but there's more to this picturesque family than meets the eye. It's a modern tale than embodies the classic themes -- love, family, conscience, evils of consumerism etc. told with the lastest golf clubs, frozen h'orderves, designer jewellery, and fancy Audis. It's not going to change the world, but it will stave off boredom for 95mins.
3/5
19. Breathless - dir. Jean-Luc Godard
The quintessential French art film in my eyes. Small-time thief Michel kills a policeman after stealing a car and goes in search of his love, an America student named Patricia. Together they dodge the police in the streets of Paris and hide out in her apartment, making love and have long conversations (captured by even longer panning shots -- amazing!) about life and everything about it that can be philosophized. Arty lingering close-ups, and Paris landmarks complete this masterpiece.
3.5/5
20. Bande A Part (aka Band of Outsiders) - dir. Jean-Luc Godard
If it's good enough for Quentin Tarantino to name his production company after, it's good enough for me! Blind worship aside I can see how Band of Outsiders was so influential. Arthur and Franz like to dress and act like American gangsters, they convince innocent Odile (perfectly portrayed by Anna Karina) from their English language class to help them steal a large sum of money from her benefactors. In the meantime a love triangle forms as they spend their time out and about in Paris, from strolls in Place Clichy to the unforgettable dash through the Louvre (wish I could reenact that scene without getting tackled by a security guard). I can't really decide which I like most, the settings, the story, or the camera work.
4.5/5
21. The Fighter - dir. David O. Russell
Christian Bale winning the Golden Globe last night sums it up well, alongside all the other acting nominations. While the story may be based on real events of fighter Micky Ward's life, it is your basic loser makes good tale. I'm continually impressed by Mark Wahlberg's acting repertoire (remember the first I heard of him, he was Donnie Wahlberg of NKOTB's brother...) but really Bale, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo do a lot to make this film into the powerhouse that it is.
4/5
22. The Machinist - dir. Brad Anderson
More Christian Bale -- but less of him at the same time (60 Ibs less to be exact) Again it's a film where the performance makes the movie, take that away and I thought the story greatly paled in comparison to something like Fight Club, both of which start with a man unable to sleep to the point where delusions take over their lives. So I gotta ask, I don't sleep much, and sometimes I start going crazy from it, but how come it doesn't make me lose weight?
3.5/5 (.5 for Christian Bale's performance)
23. Sugar - dir. John Palmer
Penned in part by Bruce LaBruce, the dvd cover of this flick tries to promote it as a "coming of age" story but I think that a typo for "cumming". I knew what I was getting into before I pressed play, but I didn't think the guys should have all the fun in reviewing such provocative films. Plus I was curious to know if Brendan Fehr ever resorted to full frontal to further his acting career (sadly he's got more dignity than that). Oh yeah, the movie... it was completely watchable. Stark portrayals if not very in depth of a teenage boy discovering his homosexuality with a hot hustler/addict.
3/5
24. Spider - dir. David Cronenberg
Though a little dark for mass consumption, I feel Cronenberg's Spider was a bit underrated. Spider (nicknamed by his nother) is a mentally disturbed man released from an institution to live in a halfway house near where he grew up and his illness began, as he revisits these places and the events of his childhood we see the truth (and his worsening condition) unfold. Ralph Fiennes gives a great performance as do the supporting roles, who teeter on just slightly larger-than-life to match Spider's amplified perceptions of them.
3.5/5
25. Delicatessen - dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Much darker than I expected but still included many hints of greatness that would follow in his later works. In a world where food is scarce to the point where your neighbors start to look tasty, a butcher (and owner of the apt building where the film takes place) hires a new maintenance man with more in mind that a few household repairs. But when the new hire and the butcher's daughter begin a romance, she needs to find a way to foil her father's plans. They are also surrounded by an array of colourful tenants each with a story of their own. What you wind up with is an intricate tale and elaborate set decor, all combined to make one hell of a messed up world that strangely enough, you can still sorta relate to (hey, I said "sorta"!)
3/5
26. Priceless (aka Hor de prix) - dir. Pierre Salvadori
This film was so digestible and filled with designer dresses/jewellery that I went to investigate which chick lit novel it was based on, turns out it's the director's take on Breakfast at Tiffany's. Priceless stars the beautiful (but also freakishly skinny) Audrey Tautou as a golddigger who mistakes barman Jean as another wealthy hotel guest, he is smitten with her and plays along. After she is caught and loses her rich benefactor she cruelly maintains her lifestyle at Jean's expense until he's broke and has to find his own sugar momma to get by. It's an easy watch and entertaining, but not hysterically funny or anything, and sometimes you can't help but turn up your nose in disgust/annoyance at one or both leads. Gad Elmaleh does a pretty good pathetic love-sick puppy, I didn't really buy Audrey Tautou's "genuine" moments.
3/5
27. Control - dir. Anton Corbijn
This is the heartbreaking story of Ian Curtis (lead singer of Joy Division), a troubled young musician who killed himself on the verge of superstardom. I'm a little biased when I say heartbreaking because Joy Division is one of my favourite bands, but it is a lovingly crafted film. Anton Corbijn knows his subject well (having photographed Joy Division way back when, and then making his directorial debut with Control, not to mention the interviews for the Joy Division documentary) and made an interesting choice to have the film in black & white (it was actually shot in colour). I love the minimalist style, how it was story drive, and the way those closest to Ian all pitched in to make it happen - Anton Corbijn directed based on Debbie Curtis' book, the cast learned all the songs and performed themselves in the film, New Order recorded all the additional music, etc.
4/5
28. No Strings Attached - dir. Ivan Reitman (father of Jason)
Cute little romantic comedy staring the lovely Nathalie Portman and (bare-assed) Ashton Kutcher about a girl who doesn't do the whole relationship thing, and instead bumps into an old acquaintance and has a friends with benefits arrangement with him instead, except it's harder to keep feelings out of the arrangement than they think. It's actually pretty good for the most part, some obvious pitfalls where they overplay the cliches, but a lotta laughs (that are not based on dumb physical comedy mishaps) and some good sidekick roles (ie. his buddies and her roommates).
SPOILERS: 2 things that irked me most and kept me from really liking this movie (because there was so much stuff that was adorable) was that other chick from his work turning out to be crazy -- really, the over-wrought neuroticism was enough, why did she have to descend to batshit crazy? Audience can understand perfectly why he'd prefer Nathalie Portman, even if his alternative love interest is semi-normal. 2nd was that horrendous line he gives right before the final kiss, I was all into it, ready to be all emotional with hearts-a-fluttering when he opened his mouth. *groan* then it was all ruined.(I'm taking off .5 just for destroying that moment)
3/5
29. Joy Division - dir. Grant Gee
So I guess I can never watch Control without needing to see Joy Division the documentary immediately afterwards. Pretty standard in terms of a documentary I guess, but it's the subject matter that counts. The interviews interested me, seeing these accomplished individuals (members of New Order and music industry folk who continued after Curtis' death to accomplish great things) talk about days of youth and folly, when they were just starting out. Not sure if Deborah Curtis declined to be interviewed (they use quote from her, presumably from her book), Annik Honore appears but she is a journalist in the business so... Most interesting outside of recounting the story of the band, is their recollections about Manchester and the closing montage of the city that helped shaped their lives and music.
3.5/5
30. Au Revoir Les Enfants - dir. Louis Malle
A Royale with Cheese to whoever can tell me why I wanted so badly to watch this movie around the same time as I watched Bande A Part ;)
Bit of an understated WW2 Holocaust tale that takes place in a Catholic boys school, where the focus is on young Julien Quentin and his classmates whose lives are relatively untouched by the war. A new classmate with a secret arrives at the school, and while him and Julien are sometimes rivals, they also form a friendship. I enjoyed seeing the inner-workings of the boys school life and development of friendships, what I liked most were how the subplots eventually became huge factors in the story by the end. And obviously you can't help but think of this film as a motivator for Inglorious Basterds, even though they are quite different.
3/5
31. Labyrinth – dir. Jim Henson
I don’t think I fully appreciated the wonders of Blu-ray until I bought this Jim Henson double-set, wow, what a difference NOT watching Labyrinth on VHS makes! It’s still very much a children’s movie (featuring Henson’s creatures, Jennifer Connelly, and David Bowie’s package... the things our parents let us see in the 70’s/80’s…) about a young girl who is resentful of her little brother and wishes for the King of the Goblins would take him away, until he actually does and now she must navigate the labyrinth to get her brother back. I’d be willing to give this an extra .5 just for the enhanced visuals.
3/5
32. Green Hornet – dir. Michel Gondry
Have I ever rated a Gondry film this low? It’s actually good mindless fun, I guess I just keep wanting some meaning. It might have also benefited with some subtitles for Jay Chou (ouch! I know…) it’s not that I didn’t understand it, but it did take me an extra second or two to process what he’d said, which delayed some of the those punchlines. There’s laughs tho, good enough.
2.5/5
33. The Dark Crystal – dir. Jim Henson
If Labyrinth’s clarity and imagery was enough to make me give it an extra .5, Dark Crystal on Blu-ray has actually changed my mind on how I feel about the entire film! I’ve always favoured Labyrinth over Dark Crystal despite the latter’s cult status (ok fine, Labyrinth has a cult following too I guess), wasn’t sold on Dark Crystal’s story and overall it looked murky to me (even on DVD). It’s the story about a world divided into good and evil at the brink eternal dominance by the evil side unless a young mythical creature can find the missing shard to heal the Dark Crystal and restore order to the world. Sure, there are some cheesey 80’s effects that you’ll never be able to change, but it’s such a treat to see the creatures and backdrops, and the value that it adds to the story. It’s almost like seeing it again for the first time.
3.5/5
34. Muppet Movie – dir. James Frawley
This is the story of how the Muppets got their start in Hollywood, the 100% true story of Kermit’s dreams of reaching out to an audience beyond the swamp, how he met Fozzie at the infamous El Sleazo bar and the rest of the Muppets as they traveled to audition in Hollywood. Full of great cameos, including my fav, Steve Martin as the very disgruntled waiter. Many Muppet movies later this is still my favourite, I’m a Muppet purist so I’m not terribly fond of the new Muppets (ie. Pepe the King Prawn or Johnny Fiamo etc), therefore it’s not surprising I prefer this movie and The Muppet Show.
3.5/5
35. Uncle Buck - dir. John Hughes
John Candy and John Hughes, alongside Macaulay Culkin (when he was a cute little kid)...this is the 80's classic about the uncouth, classic bachelor "Uncle Buck" coming to take care his nieces and nephews when their parents are called away on an emergency. Next to Parenthood this is probably my fav 80's family film, such an embodiment of the decade (like everything else John Hughes right?)
3.5/5
36. When Harry Met Sally - dir. Rob Reiner
Boy meets girl, but they can’t be friends because a man and a women can’t ever just be friends. One of the greatest things about When Harry Met Sally is that it never seems dated (and it has nothing to do with the fact that both stars didn’t vary their hairstyles for 20+ years). I love watching them mature and change… but at the same time remain the same over the years. I enjoy their friendship every bit as much as their repressed romance.
4.5/5
37. (500) Days of Summer – dir. Mark Webb
“This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront, this is not a love story.” This has got to be at least my 4th time seeing this movie… considering it only came out in 2009… It remains great, the more times you watch a film, the more you have the opportunity to see the little details. I remember how much fans of The Smiths loved their connection over the band. Me, I loved how Tom wore an Unknown Pleasures (aka Joy Divison’s first ablum) t-shirt and Summer’s Magritte tribute on her coffee table (I chuckle every time I see it).
4/5 + an overwhelming desire to go get myself an Unknown Pleasures t-shirt
38. Alpha Dog - dir. Nick Cassavetes
Based on a true story about the youngest man to ever be on the FBI's most wanted list and the controversial events that landed him there. On the surface it's a bunch of ne'er do wells partying, getting high, and cursing a whole lot... the very large cast is comprised mostly of young actors most of whom were lesser known when the movie was made (Emile Hirsch, Anton Yelchin, Amanda Sigfried, Olivia Wilde... Justin Timberlake was big name) but also included bigwigs like Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone in smaller rolls, and even Mrs. Wayne Gretzky was in it. Drug dealer Johnny Truelove decides to "kipnap" the younger brother of Jake (who owes Truelove money), young Zack goes along willingly and in return for his cooperation his captors treat him very well, take him out to party with them etc. But eventually the legal repercussions of the kidnapping grow bigger than any of them expected and the story grows more conflicting and tragic. It's surprisingly engaging and everyone turns out a good performance, it's not like the other Cassavetes films that I'm familiar with, this is more like something a Gus Van Sant or Larry Clark fan would see.
4/5
39. Corpse Bride - dir. Tim Burton, Mike Johnson
Cute little story of how Victor, while practicing his wedding vows in the dark woods inadvertently proposes to Emily, corpse bride, who rises from the dead in delight to take him back with her to the underworld. Victor must then try to make his way back to the land of the living and choose between Emily and Victoria, the living bride he was betrothed to. One of my fav Burton movies, little humorous bits, fun creatures, but also a good story to back it up (which sadly isn't always the case with Burton)
3.5/5
40. Empire Records (The Original Edit thank god!) - dir. Allan Moyle
A day in the life (ok, not just any day... Rex Manning day!) of the crazy kids working at the coolest record store ever - Empire Records! To me Empire Records was like the 90's equiv of The Breakfast Club. Sure the characters are cliched and glossed over, but I felt a genuine connection with them when I was in high school - from Liv Tyler's boots to the artist boyfriend haha They were what I wanted to be. 15 years later I still semi-regularly quote lines from the movie.
Sidenote: I knew Allan Moyle did Pump Up the Volume but didn't make the connection that he also directed Weirdsville, which is far from perfect yet I'm still drawn to it enough that I own a copy of the movie.
4.5/5
Since its inauguration the group has expanded over FB to include other acquaintances and strangers alike. The currently has 83 members, not all of whom actively take part in the challenge every year, but like to keep tabs on our progress and wish us well. And so, once again, we found ourselves this past January amidst lively discussions, movie poster images, trailers, and even a few movie dates in between.
Even amongst the active participants, we range from those who have to work really hard to get through 30, those who forget to do reviews after the 6th movie, to those who reach 30 by mid-month and keep going on going. I personally made it to 40 films this year owing to some very cold weekends where I didn't bother to leave my apartment.
Below are my collected reviews for 2010, if you would like to take part in the challenge next year, please join the group on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#/group.php?gid=7202166447&ref=ts I guarantee no spam throughout the year, just a few friendly reminders to get your movie on at the end of December.
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1) The Hangover - dir. Todd Phillips
What better way to kick of Jan 1st than with a hangover -- er, I mean THE Hangover! ;) I suppose punchlines that rely heavily on the 'WTF' factor will never be as good as the first time, but there were still plenty of laugh out loud moments. Also being familiar with Zach Galifianakis now, you really get a deeper sense of appreciation watching him master 'awkward' without always having to rely on physical comedy.
4/5
2. The Darjeeling Limited - dir. Wes Anderson
My favourite Wes Anderson film (from what I've seen -- I'm short Fantastic Mr Fox & Life Aquatic) which I watched today with Hotel Chavalier (for those who haven't seen, it's a short meant to precede The Darjeeling Limited and it paints a little background on Jason Schwartzman's character and his relationship with his ex-gf played by Natalie Portman) Seeing the short gives a little more depth to the movie, but is not required to enjoy the movie. Love the writing, love the dialogue.
4.5/5
3. Where the Wild Things Are - dir. Spike Jonze
Another fantastic director, a beloved children's book, and Jim Henson's Puppet Workshop. Not story-driven so much but truly taps into the raw emotion of youth.
3.5/5
4. Green Snake - dir. Tsui Hark
I was surprised when I imdb'd this title and discovered it was made in 1993 as opposed to 5 years (or more) earlier. It's based on Chinese folklore about 2 snake spirits impersonating 2 beautiful women (Maggie Cheung & Joey Wang), living amongst humans learning about love and life. Perhaps this was before Tsui Hark had proved himself enough for anyone to give him any money for special effects because I probably could've found more realistic "snakes" at the CNE midway. Also I found the language challenging (and the subtitles worse) as it flip flopped between vapid flirtations to Buddhist recitations with spiritual powers and mythical beings that have not been explained to me.
2/5
5. Madame X - dir. David Lowell Rich
The 1966 adaptation stars Lana Turner as Holly Parker, wife of a socialite who is blackmailed by her mother in law to leave her husband and son. She wanders the world and tries to forget her sorrows with absinthe, only to find herself decades later in New York with a man threatening to expose her true identity leading to events even more shocking. The DVD jacket gives even more details of the plot and after reading it I thought "what else could there possibly be to show after they've just told me everything?" But what I discovered was an amazing performance by Lana Turner and supporting cast, a character with a lot of depth, and emotional ending that's satisfying but not cliche.
4/5
6. Belle de Jour - dir. Luis Bunuel
This film is described as Bunuel's "most accessible" film and thank god for that! It's the story of a frigid young dr's wife who resorts to escaping to fantasy until she takes a day job at a brothel. However her attachment to one of her clients leads to shocking events blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. Catherine Deneuve is a stunning beauty if not lacking slightly in range when it comes to her acting and the story curious if not always logical.
3.5/5
7. Somewhere - dir. Sophia Coppola
Been looking forward to this one despite being told not to get my hopes too high. As a result I think it's rather pleasant to look at, kept me occupied but not obsessed. Don't expect conflict nor catharsis (even though I think that's what the end is supposed to be about), it's a voyeuristic look at an unconventional family coping rather well and each major character is rather likeable given the characters they're supposed to represent (ie. Stephen Dorff is about the best deadbeat celebrity dad I've ever seen, Elle Fanning is a delightful rich daughter, even the relationship between Elle's mother & father is probably best that can be expected)
Spoiler alert: I think it would've been better if the movie ended with him sending her off to camp with credits rolling after he turns to walk away and her car drives off.
3/5
8. Blow-Up - dir. Michelangelo Antonioni
I've seen this a few times before and enjoy re-watching it every so often. Aside from being iconically 60's (from dress to music to ideals), it's the story about a photographer who unknowingly photographs a murder. Not your typical hollywood storytelling (at least not by current standards), it has that distanced and slightly voyeuristic feel (so perfect for watching with Belle du Jour and Somewhere). Of course all the Antonioni trademarks are present -- the original scene compositions, objects that separate/divide the scene etc.
3/5
9. Good By Lenin - dir. Wolfgang Becker
Second time seeing this and for some reason I always think it's little more than a comedy (albeit a good one) but then upon viewing, realize it's so much more. It's the story of Alex and his family in East Germany, whose devout socialist mother has a heart attack and falls into a coma for 8 months, right before the wall falls and drastic change sweeps through the country. When she awakes, in order to prevent her from shock, which would be fatal, they need to pretend that her socialist world has not crumbled. (in short -- imagine creating a communist nation in the confines of a bedroom)
There are chuckles and giggles aplenty watching Alex round up his mother's former party friends, dumpster diving for remnants of former East Germany. But the greater story is watching one family pull together and do whatever it takes to care for one another. It's an intricate look at family and personal relationships, the factors that pull and push. A very well-told story.
4/5
10. Kvinnors vantan (aka "Secrets of Women" in North America, "Waiting Women" in Asia... I found several titles for this film) - dir. Ingmar Bergman
When I found this title in Singapore for $3 I thought what the hell, why not? Even though I little about Bergman and even less about the film. It's the story of 5 women (most of them sisters-in-law) waiting for the return of their husbands, in the meantime sharing stories of their marriages. 3 main tales are featured with content ranging from infideltiy to reigniting passions. I wasn't sure what I was getting into but it turned out to be a very interesting watch.
Each story not only covers different aspects of a relationship, but has distinct elements - ie. one is entrench with angry dialogue, another barely has any, while the third is a back and forth banter (that was almost like a foreign His Girl Friday). And yet, at the same time visual similarities would tie things together... I really liked his use of mirrors in the shots.
3.5/5
11. The Runaways - dir. Floria Sigismondi
Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett? Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie? Surprisingly they weren't bad at channeling 70's bad girls from the band The Runaways. It's your typical tale of young girls with big dream, living the rock 'n roll dream but finding out about the dark side of being a rock star too -- drugs, rivalry, leading mental & physical collapse. Nothing award winning, but if you don't take it too seriously and are a fan of the 70's glam rock, platform shoes, and bad-ass chicks this movie does score some points on the enjoyability scale. Made me realize I need more glitter and platform shoes in my life.
3/5
12. 12 Monkeys - dir. Terry Gilliam
Been a lot of years since I last saw this and kudos to Gilliam for production designs and dialogue that doesn't make this movie seem horribly dated. Bruce Willis is an convict from the future, back in time (to the 90's) to gather information about a deadly virus that wipes out the human race. I guess the problem with most post-apocalyptic movies is that they always have the character travel back to the year the movie was made, with references to that time so eventually it adds a certain cheesy element to the story over time (I like to compare this to Zach Morris' brick phone on Saved By the Bell, so cool when when we were kids, now that butt of every 90's joke) Admitted it's not too terrible in 12 Monkeys, but it is kinda there... I didn't love the movie when it first came out (like I'd hoped I would), 15 years later I appreciate it a lot more, but the freshness of the story is kinda gone.
3.5/5
13. Comic Book Confidential - dir. Ron Mann
Ok, this was seriously cool (perhaps a very nerdy thing for me to say?) It's the 1988 documentary by Ron Mann about the history of the comic industry covering a broad and diverse spectrum within the medium along with the turbulence and controversy artists have faced. Though many of us read them as children (or still do), comics have been largely overshadowed by television when it comes to cultural dominance. We talk about TV censorship and nipple-gate, but in every media class I've ever taken there was little to be said about the censorship issues that comics came up against.
Naturally I was pleased that this doc wasn't a 2 hour interview with Stan Lee (though he was in there and I respect him) but also included artists from different genres and a number of underground artists as well. I wish Mann or someone else would do a follow-up to this, naturally I'm biased but would love to see some interview footage with Gaiman, Clowes, Sacco, Tomine, etc. (in case anyone cares, I don't count Joe Sacco amongst my favs but I think he's made a huge contribution to comics in terms of reaching new audiences with his stories and subjects)
4/5
14. Yellow Submarine - dir. George Dunning
It's everyone's favourite 60's Beatles acid trip! Where the fab four (as Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) journey in a yellow submarine to Pepperland to expel the Blue Meanies and bring music back to the land! lol it's actually still a pretty decent movie to watch sober, the cliches are of the 60's ideology rather than those of primitive animation. In fact, visually it remains a lot of fun, with use of mix media, vivid colours, creative creatures, etc. I don't know why I don't watch this more often.
3.5/5
15. The A-Team - dir. Joe Carnahan
The blu-ray was sitting around my place and a couple others have watched & reviewed this month so I figured I'd get in on the action. There's a plot somewhere in the movie, but mostly what I derived from it is... bunch of army dudes getting together, shooting stuff, causing a ruckus, and spouting mediocre one-liners. Did I miss anything crucial? I think Mr T is supposed to have some crisis of conscience, and this is represented by his haircut. (so deep...) I had no expectations for this movie so it was 2 hours of watching macho-looking guys run around doing tough guy stuff. I suppose it kept my attention... or was that Bradley Cooper's crazy blue eyes and shirtlessness?
2/5
(Spoiler: I would've given it a 3 if Bradley Cooper had been in the tanning booth naked when they nabbed him and he had to do the follow scene naked...)
16. Slap Shot - dir. George Roy Hill
Some might think this is right up my alley, being a hockey nut n all. A story about a struggling minor league team resorting to goon-ish tactics to build a reputation and secure their team's future. I have to admit the Hanson brothers are the greatest yesmen & goons, and some of those on-ice tactics had me howling. The rest of the story was rather meh though, to my disappointment. Moved too slowly for my liking and I felt no attachment to any of the characters, I was actually looking for other things to do as the same time as they muddle through their conversations and did a whole lotta not much.
2/5
17. The 400 Blows - dir. Francois Truffaut
The touching autobiographical story of a mischievous, misunderstood young boy who finds himself neglected by his parents and often in trouble at school. Masterfully captured here is the mix of innocence and conscience that lands Antoine in situations he's not quite equipped to handle. Wonderful intricate storytelling.
4/5
18. The Joneses - dir. Derrick Borte
Demi Moore's perfect body,David Duchovny and their teenage children Jenn and Mick make up the model family in The Jones, but there's more to this picturesque family than meets the eye. It's a modern tale than embodies the classic themes -- love, family, conscience, evils of consumerism etc. told with the lastest golf clubs, frozen h'orderves, designer jewellery, and fancy Audis. It's not going to change the world, but it will stave off boredom for 95mins.
3/5
19. Breathless - dir. Jean-Luc Godard
The quintessential French art film in my eyes. Small-time thief Michel kills a policeman after stealing a car and goes in search of his love, an America student named Patricia. Together they dodge the police in the streets of Paris and hide out in her apartment, making love and have long conversations (captured by even longer panning shots -- amazing!) about life and everything about it that can be philosophized. Arty lingering close-ups, and Paris landmarks complete this masterpiece.
3.5/5
20. Bande A Part (aka Band of Outsiders) - dir. Jean-Luc Godard
If it's good enough for Quentin Tarantino to name his production company after, it's good enough for me! Blind worship aside I can see how Band of Outsiders was so influential. Arthur and Franz like to dress and act like American gangsters, they convince innocent Odile (perfectly portrayed by Anna Karina) from their English language class to help them steal a large sum of money from her benefactors. In the meantime a love triangle forms as they spend their time out and about in Paris, from strolls in Place Clichy to the unforgettable dash through the Louvre (wish I could reenact that scene without getting tackled by a security guard). I can't really decide which I like most, the settings, the story, or the camera work.
4.5/5
21. The Fighter - dir. David O. Russell
Christian Bale winning the Golden Globe last night sums it up well, alongside all the other acting nominations. While the story may be based on real events of fighter Micky Ward's life, it is your basic loser makes good tale. I'm continually impressed by Mark Wahlberg's acting repertoire (remember the first I heard of him, he was Donnie Wahlberg of NKOTB's brother...) but really Bale, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo do a lot to make this film into the powerhouse that it is.
4/5
22. The Machinist - dir. Brad Anderson
More Christian Bale -- but less of him at the same time (60 Ibs less to be exact) Again it's a film where the performance makes the movie, take that away and I thought the story greatly paled in comparison to something like Fight Club, both of which start with a man unable to sleep to the point where delusions take over their lives. So I gotta ask, I don't sleep much, and sometimes I start going crazy from it, but how come it doesn't make me lose weight?
3.5/5 (.5 for Christian Bale's performance)
23. Sugar - dir. John Palmer
Penned in part by Bruce LaBruce, the dvd cover of this flick tries to promote it as a "coming of age" story but I think that a typo for "cumming". I knew what I was getting into before I pressed play, but I didn't think the guys should have all the fun in reviewing such provocative films. Plus I was curious to know if Brendan Fehr ever resorted to full frontal to further his acting career (sadly he's got more dignity than that). Oh yeah, the movie... it was completely watchable. Stark portrayals if not very in depth of a teenage boy discovering his homosexuality with a hot hustler/addict.
3/5
24. Spider - dir. David Cronenberg
Though a little dark for mass consumption, I feel Cronenberg's Spider was a bit underrated. Spider (nicknamed by his nother) is a mentally disturbed man released from an institution to live in a halfway house near where he grew up and his illness began, as he revisits these places and the events of his childhood we see the truth (and his worsening condition) unfold. Ralph Fiennes gives a great performance as do the supporting roles, who teeter on just slightly larger-than-life to match Spider's amplified perceptions of them.
3.5/5
25. Delicatessen - dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Much darker than I expected but still included many hints of greatness that would follow in his later works. In a world where food is scarce to the point where your neighbors start to look tasty, a butcher (and owner of the apt building where the film takes place) hires a new maintenance man with more in mind that a few household repairs. But when the new hire and the butcher's daughter begin a romance, she needs to find a way to foil her father's plans. They are also surrounded by an array of colourful tenants each with a story of their own. What you wind up with is an intricate tale and elaborate set decor, all combined to make one hell of a messed up world that strangely enough, you can still sorta relate to (hey, I said "sorta"!)
3/5
26. Priceless (aka Hor de prix) - dir. Pierre Salvadori
This film was so digestible and filled with designer dresses/jewellery that I went to investigate which chick lit novel it was based on, turns out it's the director's take on Breakfast at Tiffany's. Priceless stars the beautiful (but also freakishly skinny) Audrey Tautou as a golddigger who mistakes barman Jean as another wealthy hotel guest, he is smitten with her and plays along. After she is caught and loses her rich benefactor she cruelly maintains her lifestyle at Jean's expense until he's broke and has to find his own sugar momma to get by. It's an easy watch and entertaining, but not hysterically funny or anything, and sometimes you can't help but turn up your nose in disgust/annoyance at one or both leads. Gad Elmaleh does a pretty good pathetic love-sick puppy, I didn't really buy Audrey Tautou's "genuine" moments.
3/5
27. Control - dir. Anton Corbijn
This is the heartbreaking story of Ian Curtis (lead singer of Joy Division), a troubled young musician who killed himself on the verge of superstardom. I'm a little biased when I say heartbreaking because Joy Division is one of my favourite bands, but it is a lovingly crafted film. Anton Corbijn knows his subject well (having photographed Joy Division way back when, and then making his directorial debut with Control, not to mention the interviews for the Joy Division documentary) and made an interesting choice to have the film in black & white (it was actually shot in colour). I love the minimalist style, how it was story drive, and the way those closest to Ian all pitched in to make it happen - Anton Corbijn directed based on Debbie Curtis' book, the cast learned all the songs and performed themselves in the film, New Order recorded all the additional music, etc.
4/5
28. No Strings Attached - dir. Ivan Reitman (father of Jason)
Cute little romantic comedy staring the lovely Nathalie Portman and (bare-assed) Ashton Kutcher about a girl who doesn't do the whole relationship thing, and instead bumps into an old acquaintance and has a friends with benefits arrangement with him instead, except it's harder to keep feelings out of the arrangement than they think. It's actually pretty good for the most part, some obvious pitfalls where they overplay the cliches, but a lotta laughs (that are not based on dumb physical comedy mishaps) and some good sidekick roles (ie. his buddies and her roommates).
SPOILERS: 2 things that irked me most and kept me from really liking this movie (because there was so much stuff that was adorable) was that other chick from his work turning out to be crazy -- really, the over-wrought neuroticism was enough, why did she have to descend to batshit crazy? Audience can understand perfectly why he'd prefer Nathalie Portman, even if his alternative love interest is semi-normal. 2nd was that horrendous line he gives right before the final kiss, I was all into it, ready to be all emotional with hearts-a-fluttering when he opened his mouth. *groan* then it was all ruined.(I'm taking off .5 just for destroying that moment)
3/5
29. Joy Division - dir. Grant Gee
So I guess I can never watch Control without needing to see Joy Division the documentary immediately afterwards. Pretty standard in terms of a documentary I guess, but it's the subject matter that counts. The interviews interested me, seeing these accomplished individuals (members of New Order and music industry folk who continued after Curtis' death to accomplish great things) talk about days of youth and folly, when they were just starting out. Not sure if Deborah Curtis declined to be interviewed (they use quote from her, presumably from her book), Annik Honore appears but she is a journalist in the business so... Most interesting outside of recounting the story of the band, is their recollections about Manchester and the closing montage of the city that helped shaped their lives and music.
3.5/5
30. Au Revoir Les Enfants - dir. Louis Malle
A Royale with Cheese to whoever can tell me why I wanted so badly to watch this movie around the same time as I watched Bande A Part ;)
Bit of an understated WW2 Holocaust tale that takes place in a Catholic boys school, where the focus is on young Julien Quentin and his classmates whose lives are relatively untouched by the war. A new classmate with a secret arrives at the school, and while him and Julien are sometimes rivals, they also form a friendship. I enjoyed seeing the inner-workings of the boys school life and development of friendships, what I liked most were how the subplots eventually became huge factors in the story by the end. And obviously you can't help but think of this film as a motivator for Inglorious Basterds, even though they are quite different.
3/5
31. Labyrinth – dir. Jim Henson
I don’t think I fully appreciated the wonders of Blu-ray until I bought this Jim Henson double-set, wow, what a difference NOT watching Labyrinth on VHS makes! It’s still very much a children’s movie (featuring Henson’s creatures, Jennifer Connelly, and David Bowie’s package... the things our parents let us see in the 70’s/80’s…) about a young girl who is resentful of her little brother and wishes for the King of the Goblins would take him away, until he actually does and now she must navigate the labyrinth to get her brother back. I’d be willing to give this an extra .5 just for the enhanced visuals.
3/5
32. Green Hornet – dir. Michel Gondry
Have I ever rated a Gondry film this low? It’s actually good mindless fun, I guess I just keep wanting some meaning. It might have also benefited with some subtitles for Jay Chou (ouch! I know…) it’s not that I didn’t understand it, but it did take me an extra second or two to process what he’d said, which delayed some of the those punchlines. There’s laughs tho, good enough.
2.5/5
33. The Dark Crystal – dir. Jim Henson
If Labyrinth’s clarity and imagery was enough to make me give it an extra .5, Dark Crystal on Blu-ray has actually changed my mind on how I feel about the entire film! I’ve always favoured Labyrinth over Dark Crystal despite the latter’s cult status (ok fine, Labyrinth has a cult following too I guess), wasn’t sold on Dark Crystal’s story and overall it looked murky to me (even on DVD). It’s the story about a world divided into good and evil at the brink eternal dominance by the evil side unless a young mythical creature can find the missing shard to heal the Dark Crystal and restore order to the world. Sure, there are some cheesey 80’s effects that you’ll never be able to change, but it’s such a treat to see the creatures and backdrops, and the value that it adds to the story. It’s almost like seeing it again for the first time.
3.5/5
34. Muppet Movie – dir. James Frawley
This is the story of how the Muppets got their start in Hollywood, the 100% true story of Kermit’s dreams of reaching out to an audience beyond the swamp, how he met Fozzie at the infamous El Sleazo bar and the rest of the Muppets as they traveled to audition in Hollywood. Full of great cameos, including my fav, Steve Martin as the very disgruntled waiter. Many Muppet movies later this is still my favourite, I’m a Muppet purist so I’m not terribly fond of the new Muppets (ie. Pepe the King Prawn or Johnny Fiamo etc), therefore it’s not surprising I prefer this movie and The Muppet Show.
3.5/5
35. Uncle Buck - dir. John Hughes
John Candy and John Hughes, alongside Macaulay Culkin (when he was a cute little kid)...this is the 80's classic about the uncouth, classic bachelor "Uncle Buck" coming to take care his nieces and nephews when their parents are called away on an emergency. Next to Parenthood this is probably my fav 80's family film, such an embodiment of the decade (like everything else John Hughes right?)
3.5/5
36. When Harry Met Sally - dir. Rob Reiner
Boy meets girl, but they can’t be friends because a man and a women can’t ever just be friends. One of the greatest things about When Harry Met Sally is that it never seems dated (and it has nothing to do with the fact that both stars didn’t vary their hairstyles for 20+ years). I love watching them mature and change… but at the same time remain the same over the years. I enjoy their friendship every bit as much as their repressed romance.
4.5/5
37. (500) Days of Summer – dir. Mark Webb
“This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront, this is not a love story.” This has got to be at least my 4th time seeing this movie… considering it only came out in 2009… It remains great, the more times you watch a film, the more you have the opportunity to see the little details. I remember how much fans of The Smiths loved their connection over the band. Me, I loved how Tom wore an Unknown Pleasures (aka Joy Divison’s first ablum) t-shirt and Summer’s Magritte tribute on her coffee table (I chuckle every time I see it).
4/5 + an overwhelming desire to go get myself an Unknown Pleasures t-shirt
38. Alpha Dog - dir. Nick Cassavetes
Based on a true story about the youngest man to ever be on the FBI's most wanted list and the controversial events that landed him there. On the surface it's a bunch of ne'er do wells partying, getting high, and cursing a whole lot... the very large cast is comprised mostly of young actors most of whom were lesser known when the movie was made (Emile Hirsch, Anton Yelchin, Amanda Sigfried, Olivia Wilde... Justin Timberlake was big name) but also included bigwigs like Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone in smaller rolls, and even Mrs. Wayne Gretzky was in it. Drug dealer Johnny Truelove decides to "kipnap" the younger brother of Jake (who owes Truelove money), young Zack goes along willingly and in return for his cooperation his captors treat him very well, take him out to party with them etc. But eventually the legal repercussions of the kidnapping grow bigger than any of them expected and the story grows more conflicting and tragic. It's surprisingly engaging and everyone turns out a good performance, it's not like the other Cassavetes films that I'm familiar with, this is more like something a Gus Van Sant or Larry Clark fan would see.
4/5
39. Corpse Bride - dir. Tim Burton, Mike Johnson
Cute little story of how Victor, while practicing his wedding vows in the dark woods inadvertently proposes to Emily, corpse bride, who rises from the dead in delight to take him back with her to the underworld. Victor must then try to make his way back to the land of the living and choose between Emily and Victoria, the living bride he was betrothed to. One of my fav Burton movies, little humorous bits, fun creatures, but also a good story to back it up (which sadly isn't always the case with Burton)
3.5/5
40. Empire Records (The Original Edit thank god!) - dir. Allan Moyle
A day in the life (ok, not just any day... Rex Manning day!) of the crazy kids working at the coolest record store ever - Empire Records! To me Empire Records was like the 90's equiv of The Breakfast Club. Sure the characters are cliched and glossed over, but I felt a genuine connection with them when I was in high school - from Liv Tyler's boots to the artist boyfriend haha They were what I wanted to be. 15 years later I still semi-regularly quote lines from the movie.
Sidenote: I knew Allan Moyle did Pump Up the Volume but didn't make the connection that he also directed Weirdsville, which is far from perfect yet I'm still drawn to it enough that I own a copy of the movie.
4.5/5
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