I have mixed feelings about One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, starring Jack Nicholson (as the rebellious R.P. McMurphy) and Louise Fletcher (as the awful Nurse Ratched). On the one hand, it is so obviously a great movie and the ending is just about as good as good filmmaking gets. But, some of my problems remain from when I read the book. I actually hated the book, because I felt there were 300 pages of lead-up for ten great pages at the end. Though the movie did a much better job at making every part interesting, I couldn't help but feel that halfway through, it got somewhat repetitive and nothing really happened. Now, I'm not the type of person who can't watch a movie unless its extremely plot driven. However, the movie didn't really even to try to say something until closer to the end, which left no plot and no message for the first section of the movie.
That being said, the acting was phenomenal. Jack Nicholson was of course great as somewhat crazy Randall McMurphy and Louise Fletcher was just a stone cold bitch. As the movie climbed towards the climax, it continued to become more enthralling and entertaining. And then that ending. The last thirty minutes or so were absolutely fantastic.
For the first hour or so, this felt to me like the first movie I had watched that didn't seem to deserve to be on the list. However, as a whole, the movie is really great and definitely does. You just have to be able to get over the slow beginning.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Annie Hall
Another movie I watched on my hiatus was Annie Hall, starring Woody Allen and Diane Keaton. Also written and directed by Allen, this 1977 comedy about a relationship between two very different people indescribably funny.
After watching Annie Hall, I truly feel I have a new favorite movie. Maybe it's the fact that Woody Allen's humor is just so relevant in my life (his old Jewish women jokes have run in my families for generations and with my mom getting older, are starting to apply to her as well), or because the acting is just so funny, but I have seldom laughed this much at a movie. Woody Allen's writing is incredible and there are so many one liners I have since quoted again and again.
It is so critical of everyone and most refreshingly, Allen is so critical of himself.
I'm still laughing at some of the jokes from this movie, I swear.
Watch it.
After watching Annie Hall, I truly feel I have a new favorite movie. Maybe it's the fact that Woody Allen's humor is just so relevant in my life (his old Jewish women jokes have run in my families for generations and with my mom getting older, are starting to apply to her as well), or because the acting is just so funny, but I have seldom laughed this much at a movie. Woody Allen's writing is incredible and there are so many one liners I have since quoted again and again.
It is so critical of everyone and most refreshingly, Allen is so critical of himself.
I'm still laughing at some of the jokes from this movie, I swear.
Watch it.
Network
I have watched a couple movies since my last post, but have been too lazy to write about them. The next movie I watched was Sidney Lumet's Network. Released in 1976 and starring Faye Dunaway, William Holden and Peter Finch, Network is a scalding satire on America's sensationalist culture and what the media has become.
Network delicately balances the line between comedy and drama, which is what makes it so brilliant. Most of the movie is highly satirical, especially the ending. The acting (especially Faye Dunaway and Peter Finch) is superb and there are symbols galore that make the movie such a lasting piece of social commentary.
I actually wrote on essay on the movie for my English class, so I could go on and on about the symbols and directing style, et cetera, but I will just say that you have to see. It is absolutely great and still such a timely movie. With the advent of reality TV, the movie seems to take on deeper meaning. It's just absolutely great and makes you think long and hard about how the media affects you.
Network delicately balances the line between comedy and drama, which is what makes it so brilliant. Most of the movie is highly satirical, especially the ending. The acting (especially Faye Dunaway and Peter Finch) is superb and there are symbols galore that make the movie such a lasting piece of social commentary.
I actually wrote on essay on the movie for my English class, so I could go on and on about the symbols and directing style, et cetera, but I will just say that you have to see. It is absolutely great and still such a timely movie. With the advent of reality TV, the movie seems to take on deeper meaning. It's just absolutely great and makes you think long and hard about how the media affects you.
Monday, October 17, 2011
MASH
I know I haven't posted in over two months, and because of that I'm sure zero people are reading my blog as of now (also because no one was ever reading my blog). However, for school I had to watch MASH (we're learning about the Vietnam War and how it played out in the media), and it also happened to be on the AFI List, so I started up my little project again.
MASH was incredibly funny but also so politically genius. It is about a group of war doctors in Korea during the Korean War, and how they use humor and pranks to cope with the horrors of war. It is undoubtedly a comedy, but its comedy great meaning.
I was looking at the movie both with a cinematic eye and a historical eye, because I have to do a presentation on it tomorrow, but in both senses it was pretty brilliant. There were so many incredible one-liners in the movie, and it did an incredible job of skirting the line between flat out comedy and political commentary. It definitely made sure not to hit you over the head with the political commentary, but some of the lines either directly mentioned some of the controversy around both the Korean and Vietnam War, or indirectly but obviously linked to it. The acting was great, it kept me laughing and entertained and also has a lot to say about the culture and attitude of the 1970s.
MASH was incredibly funny but also so politically genius. It is about a group of war doctors in Korea during the Korean War, and how they use humor and pranks to cope with the horrors of war. It is undoubtedly a comedy, but its comedy great meaning.
I was looking at the movie both with a cinematic eye and a historical eye, because I have to do a presentation on it tomorrow, but in both senses it was pretty brilliant. There were so many incredible one-liners in the movie, and it did an incredible job of skirting the line between flat out comedy and political commentary. It definitely made sure not to hit you over the head with the political commentary, but some of the lines either directly mentioned some of the controversy around both the Korean and Vietnam War, or indirectly but obviously linked to it. The acting was great, it kept me laughing and entertained and also has a lot to say about the culture and attitude of the 1970s.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Day Three-The Silence of the Lambs
Tonight, I watched The Silence of the Lambs, number 74 on the list. It is starring Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster, and won the Academy Award for Best Movie in 1991.
This movie was fucking awesome. I don't think I've ever been as involved in a thriller ever. Every time something unexpected or suspenseful was happening, I was literally holding my breath, which most movies do not make me do. There are a couple things I think separate it from a normal thriller. For one, the acting is absolutely incredible. Anthony Hopkins, as everyone knows, whether they've seen the movie or not (I was definitely expecting this coming into the movie) was ridiculously terrifying as Hannibal Lector. I have never been scared of anyone more in a movie. Jodie Foster was also great. Also, the script was very, very good and overall the movie succeeded at scaring the shit out of me. But, besides just being a scary movie, it was also a psychological thriller, and it succeeded in both categories. It made me think about the killers and their motives, while still being completely scary.
The one criticism I have of the movie is that I wasn't sure how the characters drew some of the conclusions they did, but this criticism mostly applies for minor events throughout the movie and did not really detract from it at all.
I think this does deserve to be on the list and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I do feel, however, that people could argue there are other high quality thrillers that are just as good and also deserve to be on the list. That being said, I thought it was awesome.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Day Two-Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Tonight, I watched Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, number 73 on the list. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford and was made in 1979. It lost the Best Picture nomination to Midnight Cowboy, number 43 on the list.
Although I thought (and still think, for the most part) that Bonnie and Clyde, and Butch Cassidy are very similar movies, my father convinced me that Butch Cassidy was absolutely fantastic and that if I watched it, he would watch it with me. Now, my opinion that they are similar movies has not really changed, but I do agree with my dad that it really is a fantastic movie. I would say I enjoyed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid more than Bonnie Clyde, for a few major reasons.
Firstly, I thought the protagonists in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were extremely likable, much more so than Bonnie and Clyde. I really cared about what happened to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and was really rooting for them the whole time. I thought this movie did a better job of portraying the anti-heroes as heroic and charming characters. I also thought Robert Redford and Paul Newman had incredible chemistry and were truly believable as best friends, and as archetypical western heroes. Also, I thought the script in Butch Cassidy was one of the best I've ever seen. Despite the fact that there was not a lot of dialogue, since it was a traditional western and there were many action sequences, each scene of dialogue was memorable. I cannot count the time that I heard a line in this movie and immediately thought that if I was a douchebag who puts quotes on my Facebook profile, I would put that line on my profile. Even though the action scenes in Bonnie and Clyde were also well-shot, I thought the cinematography in this movie was outstanding. During all the action scenes, I had my eyes glued to the screen and was not convinced I was watching a movie from 1969.
I also realized that the reason this movie, and Bonnie and Clyde, do not feel dated to me is because they are period films, and at the time in which they were made, they were depicting an earlier era. Therefore, any "dated" features of the film can be attributed to the fact that it takes place in the mid 19th Century, not that it was made in 1969.
Without comparing this movie to Bonnie and Clyde, and looking at it as its own entity, it was just a highly enjoyable movie. Though there wasn't a thick plot, I realized that many crime films, especially ones made earlier on in movie history, aren't very plot heavy. I think that plot heavy movies have become popularized recently, and I enjoyed the fact that this movie explored the relationship between Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid, had some great shoot-outs, had some great dialogues and didn't need to focus on a specific plot in order to wholly keep my attention.
I really loved this movie, and definitely think that it deserves to be on the Top 100 list.
Although I thought (and still think, for the most part) that Bonnie and Clyde, and Butch Cassidy are very similar movies, my father convinced me that Butch Cassidy was absolutely fantastic and that if I watched it, he would watch it with me. Now, my opinion that they are similar movies has not really changed, but I do agree with my dad that it really is a fantastic movie. I would say I enjoyed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid more than Bonnie Clyde, for a few major reasons.
Firstly, I thought the protagonists in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were extremely likable, much more so than Bonnie and Clyde. I really cared about what happened to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and was really rooting for them the whole time. I thought this movie did a better job of portraying the anti-heroes as heroic and charming characters. I also thought Robert Redford and Paul Newman had incredible chemistry and were truly believable as best friends, and as archetypical western heroes. Also, I thought the script in Butch Cassidy was one of the best I've ever seen. Despite the fact that there was not a lot of dialogue, since it was a traditional western and there were many action sequences, each scene of dialogue was memorable. I cannot count the time that I heard a line in this movie and immediately thought that if I was a douchebag who puts quotes on my Facebook profile, I would put that line on my profile. Even though the action scenes in Bonnie and Clyde were also well-shot, I thought the cinematography in this movie was outstanding. During all the action scenes, I had my eyes glued to the screen and was not convinced I was watching a movie from 1969.
I also realized that the reason this movie, and Bonnie and Clyde, do not feel dated to me is because they are period films, and at the time in which they were made, they were depicting an earlier era. Therefore, any "dated" features of the film can be attributed to the fact that it takes place in the mid 19th Century, not that it was made in 1969.
Without comparing this movie to Bonnie and Clyde, and looking at it as its own entity, it was just a highly enjoyable movie. Though there wasn't a thick plot, I realized that many crime films, especially ones made earlier on in movie history, aren't very plot heavy. I think that plot heavy movies have become popularized recently, and I enjoyed the fact that this movie explored the relationship between Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid, had some great shoot-outs, had some great dialogues and didn't need to focus on a specific plot in order to wholly keep my attention.
I really loved this movie, and definitely think that it deserves to be on the Top 100 list.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Day One-Bonnie and Clyde
Tonight, I watched my first movie, Bonnie and Clyde. It is number 42 on the list, and was made in 1967, starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. It lost Best Picture to In the Heat of the Night, number 75 on the list.
Now, my original hesitance came from the fact that periodically, my sentiment to classic movies is that I like them only because I am supposed to like them, when in fact I would much rather watch a movie made today, whether or not it is considered a better movie. Don't think I am a huge fan of B list modern movies, but maybe I would prefer The Departed to The Godfather, merely because I think as a sixteen year old, it is easier for me to watch something made in 2006 than 1972 (The Godfather is one of the movies I haven't seen yet, so don't hold me to that comment). Also, let's be real, who doesn't like a good modern shitty movie. However, I honestly felt like I enjoyed Bonnie and Clyde because I enjoyed it, not because it is considered a classic movie and I'm obligated to like it in order to be considered a cultured movie fan. To me, the movie did not feel at all dated, mainly because it is considered one of the first movies in the New Hollywood Era, where the protagonists are anti-heroes and criminals, and the violence is more explicit than in previous movies that might have dealt with similar material.
Although a large portion of the movie felt light-hearted, it was really quite tragic. Once Bonnie and Clyde, and the rest of the gang, come to the realization that their actions as criminals are irrevocable, and fully realize the consequences of their actions, the sheer humanness of these criminal legends really got to me. Bonnie as a character was particularly tragic, for she got into crime because she was looking for an escape from the monotony of everyday life, and found it with Clyde, robbing banks. Even though that is not a typical reaction to discontent with one's life, it is was for her nothing more than an escape, and when she realized her inability to clear her name and start anew, she wished that it all had never happened.
For anyone who is not sure if they are a classic movie fan, I would most definitely recommend Bonnie and Clyde. The acting is great and the action scenes are surprisingly well shot for 1967, even with a 2011 eye. The plot line is most definitely captivating, and the characters are at once despicable and likable.
Day one has been successful. Hopefully my ability to articulate my thoughts on movies will improve as time goes on. I definitely have a lot more movies to watch, so I'm sure it will.
Now, my original hesitance came from the fact that periodically, my sentiment to classic movies is that I like them only because I am supposed to like them, when in fact I would much rather watch a movie made today, whether or not it is considered a better movie. Don't think I am a huge fan of B list modern movies, but maybe I would prefer The Departed to The Godfather, merely because I think as a sixteen year old, it is easier for me to watch something made in 2006 than 1972 (The Godfather is one of the movies I haven't seen yet, so don't hold me to that comment). Also, let's be real, who doesn't like a good modern shitty movie. However, I honestly felt like I enjoyed Bonnie and Clyde because I enjoyed it, not because it is considered a classic movie and I'm obligated to like it in order to be considered a cultured movie fan. To me, the movie did not feel at all dated, mainly because it is considered one of the first movies in the New Hollywood Era, where the protagonists are anti-heroes and criminals, and the violence is more explicit than in previous movies that might have dealt with similar material.
Although a large portion of the movie felt light-hearted, it was really quite tragic. Once Bonnie and Clyde, and the rest of the gang, come to the realization that their actions as criminals are irrevocable, and fully realize the consequences of their actions, the sheer humanness of these criminal legends really got to me. Bonnie as a character was particularly tragic, for she got into crime because she was looking for an escape from the monotony of everyday life, and found it with Clyde, robbing banks. Even though that is not a typical reaction to discontent with one's life, it is was for her nothing more than an escape, and when she realized her inability to clear her name and start anew, she wished that it all had never happened.
For anyone who is not sure if they are a classic movie fan, I would most definitely recommend Bonnie and Clyde. The acting is great and the action scenes are surprisingly well shot for 1967, even with a 2011 eye. The plot line is most definitely captivating, and the characters are at once despicable and likable.
Day one has been successful. Hopefully my ability to articulate my thoughts on movies will improve as time goes on. I definitely have a lot more movies to watch, so I'm sure it will.
Prologue
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
and by that I mean last week, I decided after reading the TIME 100 Best Movies List that I was far too ignorant in the category of classic movies. However, after a suggestion from a friend, I decided AFI's list was better, and that I wanted to focus my self-motivated film education on American films (the TIME list also had foreign films). My original estimate of how many of the movies I had seen was seven, and fortunately it is more like sixteen. That being said, however, I still wanted to have seen all 100. One might ask why? The short answer is that it is just good to have seen all the classic movies that have created our modern movie culture. A more lofty answer (and possibly a more pretentious one) would be that movies are so telling of the culture at the time and are more often than not zeitgeists. So, this movie education could also serve as a cultural education, for I don't really feel I have a comprehensive understanding of many decades I probably should know more about.
A more personal reason for pushing myself to do this is that I have recently taken an interest to screenwriting, and if I at all plan to go into that field later in life, I feel these movies are mandatory in order to begin to call myself an aspiring screenwriter.
The school year, however, is starting up quite soon, so my goal might be a little too ambitious. We'll see.
I was originally going to watch them in order, starting with 100 and ending with 1, but in order to accelerate the process, I decided to watch what is available on Netflix Instant Play while I wait for the movies that are only available on DVDs.
So, without further adieu, I will start with the first movie I watched, Bonnie and Clyde.
and by that I mean last week, I decided after reading the TIME 100 Best Movies List that I was far too ignorant in the category of classic movies. However, after a suggestion from a friend, I decided AFI's list was better, and that I wanted to focus my self-motivated film education on American films (the TIME list also had foreign films). My original estimate of how many of the movies I had seen was seven, and fortunately it is more like sixteen. That being said, however, I still wanted to have seen all 100. One might ask why? The short answer is that it is just good to have seen all the classic movies that have created our modern movie culture. A more lofty answer (and possibly a more pretentious one) would be that movies are so telling of the culture at the time and are more often than not zeitgeists. So, this movie education could also serve as a cultural education, for I don't really feel I have a comprehensive understanding of many decades I probably should know more about.
A more personal reason for pushing myself to do this is that I have recently taken an interest to screenwriting, and if I at all plan to go into that field later in life, I feel these movies are mandatory in order to begin to call myself an aspiring screenwriter.
The school year, however, is starting up quite soon, so my goal might be a little too ambitious. We'll see.
I was originally going to watch them in order, starting with 100 and ending with 1, but in order to accelerate the process, I decided to watch what is available on Netflix Instant Play while I wait for the movies that are only available on DVDs.
So, without further adieu, I will start with the first movie I watched, Bonnie and Clyde.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)