Lay down all thought and surrender to the void

He cares. He actually cares for these Earth people.

Title: Superman II
Date Watched: 5/25/2012
Original Ranking Out of 10: 6
Revised Ranking Out of 10: 6

Synopsis: The sequel to Superman features our hero continuing his love triangle between him, his alter-ego Clark Kent, and Lois Lane, as well as fighting three Kryptonian criminals.

The Good: The love story and interplay between Kent and Lane is fantastic, among the best ever presented in a superhero movie. And, as stupid as it is, the climactic battle is kind of cool. The reveal that Kent is Superman is much better in the Donner version than the Richard Lester one.

The Bad: Stupid, with lame attempts at humor and villains who aren't particularly interesting. Breaks its own rules. Also, the Donner cut doesn't have the opening sequence involving the Eiffel Tower, which was really cool.

Why Do I Own This Movie?: DVD2Blu Trade-in.

Should I Still Own This Movie?: I guess? I kind of want to go through the special features.

What Did I Notice That I Didn't Notice Before?: Nothing worth mumbling about. Which is weird, because I didn't think I'd remembered this movie particularly well.

Other Impressions: Superman II is one of those rare movies where the character elements work and the genre elements don't. Usually, almost as a rule, it's the other way around. I would almost have preferred a movie all about Lois and Clark's honeymoon. There could be a villain they have to face (maybe Superman has to face him, but without revealing that he's Superman -- I think that was the plot of the 1960's Batman movie, but I could be mistaken), but there wouldn't have to be. Lois could be enough of a villain if she's constantly trying to put herself in danger or testing Clark to see if he is, indeed, the man of steel.

The best moments of Superman II all involve Lois and Clark and take place entirely during the first half of the movie. Everything with General Zod and the rest of the Kryptonians is great for what it is... I guess... but still not particularly good. It appeals to the same part of me that gets joy out of old Godzilla movies. But there's a better movie here and it's a shame that saving the world has to get in the way of it.

To the best of my recollection, the Donner version focuses more on the human element of the story and, if my memory serves me correctly, that makes it the better version. This is also an unfinished movie, with several scenes using test footage because they were never actually filmed. But it's interesting that we're allowed to watch it and I'd rather live in a world with an incomplete version that's been released than one that's locked up in a vault for forever.

I kind of want to watch the released version again to see if I could better understand the differences.

The List

I heard the music of true forgiveness filling the theater, conferring on all who sat there, perfect absolution. God was singing through this little man to all the world, unstoppable, making my defeat more bitter with every passing bar.

Title: Amadeus
Date Watched: 5/12/2012
Original Ranking Out of 10: 10
Revised Ranking Out of 10: 8

Synopsis: The story of Mozart as told by an also-ran.

The Good: Beautifully shot and written, with meticulous attention to detail in every single frame. Great performances. Brilliant way to frame the story.

The Bad: The Director's Cut takes a movie that was tightly paced and adds an additional 20 minutes or so that really bog things down.

Why Do I Own This Movie?: Warehouse trade in and cheap Amazon purchase for the blu-ray.

Should I Still Own This Movie?: Yeah. I wish either version I owned had the original cut on it, though.

What Did I Notice That I Didn't Notice Before?: Holy shit there are a lot of candles. And they had to continuously keep them lit while shooting. Also, I think the last time I watched this movie was before I took up piano again -- there were a lot of subtle musical things that I missed.

Other Impressions: It's difficult for me to articulate the appeal of this movie. Sure, it's beautiful and filled to the brim with wonderful music and gorgeous costumes, and, as far as I know, it's reasonably accurate from a historical perspective, but the resonance is deeper than that. This is the story of everybody, hiding in the shadow of people who are vastly more able than we are, who can do everything we can and more without even breaking a sweat. And, when we receive praise, we can't ever fully accept it because we know that the praiser is either being polite or ignorant.

No doubt this is how I feel in my current program, trying to succeed around students who are smarter and younger than I am, but I felt the same thing as a screenwriter, where nothing I wrote was ever as good as my favorite movies. I can be proud of my accomplishments, but never as appreciative of them as I am of those who were blessed (?) with more ability than I have been.

Though I'm not much for religion, I think the religious element of the story really works for this movie. Salieri isn't mad at Mozart -- he's mad at God. God, who gave him the desire without the ability, taunting him for no reason other than, I suppose, it's fun.

If there's any other movie that's sums up the frustration of failure better than this one, I've yet to see it.

The List

Funny shoes...

Title: Mimic
Date Watched: 4/28/2012
Original Ranking Out of 10: N/A
Revised Ranking Out of 10: 6

Synopsis: A genetically modified bug evolves into a ferocious species that lives in the New York subway system.

The Good: Mostly looks good, with solid atmosphere and some genuinely great moments. Pretty fun.

The Bad: Bad CGI. Sometimes too dark, even for a horror movie. A lot of standard elements, though they're mostly handled well.

Why Do I Own This Movie?: Five dollar Amazon Black Friday deal.

Should I Still Own This Movie?: Yeah. I want to listen to the commentary.

What Did I Notice That I Didn't Notice Before?: Josh Brolin's in this! Other than that, not much.

Other Impressions: Mimic is a standard issue monster movie and, for that matter, one that's not particularly scary, but I still kind of like it. It doesn't hit any new beats and even features a pretty cliche location for the action, but Guillermo del Toro really milks the atmosphere and knows how to film a movie. But, even with that, this is not one of his prouder works. He disowned the movie and even the "Director's Cut" represents a compromise from what he originally intended.

Still, I think, for the genre, the characters were handled well. All of the actors are pretty good and the writing allows them to be slightly more three dimensional than we've come to expect from the monster movie. Mira Sorvino is pretty, but her character isn't stupid and every "stupid" thing she does to enhance tension comes across more as brave than moronic. There aren't any huge dramatic moments -- isn't fighting a giant roach dramatic enough? -- but the ones that are there, like the moments surrounding the pregnancy, are nice and give the audience just enough to latch onto, without dragging the pace down.

The science is silly, involving insects growing lungs and the ability to mimic humans over the course of a few years, but at least it's addressed. Mimic isn't a great movie by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a solid genre offering and never wastes the audience's time.

The List

Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner.

Title: Heat
Date Watched: 4/28/2012
Original Ranking Out of 10: N/A
Revised Ranking Out of 10: 6

Synopsis: Not much of a plot, more like an analysis of the parallelism between the life of a cop and that of a criminal set in downtown LA.

The Good: Mostly good performances (lots of character actors) and some stellar action sequences. The coffee scene between DeNiro and Pacino is pretty cool.

The Bad: Soap opera-ish at times and way too much going on that detracts from the interesting elements of the story. Also, way too long.

Why Do I Own This Movie?: Jonathan traded me my crappy version of Fargo for his crappy version of Heat.

Should I Still Own This Movie?: Maybe not.

What Did I Notice That I Didn't Notice Before?: I have absolutely no nostalgia for downtown LA. Also, though I thought this was an ultra-realistic look at the LA crime scene, I'm not so sure it is anymore.

Other Impressions: I had the whole afternoon and evening to myself with nothing much to do and figured that I wasn't going to have a better opportunity to watch a long movie for a while. And I remember liking Heat when I saw it some 10 years ago, but also thinking that I didn't get it. I mostly get it now, but don't think it's an especially good movie. The main issues stem from the Pacino storyline, which involve his strained relationship with his wife and step daughter.

The problem is we already have a storyline between DeNiro and his girlfriend that essentially provides the same beats. And, instead of treating the two stories like parallel traits, the movie bogs itself down by duplicating the elements. We get it -- these people are more devoted to their careers than they are to other people: now let's see some more gunfights. I was particularly turned off by a plot point towards the end involving Natalie Portman.

And, in fact, I was often turned off by Pacino's performance. Writer/director Michael Mann made a movie that looks and feels great, but he really needed to keep better control of his lead actor. Pacino is allowed out of his cage far too often, giving the kind of performance that made movies like The Recruit and The Devil's Advocate watchable, but is a distraction here.

Still, the crime elements are juggled admirably and I liked virtually everything that focused on them. I just wish that, if Mann was so adamant about sticking with the more human storyline, that he'd handle it better. And, perhaps, make it shorter.

The List

No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.

Title: Goldfinger
Date Watched: 4/15/2012 - 4/16/2012
Original Ranking Out of 10: N/A
Revised Ranking Out of 10: 8

Synopsis: James Bond investigates a gold smuggler with an ingenious plan.

The Good: Wall-to-wall goofy action, corny witticisms, and good looking 60's women.

The Bad: Some uncomfortably dated and un-PC moments. Other than that, meh.

Why Do I Own This Movie?: Bought the DVD back in high school and the blu-ray when it went on sale at Amazon for $10.

Should I Still Own This Movie?: Hehe. Yeah.

What Did I Notice That I Didn't Notice Before?: Honor Blackman is no spring chicken. 1080P is not forgiving.

Other Impressions: I used to babysit my next door neighbors and I'd always bring over DVDs to watch with them. And, for whatever reason, they really liked this one, asking me to watch it every time. It's not hard to see why: there's a lot of action, but it's mostly the goofy kind that especially appeals to kids and/or people with my level of maturity. I mean, it's cool to see something explode, but it's even cooler to see a small Korean guy cut off a statue's head with his hat.

One of the biggest appeals of the movie is that they really can't make anything like this anymore. Action movies have to be serious, even the fun ones, and can't delve into the kind of absurdity that's on display here. As moviegoers, we're too jaded and critical -- even something like Salt gets criticized because viewers don't believe that someone as thin as Angelina Jolie could throw a punch, when that's pretty much exactly the point.

But, with that appeal comes the uncomfortable issue of the female representation, which is *really* bad here. After the first two girls die -- and Bond doesn't really care -- Pussy Galore enters the scene (yes, yes, I know... it's very funny). She's a lesbian whom Bond essentially rapes, but, since it's Bond, Pu--... I mean, Ms. Galore ends up liking it. ...Yeah.

You take the good with the bad and Goldfinger remains one of the most entertaining action movies ever filmed and, arguably, the best in the Bond series (though Casino Royale and On Her Majesty's Secret Service are also very good, in their own different ways). This viewing wasn't as rewarding as past ones have been, but I was also very tired and I practically have the movie memorized. I'd kind of like to watch it again sometime with a virgin viewer.

The List

Fuck you! Doughnuts are awesome!

Title: Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Date Watched: 4/14/2012
Original Ranking Out of 10: 6
Revised Ranking Out of 10: 4

Synopsis: Our two favorite stoners get stopped on their way to Amsterdam and go on another adventure.

The Good: Sometimes funny, always race-related humor, where the joke's usually on the bigoted and privileged white males. Two really likable main characters.

The Bad: Not as funny as the first movie. Too long.

Why Do I Own This Movie?: Bought it from Blockbuster as they went out of business.

Should I Still Own This Movie?: If somebody broke in and stole it, I wouldn't replace it.

What Did I Notice That I Didn't Notice Before?: There's way too much plot here. And the writers had to have known it. Once the main plot-line is settled, we have to follow Harold to finish up his story. I know it's just a dumb, goofy comedy, but that doesn't mean the writing has to be so lazy.

Other Impressions: I'm pretty sure that offering any kind of analysis with a movie like this is a waste of time since my enjoyment ultimately comes down to whether or not I laughed. I did, but not as much as I remember laughing when I saw it the first time and certainly not as much as I did when I watched the original. Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay isn't a horrible movie and it's admirable that it's not just a retread of the first one, but it feels a little tired.

The first Harold & Kumar movie seemed fresher than the sequel and, though we still get to meet a bunch of weird characters in strange settings this time around, the movie never really finds its stride. It's also way too long. This is a 90 minute movie max, but the unrated cut lasts for over 100 minutes. And it drags.

Still, I've got Harold & Kumar 3 coming to me in the mail from Net-Flix and I'm kind of hoping to like it more than I liked this one.

I won't be surprised if I don't, though.

The List

I'd rather be his whore than your wife.

Title: Titanic
Date Watched: 4/6/2012
Original Ranking Out of 10: 10
Revised Ranking Out of 10: 10

Synopsis: Two kids fall in love while a giant boat sinks in the background.

The Good: Good lord, where to start. Wonderful love story and chemistry between the leads along with endlessly thrilling action and top of the line special effects and an obsessive attention to detail. And, perhaps the most amazing feat: a movie that manages to be longer than 3 hours without having a single boring second in it.

The Bad: Standard story, I guess. Not all of the special effects hold up (particularly the smoke stacks and ice breaths). Cal is perhaps a bit too villainous, though the movie does go out of its way to make him sympathetic.

Why Do I Own This Movie?: I don't remember. I bought the three disc special edition DVD when it came out.

Should I Still Own This Movie?: Yeah. Bring on the blu-ray.

What Did I Notice That I Didn't Notice Before?: This was the highest grossing movie of all time for something like 10 years (before Avatar unseated it) and it's about female empowerment. How cool is that? The main character is female, it passes the Bechdel test, and -- this is fucking amazing -- the girl actually rescues the man in distress.

Other Impressions: So they've rereleased Titanic into theaters and I feel guilty because I've never actually seen it on the big screen and I didn't take the opportunity to see it at the Drafthouse (3D bugs me and I didn't want to spend the $13 -- I know, I'm lame). Instead, I took my DVD copy and watched it at a friend's house. And here's the thing: even on the small screen, with dogs running around the apartment, and a particularly annoying woman who came over and wouldn't shut up, the movie works and it works well.

One thing I've said about Titanic, and I think it bears repeating, is that though people sarcastically talk about the "surprise ending," the iceberg collision genuinely comes as a surprise for me every time I see the movie. I don't mean to say that I don't know what's going to happen, but that I become so wrapped up in the characters that I forget that this is actually a movie about a boat sinking. Writer/director James Cameron set out to make a movie about the Titanic disaster and while nobody questions that he succeeded on a technical level, it's still mind boggling to me that he succeeded so well on a personal level. Seriously, I would watch a movie about these characters on a boat that didn't sink.

That being said, the second half of the movie is at least as strong as the first half because it manages to provide the spectacle of a sinking ship without losing sight of the characters. Cameron spent $200 million to sink a very big ship and yet, when you ask people about Titanic, they still remember Jack and Rose. Does anyone remember any of the characters in Pearl Harbor?

The movie is written and made with broad strokes, but it should be. This is a big story and Cameron brings it to the big screen with his typical perfectionist style, making sure that every piece of silverware is authentic while never seeming to mind that his heart is clearly visible on his sleeve.

Titanic is easy to hate when looked at cynically, but it's also hard not to get wrapped up in it. It's a testament to the power of the medium and a classic in every sense of the word: a movie that exists on its own, adding up to more than the sum of its parts, with a magic that can't be replicated, and the result of a true artist who's unwilling to settle.

The List

Tell me about an ambush. I ambushed you with a cup of coffee.

Title: Ronin
Date Watched: 3/24/2012 -3/25/2012
Original Ranking Out of 10: N/A
Revised Ranking Out of 10: 8

Synopsis: A team of amateur criminals is enlisted to steal a case that people are willing to kill for.

The Good: Wonderful dialogue and some very smart beats to go along with the kickass John Frankenheimer car chases.

The Bad: Still fairly standard action stuff. The score is a bit melodramatic.

Why Do I Own This Movie?: Amazon Black Friday sale. So cheap.

Should I Still Own This Movie?: Yeah.

What Did I Notice That I Didn't Notice Before?: I hadn't seen this since its theatrical release some 15 years ago, so it was almost like seeing it for the first time again. In one scene, I was wondering why all the characters wore earplugs and then I realized, oh, it's because they're about to get into a gunfight. Nice touch.

Other Impressions: I actually really enjoyed this movie. Even more than I thought I would. I remember it being mostly unremarkable when my 13 or 14 year old self watched it, save a couple of cool car chases. Truth be told, the one car chase I remembered (where the cars drive on the wrong side of the road) is probably the only part of Ronin that didn't hold up for me (aside from the shitty score). This time around, I really admired the writing and shoot-out scenes, in addition to the performances, which were all around excellent.

Usually, in a movie like this, the plot stops dead for a love story with the protagonist and the girl or some character beats where the main guy explains how he became a criminal. While Ronin has that, very little time is devoted to it and screenwriter David Mamet (credited as Richard Weisz) actually makes it affect the plot more than it might in a more traditional screenplay. Action fanatics will get what they pay for, but there's a bit more brain in this shoot-em-up than we're accustomed to. And, rather than drag things down, the smart elements make the movie better, even if it does go on at least 10 or 15 minutes too long.

An element that I enjoyed from the beginning of the movie is how shitty these criminals are. It's not quite played for comedy, but it is kind of funny that DeNiro is the only one who has a clue as to how to go about doing this kind of heist. Also, I'm kind of sad that Natascha McElhone hasn't done more movies or become a bigger name. She's a good actor and holds her own against DeNiro throughout the movie. She also happens to have a unique look and the fact that she was doing an Irish accent here didn't hurt, either.

My point is that you should be running to Ronin.

...Sometimes I even make myself groan.

The List

I've got something planned for your wife and kid that they ain't never gonna forget.

Title: Cape Fear
Date Watched: 3/11/2012
Original Ranking Out of 10: N/A
Revised Ranking Out of 10: 7

Synopsis: A violent criminal goes after the man who put him behind bars.

The Good: Great villain and very edgy for its time...

The Bad: ...but is it a little too edgy for this kind of movie? Is violence against children or rape suitable material to base a silly thriller around?

Why Do I Own This Movie?: Peerflix? Yeah.

Should I Still Own This Movie?: Probably not.

What Did I Notice That I Didn't Notice Before?: John MacDonald wrote the novel. I didn't realize that it was based on a book.

Other Impressions: I actually hadn't watched this movie before, though I'd seen the Scorsese remake, which I think is great. That had a lot of the same elements as the original, but there's something ickier about this version. The uncomfortable elements between the killer and the daughter in the remake worked, partially because Scorsese wasn't particularly subtle with them. Here, the subtlety made me constantly wonder, "Really, is that what they're going for?" Maybe I'm making something out of nothing, but the rape element seemed more of a manipulative plot device than anything else. Perhaps if I watched the Scorsese version again, I'd feel the same about that movie.

It all comes down to a big fist fight on a house boat here, as it does in the remake, though the two movies take slightly different paths to get there. They're not radically different, but enough was altered in the remake so that I wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen next in this original. As far as filmmaking technique goes, this Cape Fear is a solid noir, with cheesy dialogue and over-the-top characters. Also, like the remake, the plot is completely preposterous, but this is the kind of material that Hitchcock might have liked and could have made good use with.

The movie is effective, in a B-movie sort of way, and even pretty entertaining, for the most part. But I don't think I'll be watching it again anytime soon. There's nothing in that especially stands-out, but it's worth seeing once... I guess.

Overall, it's kind of a trashy movie that withstands the test of time because it works. The remake is kind of trashy, too, but it's better trash.

The List

I think only stupid people have good relationships.

Title: Ghost World
Date Watched: 3/10/2012
Original Ranking Out of 10: 10
Revised Ranking Out of 10: 9

Synopsis: After finishing high school, an apathetic girl reevaluates her life.

The Good: Finds a good balance between cynical and heartfelt. I guess that's something of a tightrope walk, but it works. Funny in a very special way -- if you're part of that special club that gets it.

The Bad: Maybe a little immature and maybe not as good as the source material. Adding and filling in subplots kind of weakens the material.

Why Do I Own This Movie?: Day and date order on-line. I think it was part of my old roommate's order to save on shipping.

Should I Still Own This Movie?: Yeah. It has a special place in my heart.

What Did I Notice That I Didn't Notice Before?: David Cross is in the movie? Also, there's an ampersand in the writing credit, meaning that director Terry Zwigoff wrote the script with Daniel Clowes. For some reason, I thought Clowes didn't have anything to do with the adaptation.

Other Impressions: This was my favorite movie of the year when it came out and I was surprised by how it still affected me on this viewing. The one interesting thing I noticed is that, when I first saw it, I identified with Enid, the 18 year old who was finishing up with high school. I was in the same position she was in, though the details were very different. However, this time, I identified with Seymour, the 40 year old loser played by Steve Buscemi. Enid still has the hope that things will get better, Seymour's lived long enough to give up. That's probably not a step in the right direction.

This is probably a hipster movie, but the "cooler than thou" cynicism is just a mask that the characters wear. Enid really does hurt throughout the movie, but hides her feelings behind a wall made of snarky comments, and it's remarkable that filmmakers and actors were able to find the balance where it's clear to the audience, but also believable. There's no real winking throughout the movie, but the character's souls are all clearly on display for us to see.

This is a character piece, but it's one made with real affection. The inhabitants of this world are interesting enough to push the story forward without any artificiality in the plotting. If anything, there's too much story in the movie and the best moments are at the beginning when we follow the two leads on their little adventures, which are desperate attempts for them to find something to do with their newfound free time now that high school is over.

For me, that limbo didn't come until after college, but it wasn't very different than the way it's presented in Ghost World. The movie is a reminder of different times in my life and, in some ways, even represents my mindset now. I may be in a specific place with a specific goal in mind, but I don't know what I'm going to be or what I'm going to do with my life. And, you know, I still kind of have an inkling to get on a bus to some far away land and start over.

The List