Reflection on the 84th Oscars

There were no big surprises this year and my predictions for the big awards were mostly right. When the biggest surprise of the night is Rise of the Planet of the Apes not winning best visual effects, you have a pretty predictable night.

I really enjoyed this year's awards show, though. Billy Crystal did a good job. Though he had a lot of jokes that misfired, he played it straight as always and had me laughing a handful of times, which is more than I can say for most of the recent hosts. And that Cirque de Soleil performance was quite literally mind-blowing.

I am disappointed that Adam Sandler, a day after he was nominated for an unprecedented 11 Razzie Awards, was featured in a few of those short things where he talked about his experience at the movies. But I did enjoy the little short about movie screenings featuring the cast of Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman; that was great albeit completely unnecessary.

It was truly great to see Christopher Plummer up there getting an award this year. I was genuinely happy to say that. He's been an outstanding actor for half a century and it was about time he got his due. I wasn't surprised by it by any means but I also didn't predict him to win.

I was disappointed that Michelle Williams didn't win an Oscar for My Week with Marilyn. Though I admittedly didn't see a lot of the performances up for awards, that was easily my favorite performance of the year. She just did everything perfectly. That having been said, it was nice to see Meryl Streep up there for the first time in 30 years, as she may very well be the greatest actress of all time. On another note, I found out tonight that Michelle Williams played the wife in Shutter Island. That surprised me.

I had a lot of fun watching the Oscars tonight and it was my favorite one yet. I may very well say the same thing next year, as I see myself following film more and more in the future.

My 100 Favorite Movies with Reviews (80-76)

80. Taxi Driver (1976)

Taxi Driver is a strange movie but it’s one of the most enthralling movies I’ve ever seen. Robert De Niro plays Travis Bickle, a mysteriously psychotic young taxi driver in New York City. The film shows his could-have-been relationship with Cybill Shepherd which doubles to show the audience how far this man is from our collective reality.

Eventually it becomes apparent that he wants to an assassinate a politician and one he doesn’t even really have anything against; he actually met him while driving him somewhere once, and he seemed to like him. The morality of Bickle is virtually nonexistent until he meets a young prostitute named Iris. Iris is played by Jodie Foster, and Bickle is drawn to her for whatever reason. While it’s probably shy of love, he certainly cares a great deal for her, and it brings out either the best or the worst of him.

What makes this film so great is De Niro’s performance and the character of Bickle. It’s difficult to have a great character without a great performance and vice versa. It’s such brilliant insight into insanity and obsession. It will blow you away.

79. Return of the Jedi (1983)

No, this is not as good as the first two Star Wars movies but it’s a great conclusion to the trilogy. I’ve probably seen it more than any other Star Wars movie and I think it may have even been my favorite at one point.

A lot of the complaints of the film boil down to one thing: the Ewoks. Now I love the Ewoks. They’re stupid and stuff but they’re somehow irresistible to me.

The story of redemption between Luke and Vader is fantastic and easily the best part of the film. Also it has a great action sequence on Jabba’s skiff or whatever it’s called.

78. Young Frankenstein (1974)

This is one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen, and I enjoy it even more now that I’ve seen all the Frankenstein movies it spoofs. There are so many great moments, most of which involve the character of Igor (Marty Feldman). He’s hilarious in everything he does and says and his introductory scene serves as my favorite character introduction of all time. Teri Garr is also hilarious in a supporting role.

This is actually a loving spoof of the Frankenstein movies of the 1930s. Some of the smallest components of the films are recreated and everything is funny. It points out some of the silliness of the films but make things hilarious that weren’t even silly to begin with.

77. Fargo (1996)

Fargo is another really, really strange movie and a difficult one to explain. The plot is pretty basic, actually, but it’s difficult as to say what makes it so good.

It’s a very original movie and it’s great mostly because of the screenplay by the Coen brothers. The story perfectly balances dark humor and tragedy, molding it into their best movie to date.

The characters are all great and the film really takes off when Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand in an Oscar-winning role) is introduced. She’s really likable and interesting.

While the comedy is great, I would argue that the tragic element is what works best in the film. It has a theme of people acting before they know all the information, which is also done in Burn After Reading, but that’s not nearly as good a film.

76. The Fugitive (1993)

The Fugitive is one of the best action movies ever. I never saw the show but I have a hard time believing it’s better than this.

Harrison Ford plays Doctor Richard Kimbell, a man falsely convicted for the murder of his wife. In an outstanding albeit convenient action scene, he escapes, and he’s on the run for the rest of the film.

Tommy Lee Jones plays the antagonist, a US Marshall hot on Kimbell’s trail.

While not the most realistic film, what makes this great is that it feels real. Part of it is because the characters are real. The two leads in the film deliver career-best performances and Tommy Lee Jones even won an Oscar. A highlight of the film is Tommy Lee Jones interacting with the other marshals in just the way they talk and stuff, I don’t know.

I’ve always found the ending to this film to be a bit disappointing but overall it’s still a wonderful action thriller.

My 100 Favorite Movies with Reviews (85-81)

85. Forrest Gump (1994)

Just about everyone I know loves Forrest Gump, and why wouldn’t they? It’s such a sentimental film but nearly every bit of it works, and it ends up being a great portrait of America in the latter half of the twentieth century.

It has its share of dumb moments, sure, as Gump basically is a part of every major historical event in America, but it’s enjoyable, and that’s really all that matters.

Tom Hanks plays Forrest Gump in his first Academy Award-winning role. He’s a slow-witted young man hopelessly pursuing his childhood friend, Jenny (Robin Wright), and deeply attached to his mother, played by Sally Field. If anyone were to dislike this movie, I guess, it might be because Forrest literally does everything for Jenny and she keeps shoving him off until the very end, but I think that’s one of the film’s strong points actually. It does a good job of showing that love isn’t always requited, and almost never rational.

84. Godzilla (1954)

Like a lot of people, I grew up with Godzilla, Tokyo’s hated-comes-beloved giant lizard monster that has atomic breath and is indestructible. But it wasn’t until recently that I saw the original Godzilla. Yes, Gojira, directed by Ishiro Honda, one of my favorite directors of all time due to his work in the kaiju genre.

It’s easy to look at what Godzilla has become and pass this off as a B-movie but it’s not. It’s a very serious movie. Japan suffered the horrors of the atom bomb in World War II, and less than ten years after that, they are faced with the horrors of the H-bomb in the form of the most destructive creature that has ever lived.

Like many monster movies, this relies on suspense and doesn’t reveal the monster for a good deal of the film. Ships are either sunk or exploded and the only survivors only make it for a matter of minutes. An island of natives tells of their local legend of a horrible creature named Gojira, or Godzilla in the subtitles, and later that night it attacks the village. The film makes excellent use of miniatures. And yes, you will see that they are miniatures, but due to the cinematography when they actually show Godzilla, he looks real. You can’t tell he’s a six foot tall suit; he looks like he’s 100 feet tall. The black and white looks great, with smoke going everywhere.

Like I said earlier, this is a very serious film, and you’ll probably be surprised at how interesting the characters are for a movie of its kind. The scientist with the eyepatch is just awesome, and he raises some interesting moral questions.

This was made in 1956 with a couple new scenes filmed and all of it dubbed in English, but to be honest, I prefer the subtitled version. Check it out.

83. Dances with Wolves (1990)

While it may have stolen the Best Picture Academy Award from Goodfellas, Dances with Wolves is a magnificent movie in its own right. It’s a sweeping western epic of around three hours, but has great characters and a good story. Yes, it’s politically correct, painting the Native Americans as the good guys and the white men as the bad guys, but it works because it isn’t so simplistic.

Kevin Costner plays an accidental Civil War hero who goes out to the plains of South Dakota because he wishes to see the frontier. He is alone there until he bonds with a local tribe of Sioux and a white woman they have had since she was a young girl. Mary McDonnell gives a wonderful performance as said woman, and Graham Greene is very likable as the role of one of the Native American elders.

The cinematography is arguably the best part of this film, as well as the directing by Costner. The plains of South Dakota make for a beautiful backdrop, particularly when there are herds of buffalo. My favorite scene was the buffalo hunt which looks like it must have been damn near impossible to film, first of all. But mostly I love it because it perfectly captures the wonder of seeing those animals out in the plains. I spent a week in South Dakota and I can say that when I finally got to see a buffalo, though I was in a car, it was one of the most exciting moments of my life.

It has moments of action and excitement, but mostly it’s a film to see because of the story and the cinematography. It’s a very well done movie.

82. The Birds (1963)

This is the only Alfred Hitchcock film to not have a human as the villain. The plot is pretty ridiculous, actually, but leave it to the Master to make a film about killer birds that can be called an excellent film and a work of art itself.

Hitchcock once again masters the art of build-up by starting The Birds off as an innocent little romantic comedy that eventually explodes into a full-out bird-induced apocalypse. No, there’s nothing realistic about it and the characters are surprisingly flat for Hitchcock but it manages to be a very suspenseful and frightening film.

The last 45 minutes are some of the most tense minutes ever filmed and the outdated special effects have that old-fashioned charm and are a marvel to look at. The ending, however, is a bit of a disappointment. Still a great film though.

81. Casablanca (1942)

How is Casablanca, one of the pinnacles of American cinema, this low on my list? Well that’s why it’s my list of what I’ve enjoyed most. Casablanca is an enjoyable movie, as perfectly written and acted as any movie I’ve ever seen, probably. The dialogue is all great and there are so many iconic lines.

I’m pretty sure everyone knows the plot but whatever. Nazi-occupied Casablanca. Love triangle. Bogart. Bergman.

The characters and performances are all excellent and the climactic airplane scene is just beautiful. Some of my favorite supporting performances are in this movie: Dooley Wilson, Claude Rains, and Peter Lorre, but they’re all overshadowed by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in the leads.

Short Analysis of Milton's Paradise Lost

            We all know the story of Adam and Eve and the Fall of man, and John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost is a fascinating retelling of it. In addition to this, it is the quintessential work on good versus evil in the western canon. I got done reading it quite recently and it was brilliant.

            It is interesting to note that the poem is most fascinating not when it deals on the Fall, but when it deals with Satan. I would argue that Satan is the protagonist of the narrative; he is given the most backstory and motive, and he more than anyone else, has a goal that he is trying to achieve.

            The initial books of Paradise Lost deal with Satan plotting revenge against God. His entire philosophy is summed up in a brilliant quotation: “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.” I’ve read online that there’s a new school of interpretation that views Satan as the good guy and God as the villain, but I can’t say I buy into that at all. Satan, knowing he doesn’t have the power to directly confront God, decides to go to Earth and corrupt God’s favorite creation: Man.

            We all know how the story goes, with the Devil taking the form of a snake and speaking to Eve and telling her to eat of the forbidden tree. However, the best part of the epic comes before this, in Book IV, when Satan is debating if what he should do is right. ‘Right’ may not be the right word, but he’s not sure if he should do it or not. This adds a great deal of depth to the character and reminds you that Lucifer was once God’s most prized angel. I find him to be one of the most fascinating characters in all of literature that I’ve ever come across, and certainly the greatest villain, mostly because he comes to the conclusion that what he is doing is evil but he still chooses to do it.

            As expected, he corrupts the mind of Eve, and Adam follows, but out of love. That was something that I wasn’t expecting to read, and again it added a great deal of depth to the characters, making it that much more powerful of a work.

            The strengths of Paradise Lost lie primarily in its themes and depth. While dealing primarily in the abstract worlds of Heaven and Hell (or Chaos) there is a fascinating human story of temptation, of love, and of sacrifice. While I found the parts of Adam and Eve less enjoyable than the Satan parts, there is still a lot going on and it’s all interesting.

            What I find most fascinating is the human characteristics given to characters like Satan and arguably God. How would we be able to understand them if they were completely different than us? Satan’s thought process in Book IV is very much reminiscent of a “To be or not to be” speech, and God’s wrath and judgment is something we can all relate to.

            While there are hints at Jesus’ coming and redemption, overwhelmingly Paradise Lost is a tragic work of literature. It introduces death to the human world and from a more literary standpoint, you can see this in the characters of Adam and Eve. When they are introduced, they are without sin and you can see this in everything they say and do, but after they give in to temptation, they have horrible nightmares and begin to sin. This is when guilt takes over. Even Satan comes out of this whole fiasco cursed, despite his accomplishing what he intended to do.

            Another thing to look for in the epic is Milton’s use of language. Arguably the greatest poet of all time, the imagery he relays is truly astounding. However, I’d recommend reading an annotative version, as he has many geographic and Biblical allusions that would go unexplained without.

            If I had to complain at all about this it’s that it’s a little repetitive in the way each character speaks. It’s a small thing but it’s like if a writer were to overuse the word “said” when each character speaks. It would get a little annoying. Here, however, since it’s a poem, goes more like “Thus Adam spoke to Eve” and these kinds of phrases are repeated far too much.

            Overall, though, it’s a mesmerizing work of literature and I’d recommend it to just about anyone.

2012 in Film - A look ahead

Films to avoid by all means necessary:

1. That's My Boy - It's Adam Sandler's first film since Jack & Jill. Avoid like the plague.
2. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 - I don't think there's a soul on earth who thinks these are good movies. 
3. Battleship - When I first heard there was going to be a Battleship movie, I thought it was a joke. When I saw that it involved aliens, I was CONVINCED that it was a joke. And just a heads up: if you want your movie to be taken seriously, don't cast Rihanna and Brooklyn Decker.
4. The Three Stooges - It's perfectly normal to be skeptic about a Three Stooges movie made with people who aren't the actual Three Stooges. But take a look at the cast. Jersey Shore is in it.
5. GI Joe: Retaliation - More of the same blockbuster action bullshit
6. The Marriage Counselor - Tyler Perry movies suck. Plus Kim Kardashian's in it. I could be wrong, but I think her last film was Disaster Movie.
7. Wrath of the Titans - I guess this is a sequel to Clash of the Titans. Don't see it.
8. John Carter - Someone tell me what the hell this movie is about. It looks so stupid.

Movies I am curious about:
21 Jump Street - I hate the cast but the trailer looked kind of funny, certainly an improvement over The Sitter, not that that says anything. Looks like it'd be funny but really stupid.
Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter - I don't think anyone knows what to expect with this movie.
The Amazing Spiderman - The fastest remake in the history of the world. And a minor point, but I am skeptic of 28 year-olds being cast as high school students.
American Reunion - The American Pie franchise desperately trying to avoid direct-to-DVD releases. Probably won't be any good but the original cast will bring in some laughs and plenty of nostalgia.
Being Flynn - Robert De Niro hasn't made a good movie in a while. A long while. I'm hoping this'll be his comeback but who knows
The Bourne Legacy - As much as I try to avoid Jeremy Renner, he keeps popping up in franchises already established. This will probably be a decent action movie but I'm not sure if it can top the Damon ones. Plus it's no affiliation with Robert Ludlum, but that might not be a big deal because the previous films hardly followed the plots.
The Dark Knight Rises - Of course I'm going to see it. This movie will be huge. That having been said, it looks incredibly stupid. Of all the great Batman villains, they go with Bane...you know, the least interesting one. At least there's Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. But the trailer was ridiculous. Why do they bomb the football field, killing the couple hundred playing the game and not the hundred thousand in the stands? That's the least efficient terrorism I've ever heard of.
Dark Shadows - Know very little about the show and I hate Tim Burton, but I don't know...this could be interesting.
Darling Companion - Lawrence Kasdan doesn't make a lot of films but he made The Right Stuff, it doesn't get much better than that. Kevin Kline and Diane Keaton bring a lot of talent to this movie.
Life of Pi - I heard the book was good.
Men in Black 3 - This will probably suck but like an idiot, I'll probably end up seeing it.
Project X - I could see this being a really bad movie but it's going to be downright huge and I'm sure I'll see it.
Prometheus - I haven't heard much about this but Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) is returning to sci-fi and there's a talented cast including Michael Fassbender, the most underrated actor out there. Could be good.
The Raven - I hate how no one has been able to directly adapt Poe to the big screen; they always have to make Edgar Allan Poe a part of the plot. Here, he's a character, called in to investigate murders that appear to mimic his literature. Not sure if it'll be good or bad. Unfortunately, John Cusack is in it, though he does look like Poe.

Movies I definitely want to see:

1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - At this point, Jackson is a pro at adapting Tolkien to the big screen and I'm sure it'll be a visual treat. I just don't know if it will have the thematic power that the Lord of the Rings films did.
2. Titanic 3D - It's one of my favorite films of all time and I'll finally be able to see it on the big screen. The 3D is an afterthought for me.
3. The Great Gatsby - Baz Luhrman's unique directing style is baffling as hell and I can't say I like it, but it certainly makes films interesting. However, this is one of the great works of American literature and I can see DiCaprio doing a great job in the title role.
4. Skyfall - This is the newest James Bond movie and I thought the last one was mediocre, so why do I want to see this one? Sam Mendes is directing and he's quite talented. American Beauty and Road to Perdition were some of the best directed films of the last 15 years. And the cast is outstanding, too, adding Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes. But God, I'm sick of seeing Judi Dench in these movies.
5. Finding Nemo 3D - Hey this is a great movie and I could see this being great in 3D with all its vibrant colors.
6. Rock of Ages - I know very little about it but I love classic rock and the play is supposed to be great.
7. Les Miserables - Hopefully I'll read the epic novel before the film comes out. The story is as great as literature or theater have to offer, and the cast looks mighty good. Also, it's directed by Tom Hooper, who did The King's Speech.
8. Gangster Squad - It might be just your basic crime film, but the cast makes me think it won't be.
9. The Hunger Games - Everyone else wants to see this and I admittedly don't know much about it. But Jennifer Lawrence is one of the best young talents out there.
10. Premium Rush - Written and directed by a man from my hometown, this may or may not be a good movie. It could be bad, I don't know. But the plot of an everyman bike rider being chased by a dirty cop could be interesting.
11. Brave - A Scottish film with the word "Brave" in the title. Whether or not that sounds familiar, this looks like it will be the best animated film of the year.
12. The Dictator - This looks very funny. To my knowledge, it's just a straight-up comedy, not a mockumentary. I'm curious to see how this turns out.
13. The Avengers - Another movie everyone else is going to see. It's been built up for years and by now, I'm sick of superhero movies but nobody else seems to be. If nothing else, there's Scarlett Johansson.

50 Favorite Movie Love Stories

In honor of Valentine's Day (and in response to my brother's awful list of the same category) I am posting a list of my favorite cinematic love stories. By no means is this canon and I haven't seen that many romantic movies, so the love story is sometimes a subplot but whatever.

50. Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)
49. What Dreams May Come (1998)
48. La Bamba (1987)
47. Superman II (1980)
46. Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
45. Hitch (2005)
44. High Noon (1952)
43. Some Like It Hot (1959)
42. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
41. A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)
40. Pretty Woman (1990)
39. Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)
38. Big (1988)
37. Midnight in Paris (2011)
36. Walk the Line (2005)
35. Stagecoach (1939)
34. North by Northwest (1959)
33. Dances with Wolves (1990)
32. Great Expectations (1946)
31. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
30. The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
29. Rocky (1976)
28. The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
27. Good Will Hunting (1997)
26. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
25. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
24. Rear Window (1954)
23. The Fly (1986)
22. King Kong (1933)
21. My Week with Marilyn (2011)
20. Shrek (2001)
19. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
18. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
17. (500) Days of Summer (2009)
16. Manhattan (1979)
15. On the Waterfront (1954)
14. The Graduate (1967)
13. The Quiet Man (1952)
12. Bull Durham (1988)
11. Romeo + Juliet (1996)
10. Groundhog Day (1993)
9. Aladdin (1992)
8. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
7. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
6. Vertigo (1958)
5. Annie Hall (1977)
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
3. Casablanca (1942)
2. West Side Story (1961)
1. Titanic (1997)

My 100 Favorite Movies with Reviews (90-86)

90. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

One of David Lean’s epic masterpieces, The Bridge on the River Kwai tells the story of a British company of soldiers held captive by the Japanese. What makes this film so great is its complexity. Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness) initially is set on not helping the Japanese build the bridge, but later he decides it would be something they could be proud of and it would put his men to work, better than to rot in a prison camp. You believe every minute of it because of the script and Guinness’s Academy Award-winning performance.

But the main character is an American escapee from the prison camp, Shears, played by film legend William Holden. Upon escaping, he is assigned the job of heading back to blow up the bridge.

While it’s a complicated war drama, it still has maybe the greatest climax in film history, which will do nothing but excite.

89. Toy Story 2 (1999)

While the story may not be quite as engaging as in the first film, this is still a great movie, and it’s quite funny. All the characters from the first are already well established, and this film introduces some new ones that are all interesting.

This film goes into the backstory of the Buzz and Woody toys, explaining their origins in ways that aren’t just pointless exposition but actually pertain to the plot. Actually, Woody’s backstory basically is the plot.

This is a hilarious film, and the climax is also quite thrilling. I like seeing these movies now that I’m older because a lot of the humor is geared towards older audiences and everything is enjoyable.

88. King Kong (1933)

King Kong is a classic tale of beauty and the beast and it’s one of the most influential films ever made for its special effects.

The build-up is great in this movie. Once they get to the island, you know something’s going to happen but nothing does for a while. The tension is great for the first time you see Kong and it doesn’t disappoint. The stop-motion animation was the most realistic thing viewers had ever seen back in 1933, and one can still appreciate them for the time that went in to them and their old-fashioned charm.

There are so many memorable moments in this film. While the Empire State Building scene is certainly the most famous, my personal favorite is when Kong fights the t-rex. It’s awesome.

87. The Lion King (1994)

The Lion King was always among my favorite Disney films growing up. It has a great soundtrack, it’s very colorful and fun to look at, and the voice acting is great. Oh, and it’s based loosely on Hamlet, so of course the story is wonderful.

This isn’t just a good animated movie; it’s a great and emotionally powerful film. The good-versus-evil plotline works so well in this film and it has arguably the saddest death in animated film history.

You probably all saw this when you were younger, but I strongly suggest a re-watch, especially if it’s been a long time.

86. The Graduate (1967)

The Graduate is a fascinating film, filled with humor, while still being a very serious film about love and coming of age at its heart.

I find the character of Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) to be one of the most interesting in movie history. He’s not a great guy; his morals are a little screwed up, he’s awkward, directionless, but you end up caring for him and actually cheering for him. He gets mixed up in an affair with his childhood friend’s mother and that naturally complicates things when he begins to fall for his old friend.

The cast is great in this movie, particularly Anne Bancroft as Mrs. Robinson, and a small but important role by Murray Hamilton—one of my favorite character actors—as Mr. Robinson. Perhaps most memorable about this film, though, is the soundtrack by Simon & Garfunkel, which is wonderfully emotional and compliments Hoffman’s performance beautifully.