It's been awhile, I know, but between going to California for work, going to New York with friends, and nearly getting The Pneumonia, I haven't had much of a July. Also, this is my summer, so keeping up be damned. However, thanks to the TCFF (Traverse City Film Festival), I have had the opportunity to catch up quite a bit. Here is the Reader's Digest version of the I've seen so far at the festival:
#157 - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The best of all the Star Wars movies (if you discount the Wellesian Attack of the Clones) has the best plot (come on, we all know that Vader is Luke's father, but it was a big deal back in 1980), introduces the bad ass Yoda (and Lando Calrissian, too, I guess) and has the coolest, hope-filled ending. This movie will remain in my top 10 of all time probably forever. It also brings back fond memories of spending time with my mom, because she let me stay up and finish it when it was on TV back in the day (on a school night, no less!)
Score: 10/10
P.S. I've decided to make each one a separate entry so I can keep my stats (scores and years released) in order.
Showing posts with label 1980. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1980. Show all posts
Friday, July 29, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
#134 - The Changeling (1980)
This movie has it all!
Giggle as all the doors in the house slam to a frightening cadence!
Gasp in horror as a crystal goblet is flung across the room and shatters!
Laugh uncontrollably as a man drowns his child in a bathtub!
Weep when Melvyn Douglas and George C. Scott give slightly-more-than-passable acting jobs!
And LOVE when you find out what the hell a Changeling is!
Plus: be genuinely creeped out at the happenings and suddennesses, as well as the intricacy of the plot. Well-played, The Changeling, well-played.
Score: 8/10
Giggle as all the doors in the house slam to a frightening cadence!
Gasp in horror as a crystal goblet is flung across the room and shatters!
Laugh uncontrollably as a man drowns his child in a bathtub!
Weep when Melvyn Douglas and George C. Scott give slightly-more-than-passable acting jobs!
And LOVE when you find out what the hell a Changeling is!
Plus: be genuinely creeped out at the happenings and suddennesses, as well as the intricacy of the plot. Well-played, The Changeling, well-played.
Score: 8/10
Friday, April 8, 2011
#93 - Airplane! (1980)
I'm awfully glad I finally sat down and watched this movie. Of course, I've known for years that it's been among the favorites of my family members and many of my friends, but I just haven't actually gotten around to watching it. Until today.
It's extremely funny, and very witty. Many of the jokes are layered on top of one another, or have several occurrences, but it's more in a droll, intelligent, wordplay manner than comedies of the "stupid" variety where the "laughs" come from the absurd or the obviously contrived for comedic effect. But one thing is funny: this definitely seems like an "older PG-rated movie", back when PG could get away with more. 'Cause this movie is a little raunchy (hysterically, as opposed to disgustingly), what with zoophilia, fellatio, cunnilingus, and other sexytime jokes. All this just adds to the hilarity and wit, though. What movies like Van Wilder attempt to accomplish with dogs and doughnuts, Airplane does with quick sight gags and well-written dialogue.
Highly recommended, if you're one of the six people who haven't yet seen this movie (like me, before today).
Score: 9/10
It's extremely funny, and very witty. Many of the jokes are layered on top of one another, or have several occurrences, but it's more in a droll, intelligent, wordplay manner than comedies of the "stupid" variety where the "laughs" come from the absurd or the obviously contrived for comedic effect. But one thing is funny: this definitely seems like an "older PG-rated movie", back when PG could get away with more. 'Cause this movie is a little raunchy (hysterically, as opposed to disgustingly), what with zoophilia, fellatio, cunnilingus, and other sexytime jokes. All this just adds to the hilarity and wit, though. What movies like Van Wilder attempt to accomplish with dogs and doughnuts, Airplane does with quick sight gags and well-written dialogue.
Highly recommended, if you're one of the six people who haven't yet seen this movie (like me, before today).
Score: 9/10
Friday, February 25, 2011
#56 - The Blue Lagoon (1980)
Now, I know that this movie has never appeared on any "Best of..." lists, but every once in awhile it gets bantered about in conversation and I always have to admit that I've never seen it. This admission doesn't elicit much shock (like when I tell people I've never seen The Matrix, for example) from the listeners, but I have been told several times that I should see it, if for nothing else than its elaborate and odd coming-of-age-ness. This is in addition to a very young Brooke Shields and a very naked slash almost naked Christopher Atkins.
LOL. Mr. Feeny is in the movie in the first few minutes, too.
I really like the part where they're trying to sing Christmas carols and they keep stopping after the first line. It made me think of the years of language acquisition they've lost, as they only have some pictures with captions on them to increase their vocabulary. Otherwise, the only words they can use are the ones they acquired before being shipwrecked on the island.
Some of the parts of the movie have this "nature documentary" feel to them, like the octopus eating the crap, or the big fish attacking the smaller fish Richard is trying to reel in, or the crab crawling out of the dead man's mouth. I kinda wanted there to be a voice-over narration during those parts. Yeah, I'm probably the only one.
Of course, the kind of the big picture is the young pair's realization and subsequent exploration of their burgeoning sexuality. It makes sense that the film spends about fifteen consecutive minutes on it, since what else is there to do on the island, really, once you've discovered what sex is?
Overall, I mean I know that it's never been presented as some sort of great movie, but I don't know... I really liked it. There was some beautiful scenery, a nice score, a story that was interesting and not at all hackneyed.... I'm probably in the minority, but I thought the acting was pretty great, too. I mean, they sucked, they really did. But when your x years old but you have the vocabulary, social skills, and ideologues of y years old when you were shipwrecked, you're not going to be totally couth and refined all the time. And the ridiculous temper outburst with the forced dialogue and weird intonation? Sounded like a y year-old kid to me.
This is one of the neat things about this blog; I absolutely guarantee that I wasn't supposed to like this movie as much as I did, but I'm sure as hell not going to make any apologies for it.
Score: 8.5/10
LOL. Mr. Feeny is in the movie in the first few minutes, too.
I really like the part where they're trying to sing Christmas carols and they keep stopping after the first line. It made me think of the years of language acquisition they've lost, as they only have some pictures with captions on them to increase their vocabulary. Otherwise, the only words they can use are the ones they acquired before being shipwrecked on the island.
Some of the parts of the movie have this "nature documentary" feel to them, like the octopus eating the crap, or the big fish attacking the smaller fish Richard is trying to reel in, or the crab crawling out of the dead man's mouth. I kinda wanted there to be a voice-over narration during those parts. Yeah, I'm probably the only one.
Of course, the kind of the big picture is the young pair's realization and subsequent exploration of their burgeoning sexuality. It makes sense that the film spends about fifteen consecutive minutes on it, since what else is there to do on the island, really, once you've discovered what sex is?
Overall, I mean I know that it's never been presented as some sort of great movie, but I don't know... I really liked it. There was some beautiful scenery, a nice score, a story that was interesting and not at all hackneyed.... I'm probably in the minority, but I thought the acting was pretty great, too. I mean, they sucked, they really did. But when your x years old but you have the vocabulary, social skills, and ideologues of y years old when you were shipwrecked, you're not going to be totally couth and refined all the time. And the ridiculous temper outburst with the forced dialogue and weird intonation? Sounded like a y year-old kid to me.
This is one of the neat things about this blog; I absolutely guarantee that I wasn't supposed to like this movie as much as I did, but I'm sure as hell not going to make any apologies for it.
Score: 8.5/10
Monday, February 7, 2011
#43 - Paul's Case (1980)
Several years ago, I had to do a 15-minute presentation on a female author for my Women in Literature class (I loved this class: it was six girls and me and we read Shelley (I heart Frankenstein), Munro (one of the greatest short story writers ever), Oates (not so much love for Oates), Wharton (The House of Mirth = Blech. I've been told The Age of Innocence is much better), Morrison (love), and a couple others). There weren't many stipulations (other than it should be neither solely a book report or a lame biography) and we were allowed to choose the author on whom we wanted to present, as long as it was okayed beforehand.
I picked Willa Cather, an author I knew almost nothing about, other than randomly, a few years before I gave that presentation, while I was working at the library, I happened upon a book of Cather's works, picked it up, and read "Paul's Case", one of the singlemost fantastic short stories I've ever had the fortune to read. At the time, it probably resonated even more with me as I was struggling to figure out my own sexuality. For those of you who have never read it (and that's going to be most of you, I guarantee it): DO SO. Your lives will be enriched, emotionally and literarily.
To move away from the short story to talk about the film is a short step: the latter mirrors the former most nicely. As a matter of fact, at the very first seconds of the film, as we see Eric Roberts sitting outside the "principal's" office, I knew I was in for something special. Roberts is the Paul I had always envisioned. From his figure, mien, and comportment down to the way he bows, the tightening of this jaw, and the red carnation in his lapel, it was an inspired casting decision. (It probably helps that Roberts at the time was still relatively unknown, but for a role in King of the Gypsies.) The rest of the cast matters a whole lot less, because it really is all about Paul.
The subtitle of Cather's story is "A Study in Temperament", which is then elucidated for all the pages to come. Paul is somewhat enigmatic: a boy who didn't "mean to be polite or impolite, either" but merely just to say what he felt, at that time. Some of his teachers find him completely appalling, while others are intrigued. It matters not to Paul, though. All that does are the times he can appreciate what he considers the finer things. He is a lover of-- nay, verily consumed by his love for-- art, music, and high society. He ushers on weekends at a concert hall, where he is allowed to be "swept up" in opera, the symphony, and drama. He also goes backstage at a nearby theatre where he is friends to an actor and allowed to watch the performances at night. This is his life, and it's all he wants.
The rest of the story, I'll leave up to you to discover, and I'll merely tell you that the one thing I disliked about the film was that, while it is understated in the short story, Paul's likely homosexuality is REALLY understated in the film, almost to the point of it not mattering. And if it does is up to the reader/viewer, but at least let us make that decision.
Score: 9/10
P.S. Because I love you so, and I really want you to read it, here is a link to an online copy of "Paul's Case: A Story in Temperament" I found:
http://www.shsu.edu/~eng_wpf/authors/Cather/Pauls-Case.htm
I picked Willa Cather, an author I knew almost nothing about, other than randomly, a few years before I gave that presentation, while I was working at the library, I happened upon a book of Cather's works, picked it up, and read "Paul's Case", one of the singlemost fantastic short stories I've ever had the fortune to read. At the time, it probably resonated even more with me as I was struggling to figure out my own sexuality. For those of you who have never read it (and that's going to be most of you, I guarantee it): DO SO. Your lives will be enriched, emotionally and literarily.
To move away from the short story to talk about the film is a short step: the latter mirrors the former most nicely. As a matter of fact, at the very first seconds of the film, as we see Eric Roberts sitting outside the "principal's" office, I knew I was in for something special. Roberts is the Paul I had always envisioned. From his figure, mien, and comportment down to the way he bows, the tightening of this jaw, and the red carnation in his lapel, it was an inspired casting decision. (It probably helps that Roberts at the time was still relatively unknown, but for a role in King of the Gypsies.) The rest of the cast matters a whole lot less, because it really is all about Paul.
The subtitle of Cather's story is "A Study in Temperament", which is then elucidated for all the pages to come. Paul is somewhat enigmatic: a boy who didn't "mean to be polite or impolite, either" but merely just to say what he felt, at that time. Some of his teachers find him completely appalling, while others are intrigued. It matters not to Paul, though. All that does are the times he can appreciate what he considers the finer things. He is a lover of-- nay, verily consumed by his love for-- art, music, and high society. He ushers on weekends at a concert hall, where he is allowed to be "swept up" in opera, the symphony, and drama. He also goes backstage at a nearby theatre where he is friends to an actor and allowed to watch the performances at night. This is his life, and it's all he wants.
The rest of the story, I'll leave up to you to discover, and I'll merely tell you that the one thing I disliked about the film was that, while it is understated in the short story, Paul's likely homosexuality is REALLY understated in the film, almost to the point of it not mattering. And if it does is up to the reader/viewer, but at least let us make that decision.
Score: 9/10
P.S. Because I love you so, and I really want you to read it, here is a link to an online copy of "Paul's Case: A Story in Temperament" I found:
http://www.shsu.edu/~eng_wpf/authors/Cather/Pauls-Case.htm
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