Year of the Day:1985

Saturday's temperature was 1984, and I was sad that I didn't get to cover my birth year. But, perhaps another weekday will provide that opportunity. Or maybe I should blog on weekends?

1985 had plenty to work with for today:

Back to the Future
This is a total crowd pleaser. How can you not love the Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd duo? It also provided Universal Studios material for one of their top 5 rides--even now, the outdated ride is fantastic. I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that at any given hour of the day one of the Back to the Future films is playing. In the rare occasion that none are on, Teen Wolf is then playing. The fact that Huey Lewis and the News have two songs on the soundtrack is a major bonus for the film.
Couldn't embed, but check out this funny scene montage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB0dI0GnOYc)

Lines to quote:
-"The way I see it, if you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?"
-"Then tell me, "Future Boy", who's President in the United States in 1985?" "Ronald Reagan." "Ronald Reagan? The actor? Then who's the VICE-president? Jerry Lewis?"
-"There's that word again; "heavy". Why are things so heavy in the future? Is there a problem with the earth's gravitational pull?"
-"Don't worry. As long as you hit that wire with the connecting hook at precisely 88mph the instant the lightning strikes the tower... everything will be fine."

Teen Wolf
I don't know why this always seems to be on cable television. I wonder if Michael J. Fox had the same following as Robert Pattinson for being a mythological creature of the night. Er, I guess both movies fudged the whole night requirement... In any event, despite the fact that the movie and the concept are both completely ludicrous, I often get sucked into Teen Wolf when I do stumble upon it while channel surfing. Certain things stick out, like how easy the baby faced Fox can get a keg when he gets his wolf eyes on:


Also, the scene where he "comes out" is priceless. As, MJ looks more like a 5 foot 5 Chewbacca than a teen wolf. To modify a line from Forrest Gump: "He may be the hairiest sonofabitch alive... but he sure is fast!!!"


Okay, so I'm not even sure if you want to get caught quoting Teen Wolf, but here you go:
-"I'm not a fag. I'm... a werewolf."
-"Listen son. You're going to be able to do a lot of things the other guys aren't." "Oh yeah, like chase cars, and bite the mailman?"


The Goonies
I recently realized that Josh Brolin is in this movie. I would put him on the same level as Johnny Depp when it comes to knowing how to pick a good script--even as a teenager when he was in this movie. Every time I say: "heyyyy youuuuu guyyyyyys" (see below) it brings the house down. It always reminds me that I will choose to quote movies over arranging words on my own when given the chance.


Heyy youuuu guyyys


Lines to quote:
-"Heh, if you hit the wrong note, we'll all "B flat!""
-"Does Brand wear braces?"
-"How long have you guys been standing there?" "Long enough, Mikey. Long enough."



The Breakfast Club
In light of John Hughes's recent death, there has been a lot of coverage of this movie. I'm not going to offer more redundant commentary, but I think we can all relate to this movie, even if it completely over generalizes the high school population. Movies like to break adolescence into the 4 neat categories that Hughes makes here, but we all know there are far more shades of grey in between. At least he showed each social group honestly, with their own problems and all with their own deep insecurities.
Again, embedding prevented, but this clip captures the essence:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8qb9TRqZsM

Lines to quote:
-"Eat my shorts."
-"Remember how you said your parents use you to get back at each other? Wouldn't I be OUTSTANDING in that capacity?"
-"Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?"
-"What do you need a fake ID for?" "So I can vote."
-"Could you describe the ruckus, sir?"
-"I am the eyes and ears of this institution, my friends!"
-"It was a flare gun."

Year of the Day: 1989 Songs

So we finally got a repeat temperature. To avoid being redundant, I will cover some top 20 songs of 1989. So don your shoulder pads and tease out your hair, we're about to listen to some classic 80s throw backs.

Phil Collins "Another Day in Paradise"
Confession: I don't really think I've heard this song before, and I've dabbled in Phil Collins' work. It was the number 1 song of 1989. Sure, I'm more of a "Invisible Touch" or "Coming in the Air Tonight" kind of gal, but this isn't so bad. I'm surprised I haven't heard this before. Anyway, can't say much more about this song.


Milli Vanilli "Blame it on the Rain" (Number 5 for '89)
God, it is so obvious these two are lip-syncing. Not that lip-syncing is that big of a deal anymore, as proven by Ashlee Simpson. We begrudgingly forgive Britney for lip-syncing because she's actually dancing/entertaining and, also, we can sort of believe that she actually sings her tracks (before they are produced beyond recognition). This video demonstrates that lip-syncing can only be remotely believable when it is YOUR recorded voice that you lip-sync...





Fine Young Cannibals "She Drives Me Crazy" (Number 18)
I can only imagine how maddening this song was when it was played over and over in the peak of it's popularity (oh, the irony of putting "drives me crazy" in a hit song...), but when this song comes on an iPod these days, it always gets the room going. I have to admit his teeth horrify me.



Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville "Don't Know Much" (Number 11)
Here is a live verison of this song. An odd couple definitely, but their voices come together so beautifully.


Okay, I'm breaking out of my rule to stay in the top 20, but I have a slight obsession with this classic Cher video, "If I could Turn back Time" (number 31). I remember seeing it on Pop Up Video when I was young. This girl could wail back in the day. I can only imagine how thrilled these sailors were to be part of this video shoot (the sailor who slides down the ramp and then celebrates at 1:25 is my favorite). Also, Cher's clothes always make me wonder why America gets in such a huff over scantily clad pop stars. Cher's closet in its entirety is a wardrobe malfunction! At least she has the body for it.

Year of the Day: 1988

Another day, another year. Luckily the NY Times hasn't had any repeat temperatures this week. While 1988 wasn't as hard for me to pick my favorites, it certainly provides some classic throw backs.

Bull Durham
Kevin Costner does love baseball. Between Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, and For Love of the Game, this guy just can't turn down a baseball script. I'll be honest, it's been too long since I've seen this movie to make insightful comments. Instead, I will allow the following clips prove that this was one of the best films of '88.

Gotta love a man with conviction--Susan Sarandon certainly does!


Love that the batter is too shocked to run.


I need to rework "Fun, God dammit" back into my repertoire.


Lines to quote:
-"He did know. I told him."
-"From what I hear, you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a fucking boat."
-"'Course it's boring, that's the point. Write it down."
-"After 12 years in the minor leagues, I don't try out. Besides, uh, I don't believe in quantum physics when it comes to matters of the heart." "Hey, Annie, what's all this molecule stuff?"

Working Girl
My freshman year of college, I learned that quite a few of my girl friends hadn't seen or heard of this movie. This shocked me, particularly since we were attending a formerly all women's college. Working Girl is the ballad for any woman who wants to carve her way in the work force. Melanie Griffith, who pushes past her thick accent and insecurity, is one of the best role models a girl could ask for. Okay, so she does sort of lie and take over Sigourney Weaver's identity, but Weaver's bony ass deserved it.

I didn't end up having a mass Working Girl viewing because at that point the library and Blockbuster didn't have it in DVD and, of course, no one had VHS players any more so we were stuck.

Sure, Tess's "instincts" are scripted by Hollywood, but she gives us the courage to want something more from our 9-5. She also makes sneakers and a suit look cool.



Lines to quote:
-"Now get your bony ass out of my sight!"
-"Can I get ya anything? Coffee? Tea? Me?"
-"Why that little... slut! Bitch! Secretary!"
-"You want another answer, ask another girl."


Die Hard
My life would not be the same without Die Hard. John McClain helped change the face of action heros. (And the hair line for that matter.) We found could root for a real asshole. We also found that we could root for him 3 more times in the sequels. Nothing beats the original, however. I love how LA needs a bad ass New York City cop to lay down the law.

Alan Rickman is priceless as the modern day Nazi. John McClain almost could have borrowed Indiana Jones' line: "Nazis. I hate these guys."
[Note: Couldn't embed this clip for some reason. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KShj0gPAH0g]

Love John's sarcasm.


Lines to Quote:
-"This IS Christmas music."
-"Now I have a machine gun. Ho-ho-ho."
-"Yipee-kai-yay, motherfucker."
-"No fucking shit, lady. Do I sound like I'm ordering a pizza?"
-"Alas, your Mr. Takagi did not see it that way... so he won't be joining us for the rest of his life."
-"Only John can drive somebody that crazy."

Rain Main
Like in the case of Bull Durham, it has been years since I've seen this movie. So, I'm not going to be able to say much. My family often quotes the "I'm an excellent driver" line whenever driving is remotely mentioned. I'll have to let the clip speak for me, once again.

One last thought: can we talk about how much we miss retro Tom Cruise? Tom Cruise was so amazing until he went all scientologist on us. Sigh, what a travesty.



Lines to quote:
-"C-H-A-R-L-I-E. C-H-A-R-L-I-E. Main man."
-"Ten minutes to Wapner. We're definitely locked in this box with no TV."
-"Boxer shorts. K-Mart!"
-"You were in the window. You waved to me, 'Bye bye Rain Man', 'Bye bye.'"


Big
Just like retro Tom Cruise, retro Tom Hanks is pretty fantastic. This movie has since been recreated twice with 13 Going on 30 and Seventeen Again. So, the second one was the reverse idea, but the two movies were cashing in on the whole Big idea. Sure, we never want to grow up, so how about being a kid in an adult body. All our inner children rejoice when watching this movie.

Terrible quality clips online, so we have to settle for the trailer:


Lines to quote:
-"You're my best friend. What's more important than that? And I'm three months older than you are, ASSHOLE!"
-"Do you mean sleepover? Okay, but I get to be on top!"
-"What's so special about Baskin?" "He's a grown up."
-"Uh, what's a marketing report?"

Year of the Day: 1989

I have been putting this post off all day, not just because of legit work to do, but also because I couldn't believe how great 1989 was in terms of movies. Of course, the movies of the late 80s and early 90s resonate strongly with me as I watched so many of them when I was young. So, here's a jog down the memory lane of '89.

Batman
The recently revamped Batman movies have sort of overshadowed the original, but I think once the sting of Heath Ledger's death has passed, this movie will pull up even with Christopher Nolan's films. Michael Keaton was a dark horse choice for Batmna, and it paid off. Tim Burton helped America fall in love with a tormented hero. I think we were happy for the departure from the mild mannered Clark Kents of the superhero world. I feel like I've talked about Batman way too much on this blog, so I'll just leave you with this clip.


Lines to Quote:
-"Have you ever danced in the pale moonlight?"
-"You made me. Remember? You dropped me into that vat of chemicals. That wasn't easy to get over, and don't think that I didn't try."
-"As though we were made for each other... Beauty and the Beast. Of course, if anyone else calls you beast, I'll rip their lungs out."
-"Where does he get those wonderful toys?"


Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
It's a shame they went ahead and made the fourth Indiana Jones. I still haven't seen it, and probably never will after my dad and my uncle AJ both trashed it. But, who can't love the third installment. Indiana is not only joined by Sean Connery, but he also combats Nazis; the basis is pretty fool proof. It has always left me with the impression that I should choose wooden silverware when the opportunity arises.

Couldn't find a full scene, but here's a TV spot:


Lines to Quote:
-"Junior?!?!" "Don't call me that, please."
-"Nazis. I hate these guys."
-"Our situation has not improved."
-"You call this archaeology??"
-"You chose wisely."


Field of Dreams
If only Kevin Costner had thrown in the acting towel after this film, he might be regarded as one of the finest actors of his generation. If I ever encounter someone who cannot place the line, "If you build it, he will come," I know not to waste my time on them. There are certain movies people should know, and know well. Field of Dreams is one of them. Every viewing peels back another layer of this movie, even if you know exactly what path Ray takes. I also find that the end shot, with all the cars rolling up the driveway looks different--and more moving--every time.



Lines to Quote:
-"I'm going to beat you with a crowbar until you leave!" ... "You're a pacifist!" "...Shit."
-"At least he's not a book burner, you Nazi cow."
-"Where did all of these baseball players come from?"
-"Ease his pain." "Go the distance." (obviously)



Major League
1989 was a good year for baseball movies. I've seen Major League more times than is healthy, but there are worse things than being able to quote this movie from start to finish. In fact, I still feel some loyalty to the actual Cleveland Indians because of this movie, even if I am actually a Yankees fan. From the locker room antics to the awkward dinner scene where Jake makes his love for Lynn very clear, I have a hard time narrowing down my favorite part.

Also, my brother and I both confessed at one point that we thought keeping our hands flat like Willie Mays Hayes would make us run faster:


I was playing in the championship game in my kickball league this summer and as the pitcher took the mound, someone starting singing "Wild Thing." I mean, really, does it get any better than that? At a kickball game!


Wow, there is no shortage of great clips on Youtube, but I will try to prevent myself from pasting more than the two below:



Lines to Quote:
-"Hats for bats. Keep bats warm."
-"You trying to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?"
-"You may run like Hayes, but you hit like shit."
-"Strike this motherfucker out."
-"Oh, what a bunch of bullshit! I have a much better body than she does!"
-"We should've gotten a live chicken."
-"I say fuck you, Jobu. I do it myself."


Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
Oh man. Where do I begin? And once I do begin, where do I end? This movie brings Christmas-morning-when-you're-six-years-old joy to my heart. Although the take away message that history is actually cool feels a little heavy handed, there's a lot more subtlety to the comedic dialogue between Bill, Ted and the historical figures. This is yet another movie that I can quote without even meaning to. In fact, during my trip to Russia, I quietly uttered "there were many steps and columns," to which Tucker was reduced to a fit of laughter. He then quoted the entire line from their history report, which is: "It looked like the cover of Led Zeppelin album 'Houses of the Holy.' We were there. There were many steps and columns. It was most tranquil." Granted, this must have been annoying to Katja, who probably hasn't seen it and could in now way benefit from our endless giggling over one line.

I think I mispronounced Socrates name for months because of this movie.

I can't decide which part is better: Genhgis Khan in the sports store or Mozart in the music store.


I love that Napoleon is a jerk, while giving the report too:


Lines to quote:
-"Nah, just have a minor Oedipal complex."
-"You killed Ted you medieval dickweed!!!"
-"seven minutes ago... we, your forefathers, were brought forth upon a most excellent adventure conceived by our new friends, Bill... and Ted. These two great gentlemen are dedicated to a proposition which was true in my time, just as it's true today. Be excellent to each other. And... PARTY ON, DUDES!"
-"Billy, you are dealing with the oddity of time travel with the greatest of ease."
-"Do you know where there are any personages of historical significance around here?"


There were a few other movies that I wanted to write about but didn't want to go on forever. I will mention them in passing: Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, When Harry Met Sally, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and Turner & Hooch.

Oh Those Summer Nights

(500) Days of Summer is a movie that would benefit from very little word of mouth. (I realize that saying that in a blog post is entirely contradictory.) It is a darling film, with many things going for it, but it is not a movie that has the novelty to handle a lot of hype. The film is very much like Juno, in that it is completely sincere and, at times, overwhelmingly cute. The soundtrack also jacks up the quality of the movie. So, for your own sake, try not to remember what I've written about this movie. Try to watch with few to no expectations. Even if this post does hype the movie too much, it's only 90 minutes.

The movie immediately proclaims that it is not a love story, but a story about love. I don't know that I want to get in an argument with the writer, but those two things aren't exactly distinct. Either way, they are just laying the groundwork for the audience so they do not expect a happy ending. (That is not a spoiler as it becomes very apparent within the first 4 minutes that Summer and Tom do not live happily ever after.) The structure of the movie is very Time Traveler's Wife, as you jump back and forth in the course of Tom and Summer's 500 day romance/friendship/whatever. The departure from the beginning to end chronology of a romance is refreshing. You see the good, the bad, and the ugly almost all at once.

Zooey Deschanel (Summer) enchants us, and practically (though unintentionally) bamboozles Tom, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. She's one of those undefinable leading ladies, who moves through the movie like a summer breeze: erratic, intoxicating, warm, and, most important, fleeting. Since the movie insists it is a story about love and not a love story, I found myself hoping that Tom would somehow get out of her accidental spell alive. Joseph Gordon-Levitt perfectly embodies the sincerity of the film, wearing his heart on his sleeve as he tries so hard to get her to let herself go. He is still a boy, whereas Summer seems very much a woman.

(500) Days is a little predictable, but there's some comfort in that fact. Luckily, there are enough choreographed surprises (wink wink) to keep it interesting. That is to say, it can catch you off guard, though in hindsight those surprises fit right in with the tight storyline and editing. In the long run, this movie may be unremarkable, but I found its sincerity refreshing in the waning dog days of Summer.

Year of the Day: 1992 degrees Farenheit

Luckily today's projected high was a different degree than yesterday, otherwise you'd be getting a lot of 1993 this week. As fate would have it, the Times deemed 92 the high and I was sent again to peruse the top 50 movies of 1992. I was shocked to see that Aladdin was the highest grossing film of the year. Disney's reign has truly faltered since the early 90s. While I really don't want the temperature to remain this high, I am enjoying the trip down memory lane.

Without further ado, I give you my picks for 1992.

My Cousin Vinny
If there was a TV channel that just ran this movie on loop, I probably would never leave my house. In fact, my brother and I went on vacation when we were maybe 11 and 14 and we did at one point watch this movie, then promptly rewound and started it again. In our defense, I think it was raining out. Oh, and it's also a GREAT movie. I think this movie captures Joe Pesci at his very best. He and Marisa Tomei, while they make no sense as a couple physically, produce some of the best couple dialogues in cinematic history. My ability to remember movie quotes is better than average, but even those with the worst quote retention can say something along the lines of a "ticking biological clock."

For all the politics of the Academy Awards, Marisa Tomei's win for best supporting actress for this movie proves that Oscars can go to actors who truly deserve the trophy. To prove the point, here are two of her finest scenes from the film.

Hence one of my favorite lines: "Would you give a fuck what kind of pants the sonofabitch who shot ya was wearing?!?!?!"

And:

One of my favorite lines: "HOWEVA!!!!"

My Cousin Vinny has something for everyone. Go watch immediately.

Other lines to memorize:
- "I bet the Chinese food is terrible."
- "Dead on balls accurate."
- "Were these magic grits?? Did you get them from the same guy who sold Jack HIS BEANSTALK BEANS???"
- "Whatever that guy just said is bullshit."
- "IIIIII" (clap) "DENTICAL!!!!!!"

Okay, I must cut myself off.


A League of Their Own
I'm sure that every guy I know will try to talk me down from this argument, but I believe that this is one of the finest sports films ever made. Why you ask? Because of one basic aspect: The Georgia Peaches lose at the end. Viewers hate to see a loss at the end. Dodgeball, for example, originally had Vince Vaughn's team lose to Ben Stiller's team, but test audiences hated it so much they had to reshoot the ending. A League of Their Own not only got people to watch women play sports (I'm sure the WNBA watches this film for how they can up their audiences) but also got audiences to love the movie in spite of the loss. Let's face it, no one was happy that Kitty's team won; she's such a pain in the ass. But, this film gets under your skin. Baseball has a way of doing that, but there's something about those peaches, too. Those girls can certainly play ball.

Tom Hanks was crucial to this film. I think without his light comedic touch and signature shouting voice, it would not have been a success. It was also fun seeing Madonna prance around having fun with Rosie.

The movie's biggest triumph was getting this line in everyday sports dialect:

"There's no crying in baseball!!"

Another quotable line:
-"It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great."
-"Uh, Lord, hallowed be Thy name. May our feet be swift; may our bats be mighty; may our balls... be plentiful. Lord, I'd just like to thank You for that waitress in South Bend. You know who she is - she kept calling Your name. And God, these are good girls, and they work hard. Just help them see it all the way through. Okay, that's it. "


A River Runs Through It and The Last of the Mohegans
I won't dwell on either of these movies, but they are both incredible films. It took me a long time to finally sit down and watch Last of the Mohegans because my dad and brother came back from seeing it in the theaters and warned me about the scalping. In 1992, when I was 8, I imagined the scalping to be much terrifying than it actually was. So, I resisted seeing this film until I was 20. I think the soundtrack is what really stays with you after the credits roll. Daniel Day Lewis, however, is also sensational. I find that he has gotten progressively weirder with each movie he makes. (Not good weird. We're talking creepy weird.)

A River Runs Through It is often playing on TV and I inevitably get sucked into watching it. Brad Pitt's character in this film seems almost identical to his character in Legends of the Fall. I don't mind. In fact, I sort of stop paying attention to his lines when his face is on screen.




Medicine Man
This movie only makes the list because of a Fitzgerald family story that is now basically the stuff of legends. In 93 or 94, my Dad convinced my brother and me to rent this movie. Now, over a decade later, my only memory of the movie is that Sean Connery is in it and he is in the jungle. I assume he's there harvesting medicine. Or maybe he's a doctor. I have no idea. I could look up the plot on IMDB, but I don't really want to know. My dad doesn't have horrible movie instincts, in fact he has pretty good taste, but for some reason, this movie was an epic failure. I'm sure I wasn't old enough to appreciate it, and Tucker may have been old enough had he watched with a mature audience. Regardless, the two of us HATED it. Every time we rent a movie, someone inevitably makes some joke about renting Medicine Man again. For all I know it could actually be a worthwhile drama. Or it could be two hours of Sean Connery watching jungle plants grow. I don't remember and I prefer it that way.

1993 degrees Farenheit

I came up with an excuse to talk about some retro movies while sweating through my work clothes on the Subway this morning. For the remainder of the summer, I will make a daily post based on the projected high temperature. I will take the two digits from temperature from the NY Times' cover weather blurb and recount movies/songs from the year that shares those numbers. Today's forecast calls for a high of 93 degrees, thus 1993 is the year of the day.

As, I pulled up the top 50 movies of 1993, I immediately realized how many options I have. So, for your dog-days-of-summer reading pleasure... I present 1993.


Jurassic Park


I can still remember going to see this movie in theaters. It was one of the first movies that my parents, brother and I all attended together. I remember having nightmares about velociraptors for weeks. For some reason, I really fixated on the fact that raptors are about 6 feet tall. At that point, I had a loft bed that was 6 feet tall. So, my nightmare involved a raptor poking his head in the gap between the guard rail and the mattress. Sure, I had the overactive imagination of a young child, but the truth is that Speilberg awoke all our imaginations with JP. Dinosaurs are one of the most compelling topics for all humans. Monsters that really roamed the earth!

Between the special effects, the music, and the seamless pace, it is almost a perfect action movie. Whenever I watch it, I always admire Spielberg's choice to make us wait for what feels like an eternity before we finally see any dinosaurs. The sick triceratops is just a taste. So, when the T-Rex finally bursts onto the scene in a flurry of snapping electric fence cables and soul shattering loud screams, we have to remind ourselves to breathe. And I would go as far as to say that the kitchen scene with the two kids and the raptors would make the list of top 25 action scenes ever.
Also, it is the only film in which you can bask in the glory of Samuel L. Jackson and Wayne Knight (the infamous Newman, on Seinfeld) in one sitting.

I have never looked at birds--nor a shaking glass of water--the same way ever since 1993.

Favorite line to quote:
-"Hold on to your butts."




The Fugitive
This action movie is not canonized the way JP is, but it is still a gem. The movie itself is not complicated, so I won't analyze it. Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones are a great action pair. The movie seems like an ornate tango between the two of them. [Note: This is an excessively long clip, but if you're looking to kill some time, enjoy.]



Favorite lines to quote:
-"YOU FIND THAT MAN!"
-"I don't care!"
-"I. Don't. Bargain."


Wayne's World 2
This is a bold statement, but I will defend it to the death: Wayne's World 2 is one of the most underrated sequels of my generation. Wayne's World 2 is not as revered because it is more complex than the first. I think many fans didn't get all the classic rock and roll references. The whole Jim Morrison dream sequence was lost on Mike Meyer's younger fans, most of whom loved and adored the first movie. I was included in that group. I, however, have come to realize the second film's greatness and I urge you all to give it another try. I mean Christopher Walken is in it AND Charleton Heston made a cameo!!


Favorite lines to quote:
"We'll run through these with a fine-toothed comb, cross the Ts and dot the...lower-case Js."



Sleepless in Seattle
Since I just recently sung this movie praises, I won't repeat myself here. I did want to point out that this was definitely the best romantic comedy of 1993.

Honorable mention: The Sandlot
This is a wonderful coming of age movie. It doesn't exactly have the same resonance as Stand By Me or any of the John Hughes movies, but it is still a wonderful tale about childhood and, more importantly, baseball.


Favorite line to quote:
-"You're killing me Smalls!"

Great Villains

[Note: I originally titled this as "Best Villains" but then I realized there are just far too many that I won't be able to put in this post. Hence the downgrade in superlatives.]

There's nothing like a good arch nemesis. The revenge business, while often riddled with agony and anger, certainly does provide clear cut goals. Even in the real world, we like to hate on someone (George W. Bush, the Red Sox, Putin, Palin, the list goes on...). Just as love drives humans to great lengths, naturally, hatred can drive us to the ends of the earth and beyond. Love and it's counter point give our hearts reason to beat for at an accelerated pace. So, while watching movies, we can quickly get on board with the protagonist in love or hate (or both). As always with my criteria, there's more to a villain that total malice. A great villain can walk that line where we actually love them. It helps when villains are well versed in clever one liners, agile for long action sequences, or are simply so evil that we cannot avert our eyes.

In no particular order....


The Joker from Batman and The Dark Knight
For nostalgia's sake, I have to include both Jack Nicholson as well as Heath Ledger. Their jokers were two very different men, but both made audiences clap their hands while they put on their orchestrated chaos. My brother and I still quote Nicholson's great line: "Where does he get those wonderful toys??"
The darkness surrounding Ledger's Joker is what has rendered that of Nicholson's as slightly campy. How can Nicholson compete with the ominous fact that Ledger died before The Dark Knight hit theaters? Both bring chaos and havoc to Gotham with that menacing smile on their face. We can't help but smile back.




Commodus from The Gladiator
Joaquin Phoenix's Roman emperor is beyond creepy in this movie. Despite his pathetic whiny personality, he manages to take over the empire and even kill Maximus. The icing on the cake is his infatuation with his own sister. Tucker and I went to see Signs opening night, which starred Phoenix. When we exited the theater, Tucker said: "You know, I thought I hated Joaquin Phoenix because he was so creepy in The Gladiator. But, now I realize he's just a good actor." Tucker was dead on. Phoenix is very likable as Merrill in Signs. Commodus makes your skin crawl.



Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs
This villain pretty much makes this list without saying. Anthony Hopkins broke down the wall in regard to how to make evil drip right off the movie screen. The amazing thing, however, is that Hannibal isn't even the actual villain of the movie. He's not the one who's killing and skinning the innocent girls. Hannibal is educated, sinister, and completely fascinating. He hypnotizes us. We want to go into his cell even though we risk getting chewed up and spat out.






Darth Vader in the Star Wars series
Technically, Hayden Christensen didn't ruin Darth Vader because he was playing Anakin Skywalker, who is not fully Darth Vader. I think we all wish that George Lucus had just left the Star Wars series alone instead of making the first three episodes. So it goes. Darth Vader is perhaps the most iconic villain of all time. I would not be surprised if Hitler and Darth Vader were equally recognizably symbols of evil. Of course, Darth Vader's got a leg up on most cinematic villains as his wadrobe lends itself to disarming people. His face doesn't move and his eyes are plastic. He is, for all intents and purposes, not human, which makes his coldness all the more terrifying. Oh and then there's the whole Jedi strangling tactic. No one is safe!! Not even his son!



Jareth the Goblin King in Labrynth
Anyone who has seen this movie can vouch for Jareth's brilliance. He charms us with his spandex and his musical numbers. Also, look at where Jennifer Connelly's career has gone after this film. It is one of the most underrated movies in the history of cinema.

Great Hollywood Kisses Part I

I am stumped right now on the kissless movies post. I know there are more, but I will have to revisit the post as they come to me. For now, I'm going to move on to the more overtly romantic movies that do provide their audience with a heart warming kiss. I have to confess, I'm going to leave out movies before the 80s. I don't know movies before that decade well enough to put them in this post. Also, kisses from that era are wonderfully chaste and therefore make it hard to compare to today's tactics. So trust me, the kiss from Gone with the Wind is clearly one for the books, but I won't discuss it here.

There are a number of factors that make a silver screen kiss great. I will try to give a run down.

Tension/Anticipation: It's no surprise that most kisses happen right before the credits roll. Filmakers want the audience begging for the romantic union of lips by the time it happens. But there's more to a kiss than simply allowing a lot of time to lapse between the two love interests entrances. There clearly must be a charge behind filmmakers wanting to get over the 2 hour mark before the leading lady can lock lips with her leading man (or lady, depending on her preference).

Kissing Chemistry: This is not to be confused with onscreen chemistry. There are movies where actors mesh wonderfully with flirtatious witty banter (or verbally spar if they have that love/hate thing going), only to let the kiss epically fail. You've Got Mail would be a perfect example of this. America loves Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks's chemistry, but their Riverside park kiss is awkward. Or there are movies when the actors forget subtlety and frantically kiss as if in a pie eating contest.

Novelty: Some kisses are memorable because they are markedly different from the kiss in front of a sunset or in the midst of the climactic action scene. Again, the actor's kissing chemistry helps tremendously, but the novelty can often override any mediocrity on the actors' part.

Alright! Here we go.

The Princess Bride Fred Savage has cut off his grandfather and narrator, Peter Falk, every time Wesley and Buttercup are about to kiss. So the final kiss is well anticipated by the viewer. It is not just the anticipation, however. It is the lovely but concise description of the kiss by Peter Falk that makes this one a bit more memorable: "Since the invention of the kiss there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind." [Note: Can't find a clip of the kiss at the end. Will dig it up soon.]

Spiderman It's hard to judge Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst's kiss chemistry because how can one tell if an upside down kiss is going badly? But, this is clearly something new and different for Hollywood. They took our expectations and turned them upside down.



Twilight
Okay, okay. I know I need to cut back on the Twilight obsession, but I simply must include this kiss. It's pretty rare to have the male protagonist stop a kiss right when it's getting hot and heavy, so there's a novelty factor here. It's also undeniable that these costars have chemistry.



Pretty Woman
Vivian lays out her rules very early on and makes it clear even to the soul crushingly handsome Richard Gere that she does not kiss on the mouth. So when she finally does kiss him in his sleep, it is sweet and pious--even for a prostitute.


The Empire Strikes Back
This kiss isn't actually that great, but it is made better by Leia and Han Solo's interchange afterward. Harrison Ford suggested that, instead of saying the scripted "I love you too," that Solo say "I know." We are made to believe that Han Solo is sort of a ladies man and his goodbye kiss followed by the closest declaration of love he can manage puts it on this list.



Brokeback Mountain
This kiss, controversial to begin with, has become even more complex because not only because of Heath Ledger's death, but also knowing that he and Michelle were romantically involved and subsequently separated. Her emotional shock and betrayal seem so raw in this scene. My heart goes out to her character here, and to the actress herself. Perhaps this kiss fits in because of the novelty of it. Two coveted heterosexual actors passionately engaging in a homosexual kiss. There is love, anger, frustration and lust all wrapped up in their rough yet tender kiss.


I'm getting carried away and don't want to put up too many here. So, I'm cutting myself off. Stay tuned for Part II.

Best Kissless Movies

I had a thought today to write a post about the best movie kisses. My standard for a great Hollywood kiss is pretty high, so few movies succeed in meeting my criteria for a truly amazing kiss. While I ponder the best kisses, however, I want to point out some of the greater Hollywood films that all have a significant romantic plot line that does not culminate in a kiss. These films are in no particular rank or order.

SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE
This is practically the gold standard for a well rounded romantic comedy, so people are usually shocked when I point out that Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan do not kiss. We can chalk this up to the fact that they don't actually share that much screen time. They're probably on screen together for 2% of the movie if that. Yet, their locked and loving gaze over Jonah in the elevator at the very end is all the metaphorical lip locking the viewer needs.




MULAN
Okay, bear with me here. I realize that this isn't exactly a canonized film, but it is noteworthy as it is the first Disney movie that doesn't feature a kiss. Even the movies with animal characters involve some sort of kiss! Disney's emphasis on true love's first kiss makes Mulan a true anomaly. Under futher examination, the kiss's absence is a little troubling in that it suggests that Disney is shying away from homosexual undertones. The audience knows that Mulan is cross dressing to save her family honor, but General Shang does not know this. Had they kissed at the end, Disney may have had to answer questions about Shang's attraction to someone who was posing as a man for the majority of the movie.



ONCE
There is a lot more going for this film aside from the fact that the two nameless love interests never kiss. We are meant to leave this movie feeling in our hearts that their songs were a musical kiss. In fact, I think their voices are actually better together than on their own, so perhaps the musical union is better than any kiss. Their love for each other is palpable even without lip to lip contact.



Not done yet... just need to ponder a bit more.

The Merryl Streep Show

As I start this entry, I must say that my opinion of this movie aligns almost perfectly with all the reviews I have read. Julie & Julia, while highly enjoyable, is an unbalanced movie. It's like a pair of beautiful bright strappy heels, only one of the shoes is an inch shorter than the other; Sure, the colors and aesthetics match--but they are not equal. Some of the reviews found Amy Adams' character, Julie Powell, unsympathetic and whiny. I don't know that I would go that far. I would simply say she's rendered unglamorous, bland and marginal compared to the legendary Julia Child. Julie quickly falls flat like a flan in a cupboard. It's not that Amy Adams isn't a fine actress. It's just that the very recipe of this movie is stacked against her. As the movie progresses, you wish that, instead of the even amount of screen time, Julia and Meryl were the big entree and that Julie and Amy are a complimentary side dish.

Confession: I really had only a vague notion of Julia Child before this movie was promoted. Yes, I had heard my mom, aunts and uncles giggle over arcane quotes in the weirdest inflection I had ever heard: "SaaAAay-ve the live--uUUuh!!!" Though, I realize they could have been quoting Dan Akroyd from Saturday Night Live. (That skit is one of the show's finest, by the way.) So getting to know Julia Child in this movie was an absolute joy. Even without knowing much about Child, it is clear that Streep does more than justice to Julia. Streep is a truly divine force on the silver screen. I am confident that anyone who grew up knowing and loving Julia will be touched and thrilled with Streep's portrayal.

Like all of today's movies, Julie & Julia was twenty minutes too long. (Forty minutes if you include the ridiculous amount of previews.) In the broad scheme of long movies, however, this movie benefits because it means twenty minutes more of Meryl. So, do I recommend this movie? Yes. I also recommend dinner reservations arranged for shortly after you exit the theater.

I have to take this opportunity to share some of the ridiculousness that occurred at the 68th street AMC Loews theater where I saw this film. My two girl friends and I attempted to go a 7 o'clock show, which was sold out. Instead, we got tickets for the 10:10 and returned to the theater at about 9:10, knowing that many people would line up early having been sold out of the earlier shows. A number of classic NYC moments occurred, where we witnessed New Yorkers at their crankiest.

There was anarchy when a small crowd of people ignored designated waiting area, which placed the 10:10 crowd away from the doors so the earlier show could exit. This renegade crowd waited right outside the doors, not only cutting the patient people in the correct area, but also clogging up the exit area when the earlier show dispersed. One man, when told by a theater attendant that the roped off line area represented the actual line, had the audacity to say--in the snippiest of tones--that the area wasn't marked. He also told the attendant that his wife had been shoved by exit theater goers--as if the attendant was responsible for that.

Despite that slight drama, my girl friends and I got prime seats and waited the 30 minutes before the movie/previews started. In that 30 minutes, an older gentleman told off two teenage girls, presumably for one of them resting her head on the other girl's shoulder. Since we couldn't hear the exact exchange, we weren't sure if the man was simply homophobic, or if there really had been inappropriate behavior. Regardless, the teenage girls were with a group of friends and one of their guy friends kept turning around and staring down the older gentlemen. We thought we were going to witness the older gentleman crack the kid's head with his cane. Then, when the movie was starting, someone yelled out "TURN OFF YOUR CELLPHONE!" to their neighbor.

In the summer, it's no joke that tensions run high in the city--even the over-air conditioned movie theater isn't a safe haven.

Harry Potter and the Half-Hearted Rendition

When the first Harry Potter came out, I jumped at the chance to see Rowling's beloved series put on the silver screen. I saw it the opening weekend and was sorely disappointed. The first movie felt abridged, yet it was still a very long movie. There are certain books that simply cannot fit into the realm of a three hour film, and the Sorcerer's Stone was certainly one of them. After I saw the first Harry Potter movie, I promptly gave up on the series.

Over the years, I have seen bits and pieces of the other films. This is the best way to see them. If you see a quidditch scene on its own, or the maze scene at the end of Goblet of Fire, you are not disappointed by what the directer and screen play writers could not accommodate. But, I felt like swallowing my dislike for the Harry Potter series for the Half-Blooded Prince, not only because there's something to be said for second chances, but also because it is my favorite book of Rowling's series. I went in reminding myself not to expect all the details and to enjoy the movie for the aesthetics--the sight and sounds of Harry Potter coming to life. Heck, hearing John William's soundtrack in surround sound isn't so bad.

I saw the movie in an IMAX theater. The first twenty minutes of the film were in 3-D, which was both breathtaking and frightening. Frightening, because it made me wonder if eventually all movies will be in 3-D, in which case movies will make real life seem exponentially flatter. Breathtaking because the cinematography is spectacular. Alternating between dark blue hues for the more sinister moments and rich warm light for the interludes in the dorms or on the Hogwarts train.

Many critics talked about how they felt somewhat paternal of the actors who have grown up throughout the series. Emma Watson is now a composed beautiful woman--which doesn't totally match the Hermione in the novel, but we'll let it slide. I will say that Daniel Radcliffe is noticeably short, which is typical of Hollywood, but you would think the "chosen one" would be able to get on a Six Flags ride, at the very least.

I left the theater feeling the same way I did when I the first film's credits rolled. The movies, while perfectly entertaining and appealing to the eye, don't quite capture the magic of Rowling's novels. They are a noble attempt to do so, certainly, but they fall short. I am glad to hear that they will break the last book into two movies, because it may mean they will finally be able to do a better job of fitting everything in. Though, I may just hold off and see them all in pieces, as I know the movies are good for a mere taste, but not for a whole meal.