AFI 100 Challenge

While looking over the AFI Top 100 films list, I realized that there were quite a few films that I have not seen. I have set a goal that by the end of the year, I will get through all the movies I have missed. There is one exception to the list, Titanic. I have zero interest in seeing it. While I think I could enjoy the movie, especially the special effects, I think it epitomizes what is wrong with the ‘Hollywood system’.

I will be posting as I watch the ‘catch-up’ movies. I will mark those films with an asterisk in the title. For the movies that I have already seen I will post my recollections, although I am sure I will be re-watching some along the way

Catch Up Time

It’s been a  while since I had time to catch up, so here is a mega post

The Covenant (2006) 

Pretty much an average teen shocker film. Nothing really intriguing or new here.

Transporter 2 (2005)

I haven’t seen the first film, but was pleased with this offering. Luc Besson wrote a good story with a mix of action and made it entertaining. Parts bordered on the fantastic, but these type of movies aren’t realistic to start with. Jason Statham seemed very well fitted for the role. I will have to catch the first movie. 

Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996)

A decent movie parody movie. Just a nice poke at pop culture and movies. Some of it is dated (of course), but being old enough to remember the mid 90s helped.

Nacho Libre  (2006)

Jack Black just entertains me. Not one of his better efforts, but still enjoyable. The supporting cast was very good. 

Pittsburgh (2006)

Jeff Goldblum’s attempt to make a movie in the Curb Your Enthusiasm vein. It just fell flat for me. It was like he was trying to bridge into the Christopher Guest area of ‘mockumentary’, but couldn’t commit to the concept. Not that the Best of Show or Curb type projects are completely believable, at least they feel organic. This is just so contrived. And Goldblum can’t just quit acting. I believe his character is now his identity. Ed Begley Jr and Moby brought absolutely nothing to this. 

Bottoms Up (2006)

We have a strong cadidate for Worst Movie I Have Ever Seen. Wow, this stunk. I’ll bet that even Paris Hilton knew this was a stinker while it was being filmed.

Beowulf (2007)

For a movie version of a classic story, it wasn’t bad. Parts were actually quite good, but the animation techniques would yank me out of it fairly often. Especially with the female characters, which looked like it came straight from Shrek. The story itself was solid, but the gratuitous use of effects that were put in for the 3-D version were just annoying. Still, it’s worth viewing.

Dan in Real LIfe (2007)

This is really just a sweet movie. There is some good humor and situations. Steve Carrell and Dane Cook are convincing as brothers vying for the affection of the same woman. The cast was good, but Dan really needed a couple less siblings, this part felt repetitive. This is definitely a nice family movie.

The DaVinci Code (2006)

For all the uproar this movie created, it was really nothing more than a B grade action movie. The twists and turned felt very contrived and were telegraphed well in advance. I can’t believe that anyone wouldn’t see what was coming by about half way though it. For all the ‘research’ that Dan Brown is supposed to have done for the book, it felt more like a middle school book report. At least writers like Michael Chrichton base their writing on things they have experienced and researched (and footnoted). To me, this just came across as someone that has a problem with old religion.

Tom Hanks was competent, but there were a lot of other actors that could have pulled it off as well. He was trying to be a modern day Indiana Jones, but without the sense of humor. Audrey Tautou is just a joy to watch and had more passion for the role.

Downfall “Der Untergang” (Germany, 2004)

A look at the last weeks of Hitler and of those around him. Quite an ambitious project and very well executed. Bruno Ganz was convincing as Hitler as well as the other actors around him. This is one of those cases where unknown (to us) actors are so much more convincing than another Russell Crowe project. It makes it easier to see how someone like Hitler can rise to power and be supported by truly good people, without justifying why they do so. This was a good way of demonstrating this effect, yet also presenting the facts or at least how those that were there saw them. One of the better films about Hitler.

6IXTYNIN9  “Ruang talok 69″ (Thailand, 1999)

This was one of those ‘recommended’ movies from NetFlix and I really enjoyed it. It’s a simple story about a secretary that gets laid off, then discovers a bundle of money literally at her front door. The web of characters that become involved are very interesting. This is a dark comedy for sure, but the story translates well. A good example of why I like foreign films. 

American Psycho II: All American Girl (2002)

OK, so other than a very tenuous link to the events from the first film, this is really not a sequel at all. Mila Kunis is always easy to look at and her performance here seem right up her alley. Another dark comedy, but the whole feel is less suspenseful than American Psycho. Better than average for this type of movie, but not as good as it could have been.

Annie Hall

Annie Hall (1977)

Unlike The Pope of Greenwich Village, this is a classic that has really held up. I am growing to appreciate Woody Allen more as time goes on. On the surface, this is a very simple love story. But it reveals so many universal truths that it stays relevant. The comedy here is very low key and subtle, which leads me to enjoy it even more. Allen respects his viewers enough to not have to dumb down his writing. 

Even the ‘gimmicks’ in the film are well done. Allen will turn to the camera and acknowledges that we are watching. I also enjoyed when he would start talking to random people on the street as if they have been having a discussion with him already.

Allen is his usual nebbish self. Diane Keaton; this is why so many people fell in love with her. The shy, unassuming character is just so endearing. Tony Roberts is great as the buddy and Paul Simon is even interesting to watch. Christopher Walken was even a minor player in the movie as well.

For sure, this is one of the classics of American film. And deservedly so.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)

OK, so you get what you expect from this. I actually thought it was the best of the 3 movies. Most of that is probably due to the CGI advances during the series’ run, but even the story was a little better than the others. The addition of Keith Richard was actually pretty good and a nice touch. Jack Sparrow seemed more like a fully portrayed character instead of a cartoon.

The maelstrom scene was incredible. Even though this movie clocked in at over 1.5 hours, it moved pretty quickly. If this is your type of movie, I’m sure you will enjoy it.

Did you watch the scene after the credits ?? It was totally predictable, but a nice touch.

The Battle of Shaker Heights

The Battle of Shaker Heights (2003)

Ahh, the creation of Shia LeBeouf as the lead in a movie. It’s too bad he couldn’t have had more to work with. To start off, this was made for the second season of Project Greenlight (Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Chris Moore) and the movie was not as good as the HBO series about the filming of it. Greenlight is an interesting concept and really tried to give new artists a forum, but has failed miserably. 

The movie never decides if it want to be a comedy or a drama and misses as both. LeBouf, while capable as Kelly, never really makes you care about him. The plot devices are just too transparent and gratuitous. You know where the story is going well before it gets there. So many things are telegraphed, it feels like deja vu by the time they happen.

I would skip this and get much more entertainment from Project Greenlight Season 2.

The Pope of Greenwich Village

The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984)

This is one of those ‘classics’ that I haven’t seen in years. While I still enjoyed it, it hasn’t held up as well as I was wishing. Sure, the performances were great but other than the oft-repeated lines, some of the writing seemed real cheesy. I think a lot of this may have to do with the mid 80s soundtrack that is just so dated. While I am a fan of Dave Grusin, this was not his best effort. There seemed to be a lot of borrowing from Giorgio Moroder or Jan Hammer. Maybe if I lived in New York city, it wouldn’t feel so dated.

Eric Roberts was really good in this as you felt for both his good side and the annoying things he does. Mickey Rourke is always fun to watch and the great Burt Young played a good role. It was definitely worth the effort.

What the Bleep!?

What the Bleep !?: Down the Rabbit Hole (2006)

Info-tainment? Edu-tainment? Kind of like an expanded version of PBS’s Nova, this is really more of a lesson than a film. There is a sort of dramatic story woven through the interviews with leading physicists and neurobiologists, but the main reason to watch this is to learn a little about the way the universe works. From the classical, general theory to the newer science of quantum mechanics, this film does a decent job of putting highly complex ideas into every day terms. The science is sound and pleasantly, is presented in easy to swallow doses. 

This is an expanded DVD version of the theatrical release. The total running time is about 2.5 hours but is worth the effort, if this sort of thing appeals to you. Marlee Matlin is the main character in the dramatic parts, so she is easy enough to watch. The DVD allows you to watch the film without these vignettes, but they actually add to the telling. The Quantum Edition is a total of 3 double sided discs, with over 6 hours of interviews and options that let you watch it by random chapters. I haven’t tried it, but think it would be interesting.

Zelig, Film Geek

Zelig (1983)

Another classic from Woody Allen. I have to say, as I get older I start to appreciate his film making more and more. This is one of those that I have seen parts of over the years, but haven’t seen in its entirety in probably 20 years. It definitely holds up. This was done when the now common “mockumentary” was still a fresh idea. The editing and “special effects” were virtually seamless. The story line was believable.

Much of it makes “Forrest Gump” seem derivative. It feels as if Zemekis was inspired by it. And yet, Allen’s film was just so much more. There wasn’t the sappy, predictable typical feel to it. I have realized how much I need to make an effort to get through the complete Woody Allen library as soon as I can.  

Film Geek (2005)

I love independent films and for the most part, this film was pretty satisfying. My problem with it is that it started to run out of steam at the one hour mark. The last 20 minutes or so just felt like they were running out of money and trying to wrap it  up. 

Most of the camera work and settings were well done, but the bar scene (where Nico’s boyfrend stops by) lighting was just weird. It pulled me out of the movie. It looked like it was filmed on a set by art students. It was tough to get back into the film from that point.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008 )

I have to start by saying that I have become a big fan of Guillermo Del Toro. The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth were a large part of that. The original Hellboy was very enjoyable. This film blended many of the things that I have enjoyed most into one story.

While watching the film, there were familiar moments that could have been ripped from the Star Wars cantina scene, or from Men In Black. Yet, these didn’t feel as gratuitous as they could have, almost more of an homage. But where this film sets itself apart from the original was that it had a more distinct feel of fantasy in it. Pan’s Labyrinth was obviously an influence to the ‘characters’ in it. (What is it about del Toro and creatures with eyes in unusual places?) There is much more a fairy tale feel to Golden Army.

All the usuals are back for this incarnation. Ron Perlman was consistent with his first portrayal. Selma Blair is an actress that I have always enjoyed watching, she is “hot” in this one as well. Jeffrey Tambor, John Hurt and Doug Jones are back too. Is there a better creature actor than Jones? I doubt it.

There were times, while watching the movie, that I thought, “That would be cool in a video game”. Some of the action felt like it was straight out of a game. In fact, if you ever played “BioShock” there were a couple of scenes that felt very familiar. The Ectoplasmic guy made me feel that every time he was on screen.

This movie is not going to win an academy award (OK, maybe special effects, but Dark Knight will probably sweep those), but it was a hell of a lot of fun to watch. In fact, I probably liked it as much, if not a touch more, than Dark Night (oh, the heresy, at least Ron Perlman doesn’t feel the need to go all gravelly throated for his voice.). If you liked the first one, go see this one. Particularly in a theater. The large screen and sound make the golden army seem so much more intimidating.

Jersey Girl, Super High Me, How to Draw a Bunny

Jersey Girl (2004)

It’s probably not the best way to start a review of a movie from a director / writer you admire, but this movie didn’t suck. Kevin Smith has helped to push the envelope of comedy to new places. His stye speaks to a lot of people. This is not a prototypical Kevin Smith film. It’s really a very straight forward film about relationships. I know that part of the inspiration was the loss of his own father and probing the family unit with an adult eye.

Affleck was his typical good self. And of course, there was the appearance by Matt Damon. Will Smith also made an interesting cameo. George Carlin was convincing as Ollie’s dad. And for all the hype, Jennifer Lopez’s role was actually too small. Raquel Castro is a very talented actress, hopefully, she will avoid the trappings of so many other child actors.

The story tended toward the melodramatic, which is unusual for Smith. At times, it descended into the sappy. Yet, Smith managed to retain a lot of his humor and made it an enjoyable time. It’s certainly not Jay and Silent Bob. I enjoyed watching it fairly well. It wasn’t the best thing Smith has done, but not as bad as the fanboys imagined it to be, just different.

Super High Me (2007)

Comedian Doug Benson made this documentary to explore the effect of marijuana smoking. For 30 days, he abstained form smoking pot and drinking alcohol. He was tested at various stages to set a baseline. He then embarked on getting high pretty much most of the waking time for the next 30 days.

This was hardly meant to be a scientific exploration. For instance, Benson’s well documented drug use does not make him the ideal candidate for a real exploration of pot use. His ’sober’ period is not a baseline for a non-smoker. And his ability to maintain while ’stoned’ shouldn’t be a surprise either. There are some funny scenes but probably the biggest effect was the exposure of medical marijuana debate on California. The tension between state and local authorities with the federal government is front and center. It’s a really interesting debate.

How to Draw a Bunny (2002)

I enjoy documentaries about artists, but this one missed the mark for me. Maybe it was the subject or maybe it was the pretentious black and white while trying to match the eclectic style of Ray Johnson. Art is one of those things that people will argue about as long as it is present. Some of Johnson’s work talks to me, but a lot of it just falls flat. As a photographer, I realize that careful editing is essential. Now, some will say that putting your body of work out there is more ‘organic’, but when one does that, they need to be open to criticism.

Most of the people that are interviewed seem to be trying to convince themselves that they are ‘hip’ enough to be clued into Ray Johnson. So much of the art world has “the emperor’s clothing” syndrome. And from watching the film, I have come to the conclusion that Johnson worked within this premise. He was obviously a capitalist and was able to manipulate people to maximize his return. There are multiple stories of people making an agreement to pay x amount for a work of art, then he decided that he needed x+y for it.

So maybe my issues are probably more with those around him than with Ray Johnson. Hey, artists have all kinds of styles. Some of it is universal and some of it is very strange. A lot of artists have that “I could have done that” vibe as well. It’s the people that surround the artist that seems to determine if they are viable or not. I have crossed paths with several people that were very similar to Johnson. Why are they anonymous and Johnson is known.

I can appreciate his work for what it is. Craziness, probably; intentionally manipulative, almost definitely. Will he be seen as a Picasso or Warhol, time will tell. If he talks to you, great, but if he doesn’t, that’s fine too.