Anyway, I was just going to list them, but as I wanted to review some anyway, I think I'll do condensed reviews for all of them.
And here we go.
1) Hamlet 2
A failed actor-turned-worse-high-school-drama-teacher rallies his Tucson, AZ students as he conceives and stages politically incorrect musical sequel to Shakespeare's Hamlet
While not a great movie by any means, it was exceptionally funny. Steve Coogan especially was excellent through out. Towards the end when they are performing the play is worth the entire film.
>2) Tropic Thunder
Through a series of freak occurrences, a group of actors shooting a big-budget war movie are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying.
Another movie that will not go down as the greatest of all time. I was very pleased with it in the end, and Robert Downey Jr. was hilarious. Definitely worth seeing.
3) Cat Ballou
A woman seeking revenge for her murdered father hires a famous gunman, but he's very different from what she expects
I'm certainly a fan of Jane Fonda's movies, especially the ones from the 60s. She was not only gorgeous, but he timing was great, especially in comedic roles. This movie is quite possibly the best of that bunch. and this is from someone who loves Barbarella. The entire cast of this film was great, especially Lee Marvin in his duel role.
4) Some like it hot
When two musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.
Oddly enough, I thought I had seen this film before until we started watching it. Then I realized that at most I had only seen clips. No matter, as I've seen it now. And man was it hilarious. Lemmon and Curtis were pure gold in this. The rest of the cast was a lot of fun too, and Marilyn Monroe was at her ditsy best. I'll definitely be watching this again in the future.
5) The Seventh Seal
A man seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague
Wow! That's really all I can say. This movie was absolutely brilliant from beginning to end. The soldier's search for meaning, the actors philosophical look at life, and the conversations with death were amazing. It made me laugh and cry more than once throughout. I definitely need to see more of Bergman's work.
6) Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
After saving a Black Panther from some racist cops, a black prostitute goes on the run from "the man" with the help of the ghetto community and some disillusioned Hells Angels.
The creator of the blaxploitation genre, as well as a front runner of independent film making, Marvin Van Peebles gets a lot of my respect. This movie was not amazing, but it was good. The story behind the making of this movie is what's so great about it. All of the things he went through to get it made were very impressive. The final product was certainly a product of its time, which isn't always a bad thing. I definitely liked it, but I don't know how often I'll watch it.
7) Date with an Angel
Jim is soon to be married to Patty, but when he wakes up after a bachelor party thrown by his friends...
This movie was a fun romantic comedy from the 80s. It didn't try and be anything more, which made me happy. I love 80s films, and while I wouldn't say I "loved" this one, I did really like it. Michael E. Knight was hilarious. And who doesn't love Phoebe Cates?
8)Rashomon
A heinous crime and its aftermath are recalled from differing points of view.
Not my favorite of Kurosawa's films (that would be Yojimbo), but very good none the less. The idea of telling a story from different views was certainly a revolutionary idea at the time. And the priest was a very good character to give us someone to feel for, the only truly honest person in the film. I think the reason it doesn't get higher marks from me is because of the way Mifune plays his character. While not bad, and at points he was brilliant, it just wasn't as consistent as other performances I've seen. The laughter especially threw me off. All the same, it was a great movie, as everything I've seen from Kurosawa.
9) The Wrestler
A drama centered on retired professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson as he makes his way through the independent circuit, trying to get back in the game for one final showdown with his former rival.
As a wrestling fan, and someone who used to be part of the crew for many independent wrestling companies, i was looking forward to a serious look at the thing i love. And I was not disappointed. The synopsis is actually somewhat misleading, as this is only what a small part of the movie is about. But the realism is amazing. Having personally known people that went down the exact same road (both in and out of wrestling) I really felt for Randy "The Ram" Robinson, played wonderfully by Mickey Rourke. By the end i was in tears. I won't spoil the ending but I think it was the perfect finish to this film. Rourke deserves every award he gets.
10) Slumdog Millionaire
A Mumbai teen who grew up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" He is arrested under suspicion of cheating, and while being interrogated, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers.
I've been a fan of Danny Boyle since Trainspotting, but I never expected a film like this from him. Truthfully, I didn't even know what to expect from this movie. What I got was an intriguing look at life from the eyes of a boy from the Indian slums who made good. Though the cast system is gone, it was apparently not forgotten. As he explains knowing each answer, you get insight into his formative years, and into the love of his life. I'm not surprised to see it getting so many awards.
11) Repo! the Genetic Opera
A worldwide epidemic encourages a biotech company to launch an organ-financing program similar in nature to a standard car loan. The repossession clause is a killer, however
Described as "Rocky Horror meets Blade Runner" I was certainly excited, and this movie didn't disappoint. It was gruesome, violent, and fun. The music was good, the cast was great, and the twists, while fairly obvious, were well played. I can't wait until I have the money to own this on DVD. Anthony Stewart Head singing "Thankless Job" was probably my favorite part. It was just so weird. not to mention he sang is like Tom Waits.
>12) Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution
Lemmy Caution, an American private-eye, arrives in Alphaville, a futuristic city on another planet.
SciFi Noir. What else do I need to say? The combination of these two genres is something that should be done far more often. Eddie Constantine was great as Lemmy Caution. The world Alphaville presented was the perfectly disguised distopia, and the Alpha 60 computer was great. It's fun to see what the futures of the past looked like, and this movie was great from top to bottom.
13)Burn After Reading
A disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous gym employees who attempt to sell it.
Brad Pitt and John Malkovich were hilarious in this movie by the Coen Brothers. Not their best work, but certainly up to their usual standards. This movie was intriguing, suspenseful, and funny. There are twists you seriously won't see coming, and the interludes of the CIA agents talking about what's going on are priceless. The Coens never disappoint me.
14) Harold and Maude
Young, rich, and obsessed with death, Harold finds himself changed forever when he meets lively septuagenarian Maude at a funeral.
One of the strangest and most beautiful love stories I've ever seen. Perhaps the top of both lists. There's not much more that can be said really. If you haven't seen this movie yet, you need to.
15) Auntie Mame
An orphan goes to live with his free-spirited aunt. Conflict ensues when the executor of his father's estate objects to the aunt's lifestyle.
My local PBS channel shows classic movies every Saturday. And I was fortunate enough to be in for this one. Rosalind Russell was great as Mame Dennis, the eccentric aunt of an orphaned boy. The movie was fun, heart warming, and at times tear jerking. Everything from writing, to direction, to design came together perfectly. And no one but Ms. Russell could have pulled it off so well.
And there you have it. In the future, I'll try and be more timely with posts. That way I won't have to bundle things up again.
Cheers!
La Boheme
