MOVIE #4
Shrykespeare
The Dark Knight (2009) – Director: Christopher Nolan; starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Cillian Murphy, Neston Carbonell, Eric Roberts, Anthony Michael Hall, William Fichtner and Michael Jai White. I know they don’t give out Knighthoods (pardon the pun) in the United States, but if they did, I’d be the first to nominate Christopher Nolan for one, based on what he has done thus far in his career (but I’d also nominate him for this film alone). This is, quite simply, the PERFECT superhero/comic book movie. Minus the camp, kitsch and aiming-for-the-LCD factor that inhibits most movies of this genre,
The Dark Knight became the crown jewel in Nolan’s cap… my God, has it only been 19 months since this came out? It sure seems like longer… You know, when they were casting the villain for this movie, and when I heard that the Joker was going to be played by Heath Ledger, I remember saying that there were 20 or so actors that I would RATHER have seen get the role. Once I saw it, however, I not only ate those words but shat them out and ate them again (yeah, that’s a gross analogy, but it seems to fit). Ledger was electric as the Joker, and he commanded the screen every time he was on it, just oozing barely-controlled insanity from every pore, creeping us out with every delicious syllable that escapes his lips. Never has a superhero’s arch-nemesis been played so thoroughly, convincingly, unobtrusively evil as Ledger’s Joker. He deserved his Best Supporting Actor Oscar in spades, and I maintain was a shoe-in to win even if he hadn’t tragically passed away right after filming was completed. I thank my stars every time I watch it that the Lord above waited until the movie was finished before he took our beloved Heath away. And of course, the myriad of outstanding actors that make up the supporting cast (I mean, Oldman, Caine and Freeman? These are actors incapable of doing a bad job) is phenomenal as usual, even Maggie G, who took some heat for “barely improving” on the actress she replaced, Katie Holmes. Whatever. And the barely-known Eckhart gave a career performance as Harvey Dent, I can’t say enough good things about that. One thing’s for sure: Nolan has got his work cut out for him with
The Dark Knight Rises. I mean,
TDK is the highest-grossing film of all time by anyone NOT named James Cameron… topping that is going to be a monumental task. But given what Nolan has done thus far, I think most Batman fans would trust him with their very lives at this point.
(5th appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y2szViJlaY
silversurfer
Back To The Future (1985) - Director: Robert Zemeckis; starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson and Crispin Glover. Man, you just don't get any cooler than
Back to the Future. Undeniably one of the most entertaining movies I have ever seen, it inspired the young 7-year-old in me with it's cool dialogue (probably the best Zemeckis has ever written), hip soundtrack, smart time travel concept (which is actually believable and almost logical still today) and in Michael J. Fox, the guy you absolutely wanted to be. From those opening scenes as Marty wakes up in Doc's house, wanders past the automated breakfast maker (which I'm sure inspired
Wallace and Gromit) and hitches a ride on the back of a Ute to the sounds of Huey Lewis, I was just in love with this movie. Frenetically paced, filled with wit and flair, and some dazzling effects which are still more than accomplished today, there is not an aspect of this movie I am not obsessed with. I recently re-watched the movie, in fact I seem to watch it at least once a year and often more, but it's stunning how well it's held up. Maybe that's because the time travel idea transports them back to the mid 50s, so becoming timeless in itself, but I think it's just a movie which is always fresh and innovative, and I've even begun to acknowledge some of the rather perverse Freudian ideals which Zemeckis played with. There are so many scenes I am in love with; I love the one where Marty dresses up in his Radioactive suit and awakens his father with the blasts of sci-fi and Darth Vader, it's so funny, and that climax with the Biff knockout and the 'Johnny B. Goode' is so enjoyable to watch. But it's not a dumb, entertaining movie, it's one which still makes sense despite growing older, it's a movie which was marketed to kids but really appeals to so many different audiences, with clever concepts of time travel which still make you think today. In fact, it's so great, so appealing, that if you don't like
Back to the Future, it's difficult to believe you like films at all.
(8th appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geYqE-f7ojY
thegreenarrow
Edward Scissorhands (1990) - Director: Tim Burton; starring Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Diane Wiest, Alan Arkin, Anthony Michael Hall and Vincent Price. Burton's magical fairytale is such a delightful movie of the misunderstood artist, filled with romance, drama, action and heartbreak, it's the most complete Burton movie to date. The gothic atmosphere contrasted with the Burbank inspired suburbia sets up an often told tale with an original twist. Burton crafted a story which is impossible to fall in love with, a character so undeniably touching and his choice of actors was perfect. Dianne West is delightfully charming as the Avon rep who, upon finding Edward all alone in his castle, whisks him down to suburbia and tries as she may to integrate him into society, Alan Arkin is fabulously droll as the laid back husband, Winona Ryder is delightfully romantic, against stereotype cheerleader, while Johhny Depp is absolutely sublime as the lonely, innocent, delicate deformed outsider who's gentle nature nature makes him a freak in the eyes of the community. It's such a melancholic fable, filled with sadness, but there are also moments of sheer joy and excitement, with Edward trying to find his place in a society which doesn't appreciate him. Visually stunning and an Elfman score which complements the romantic fairy tale, Burton's most personal story is a poetic and genuinely heartfelt tale, and one which is forever charming.
(4th appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DU6efROG50
transformers
Reservoir Dogs (1992) - Director: Quentin Tarantino; starring Harvey Kietel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Chris Penn and Michael Madsen. First impressions are always important and Quentin Tarantino made a hell of a first impression with
Reservoir Dogs. Very few directors make films this good in their entire careers, let alone as their debut.
Reservoir Dogs is such a fascinating movie with such an eccentric and amazing bunch of characters. The characters are so well written and Tarantino’s gift of masterful dialogue carries this movie. There really isn't much action at all (outside of the insane ear cutting scene). This movie floored me on the first viewing and continues to do on subsequent viewings.
(9th appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-qV9wVGb38
(Just an example of how fantastic Tarantino's dialogue is)
englishozzy
Toy Story (1995) - Director: John Lasseter - Stars: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn and Jim Varney. You have to take your hat off to John Lasseter and Pixar for having the courage to produce the very first full-length animated feature and to outshine every film from that year. Starting from the loveable characters which we have all learned to love over the years to the brilliant storytelling that Pixar are now renowned for. A children's movie that can be engaging and funny no matter what age you are, this film is just inch perfect and can be giving the honor of the movie that started it all.
(10th appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYz2wyBy3kc
Ron Burgundy
L.A Confidential (1997) – Director: Curtis Hanson; starring Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, Kim Basinger, David Strathairn, James Cromwell, Ron Rifkin and Simon Baker. Russell Crowe at his best, matched by the other great Aussie actor Guy Pearce, surrounded by the likes of Spacey, DeVito, Cromwell, Strathairn and Basinger who all deliver powerhouse performances. When I first watched it I thought it was the best crime drama I had seen, and I still feel the same, it has some gripping scenes like the chair snapping interrogation and the Mexican police bashers bashing all the while leading up to a climatic finale. Curtis Hanson cleverly carves a story that was probably not too far from the truth in those days of corruption and shadow daggering.
(5th appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nnFof4KpKY
Buscemi
Wall-E (2008) - Director: Andrew Stanton; starring Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, John Ratzenberger and Kathy Najimy. Possibly the finest animated feature ever made. Inspired heavily by the films of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton along with space operas such as 2001, Pixar, co-writer/director Andrew Stanton and sound designer Ben Burtt manage to create one of the most entertaining and expression-filled characters in cinema history with
Wall-E. The film proves that one can make a great film with limited dialogue, as the imagery and the actions of the heroes do the talking. Watching this little guy live his life and become an accidental hero while chasing the girl he loves is amusing and you, the audience member, will be cheering for him to do so. There is more humanity and expression in this little robot in one film than some actors show over their entire careers. As for the rest, Stanton and co-writer Jim Reardon manage to create an excellent screenplay built mainly on the actions rather than dialogue, filled with characters that you love and care about. Pixar's animation is top-notch as usual while Ben Burtt manages to create an amazing set of sound effects (taking four years to do so) that create the voices of
Wall-E and nearly every robot character (the fact that he didn't win an Oscar here is possibly the most shocking loss in recent memory). This is comedy and animation at its finest and the type of film that puts most live-action films to shame.
(9th appearance)
And a personal note: this is the only film that I paid to see in first-run twice.
[url]Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geplBr2fcZc[/url]
Chienfantome
Dances with Wolves (1990) – Director: Kevin Costner, starring Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney E. Grant and Maury Chaykin. Yes,
Dances with Wolves. Don’t be surprised. Don’t be shocked. Don’t be annoyed. It’s okay, apparently it’s not contagious, since I don’t recall it appearing on any Top up until now… Had I not rewatched it a couple of years ago on DVD, after years without doing so, it would have probably appeared outside my Top 30. But I have rewatched it, the 4-hour cut. Considering its running time, it is a film I have watched surprisingly often. I remember seeing in theater with my parents when it was released, I was 10 or so. I remember watching it three or four times with my sister on VHS when we were teens. I was fascinated by it back then. But when I started going to cinema a lot, I stopped watching it, until a couple of years ago, when I finally found the time and courage to watch it, thinking I was going to be disappointed, and probably bored. I was dead wrong. The film left me speechless. Its beauty, its audacity, its grandeur hit me hard. My love is gigantic for this twilit story, those humble characters, these fascinating landscapes. It was a bold move from then hot young star Costner to turn behind the camera for a 3-hour long western half spoken in Indian and dealing, through its huge scale epic, with the relationship (some might say genocide) between the white man and the Indian people, with a naturalistic and realistic eye. It will always leave me speechless.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMRNmrXfivI
numbersix
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - Director: Stanley Kubrick; starring Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester and Douglas Rain. If there’s a film that will divide audiences for eternity, it’s this. Kubrick took a massive risk making this film. He wanted to explore not just space but narrative in ways never explored before. How on earth he got money to make this I’ll never understand. But I’m glad he was.
2001: A Space Odyssey is a like a great album: every time you experience there’s always something new to behold, to wonder about, and enjoy. It achieves this by being somewhat abstract, which is naturally a turn-off for many. But I stuck with it and felt rewarded. I’ve never watched the film and left with the same reaction or thought. But it’s not so abstract that it’s an art-installation. Rather, its theme is incredibly different and unique: evolution. Kubrick uses the dark and mysterious monolith to represent the passage of evolution to a new stage, from monkey utilising tools to humanity exploring space. However, his ultimate message seems to be that humanity must end for life to progress. Even HAL, a robot, becomes homicidal not because of who it is, but because of how humans programmed it (or him, if you want to take Kubrick’s AI into account). What an incredibly ambitious and grand theme to squeeze into a film. What a wonderful idea. And how wonderfully it is made, too.
(4th appearance)
Here’s the opening:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML1OZCHixR0
Banks
Rear Window (1954) - Director: Alfred Hitchcock; starring James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Raymond Burr and Thelma Ritter. Before I sat down and laid eyes on
Rear Window, the oldest movie I’d ever seen was my #5 above,
The Warriors from 1979 – I’d only seen bits and pieces of
To Kill a Mockingbird from 1960. I’d always dismissed old movies as I didn’t think I could look past the technical restrictions. Oh, what a stupid, sad, little man I was. Watching Rear Window made me smile from ear to hear such rich dialogue being tossed around like they were nothing – nowadays we only get to witness such verbal genius in the odd Oscar-nominated film, and certainly not the wide release schlock that get forced upon us every weekend. It had a simple but strong plot – a photographer, wheelchair bound on medical leave, sees – or thinks he sees – one of his neighbors murder their wife. It presents L.B.’s boredom at first wonderfully, as he lavishes in his back and forth with the cleaning lady – something you can tell he looks forward to every day. And the fact that L.B. is so believable in his mundane routine, and then later in the grips of paranoia, sends over his girlfriend (the amazingly beautiful Grace Kelly) to check on the murder’s apartment by herself is evidence of what a great performance that James Stewart delivers. This makes
Disturbia, a movie I really liked, look like
Big Momma’s House 4.
(7th appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kCcZCMYw38
BarcaRulz
Der Untergang (Downfall) (2004) - Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel; starring Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara and Ulrich Mattes. A brilliant film that works on all levels. Showing us the downfall of Nazi Germany, this film is full of tension, realism, and some brilliant acting, especially by Bruno Ganz, who is by far the most realistic Hitler I have ever seen. The film is haunting, and it shows just how bad the situation got in Germany. It really is a must-watch if you like foreign movies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD1Riwv5wqw
Geezer
Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) - Director: George Lucas; starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Alec Guinness. Its freaking
STAR WARS. Does anyone not love it? Never mind, if you don't, you probably shouldn't talk about it, because I'll question whether or not you have a pulse! From the opening sequence to the closing credits this film is iconic. It’s so much damn FUN. So COOL. It’s everything a little boy wants to see in one of his favorite movies, and when you connect with it at a young age like most do, it never leaves you. I'm so attached to this movie and I will be for the rest of my life, and I'm proud to say it.
(4th appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxwGGZ1BXC0
leestu
Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979) – Director Terry Jones; starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin and Eric Idle. Even funnier than Holy Grail? Remarkably yes! Its religious satire is near perfection and here is a scene that displays that.
(5th appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krb2OdQksMc
W
Remember the Titans (2000) - Director: Boaz Yakin, Starring: Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Ryan Hurst, and Wood Harris. No, it's not just another sports film like someone said earlier in this countdown. It's a true story that uses the sport of (American) football to parallel the integration of public schools and the Civil Rights movement in general. It's about family, friends, race, acceptance, and overcoming blind hatred. If all you've gotten from watching this film is "football", then you're watching some other film. Basically, the season before Will Patton led a group of white kids and was very successful and the next year the school was integrated and he was removed as coach (though kept as an assistant) by the school board in hopes that Boone (Denzel's character) would fail. Things quickly become "my coach" and "your coach" between the different ethnicities, though in the long run most of them become friends.
The cast (in my eyes) is extremely good. My favorite Denzel role is probably that of coach Herman Boone. He's stern, fair, and has some of the best lines in the film. This movie wouldn't have worked with anyone else in the role. Major parts of my two of my favorite comedy series were on the team, one being Ethan Suplee (
My Name is Earl) as the big lineman who "doesn't have any people" and just wants to hit some guys since he has to be in school anyway. The other is Petey (Donald Faison from
Scrubs) THE running back. The two lead players (Wood Harris and Ryan Hurst both on defense for once) haven't really been in much since, but are both excellent here. Sunshine, the Californian surfer transplanted in Virginia, and Hayden Panettiere as the coach's daughter/tomboy are real gems as well.
(3rd appearance)
Gettysburg:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58IljPxiSxk
NSpan
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) – Director: Steven Spielberg; starring Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, John Rhys-Davies and Alison Doody. Too good for words?
(6th appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WRsHcJ6ycE
undeadmonkey
Howl's Moving Castle (2004) - Director: Hayao Miyazaki; starring Chieko Baishô, Takuya Kimura and Tatsuya Gashûin. Here is my second-favorite animated film, (My number one only beats this because of a nostalgia factor, not because I think it's better) Most of Miyazaki's fans see this as not quite up to par as his standards as far as his films go, but for me I think it is his best and most intriguing. At the heart of the movie, it is a love story between a young woman, who has been cursed into an old woman's body and a dark and mysterious wizard. I honestly don't know where to go beyond that, there are so many subtle parts of the story it would take a while to explain them all, also I wouldn't be the best of it right now, it's been about a year since I've seen this, (which is definitely too long). All I can really say is how I felt watching it the first time and the second and etc. I have never been so mesmerized from any movie I have ever seen, not even the top three beyond this. I watched it, seeming not to breath, (of course I did, but I wasn't thinking about it, aren't hyperboles great?) I didn't want to miss anything. I have loved the movie more with each viewing. The music and the scenery enhance every scene. It's an action movie, its fantasy, it's a love story, it's a movie about friendship and war. This movie isn't your pedestrian DreamWorks animation, there are good guys and bad guys, but then as the story unfolds, it is revealed to not be so cookie cutter, there are gray areas in every character, making them seem human. I urge everyone to go out and see this, I wont promise that you'll love it as much as me, but I will promise that you will at least like it. IF you don't, I think you might need some help.
(3rd appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txfrb--HxNo
JohnErle
Almost Famous (2000) – Director: Cameron Crowe; starring Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson and Jason Lee. When I was in high school I had a hard time deciding whether to pursue music or movies as a career because I loved them both equally. I even toyed with the idea of journalism as a more practical option. And like the main character I had also skipped a few grades and was much younger than my classmates. When I saw this movie for the first time I couldn't help but feel Cameron Crowe was a kindred spirit. This is a script I wish I'd written and a life I wish I'd lived.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk0XnyrENrE