tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7553802929890191652024-03-14T03:55:59.567-04:00We Are The MoviesFilm Reviews and other movie happeningsAaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-88623829022440566212011-03-10T22:22:00.000-05:002011-03-10T22:22:04.832-05:00Coming Soon.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.shockya.com/news/wp-content/uploads/rango-0591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://www.shockya.com/news/wp-content/uploads/rango-0591.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Last Friday, my girlfriend took me out to see <i>Rango</i>, it was an enjoyable movie that took an interesting look at the Western genre. This post, however, is not about the movie we saw last week. This post is to announce that I will be working on an article about the triumphant renaissance of the Western since 2007 with the release of <i>The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford</i>, <i>3:10 to Yuma</i>, <i>There Will be Blood</i> and (possibly) <i>No Country for Old Men</i>. The genre had been all but dead since Clint Eastwood's beautiful <i>Unforgiven</i> in 1992 until it came raging back. I don't know when the article will be finished, but it is in the works.Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-2821178668882979872011-02-20T18:37:00.000-05:002011-02-20T18:37:35.936-05:00Happy Birthday Robert Altman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/cast_member_images/359/Robert_Altman.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/cast_member_images/359/Robert_Altman.png" /></a></div>In the infamous words of hip-hop superstar, 50 Cent, "It's yo birtday, we gonna party like it's yo birtday."<br />
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Robert Altman was one of the most talented, endearing and enduring filmmakers of the American "New-Hollywood" era. His films, starting with his break-out 1970 success, <i>M*A*S*H</i>, defined what American filmmaking was all about. There were times when things got out of hand, but that's true of most visionaries. In 2006, shortly after the release of this master's final film, <i>A Prairie Home Companion</i>, Robert Altman passed away. Since then he has been dearly missed by lovers of American cinema.<br />
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Here's hoping that his young protege, and Assistant on his final film, Paul Thomas Anderson, can keep up his streak of brilliance and can one day be placed on the same mantle as Robert Altman.<br />
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For those not familiar with Altman's work here is a list of my favorite Altman films: McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Nashville, 3 Women, The Player, Short Cuts, M*A*S*H, A Prairie Home Companion.<br />
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Rest in Peace, Mr. Altman (1925-2006) And, happy birthday.Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-80620926882212645802011-02-13T20:48:00.000-05:002011-02-13T20:48:48.593-05:00The King's Speech - Tom Hooper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.daemonsmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/the-kings-speech-movie-photo-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://www.daemonsmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/the-kings-speech-movie-photo-02.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Last night I saw <i>The King’s Speech</i>, I hadn’t planned on writing a review on this masterful film as I cannot possibly add anything constructive to the discussion of this film. It is currently sitting at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a 95% rating from the users of Yahoo! a demographic notorious for disliking critical darlings, it won the triple crown at the major guilds as it heads toward Oscar gold in two weeks. The fact is that I am just another amateur critic who loved Tom Hopper’s picture. It feels necessary, however, to back up my opinions with concrete thought.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The backbone of this film is the relationship between King George VI, played masterfully by Colin Firth and Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). George has had a st-st-stammer since he was four or five years old, and while we now know that most speech impediments are caused by psychological trauma young in life, the most common way for parents to deal with them in the days of yore was to punish a child. King George V was no different than most of these parents. Without revealing a critical piece of drama, Logue is more familiar with the psychological aspects of speech problems that people have, and is called upon by Geoge VI’s wife, Elizabeth, to help her struggling husband become the man that they believe he is capable of being.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The most dramatic moments of the film are when tensions of the state come between Lionel and George; such as when his older brother, David, is struggling juggling a woman and the responsibilities of being king. This relationship, however, is a delightful one to watch develop as the picture progresses, Lionel’s guidance of the king through his problems is inspiring and oft-times hilarious, though never risible. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Some may write <i>The King’s Speech</i> off as shameless Oscar bait. As a critical darling that has nothing to do with the masses who only want to be entertained. There is some truth in the first statement, but people who say it forget that Oscar bait still has to be pulled off or else you end up with another <i>Elizabeth: The Golden Age</i> or <i>All the King’s Men</i>. If a writer, director and group of actors decide to team up to make a film they believe the academy will enjoy: there is nothing wrong with that. The second statement, however, can only be spoken out of ignorance or not having seen the film. While it is slow in parts, as it is a “talking” movie, both Rush and Firth are at the top of the acting game (and could both end up on the podium giving acceptance speeches), they are hilarious and are vastly entertaining. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Tom Hooper’s film may not, actually, be the best film of 2010. But, that is such an arbitrary and subjective statement that it is hard to quantify, qualify or defend. I do, however, believe that it had the two best performances I saw, and that if it <i>isn’t</i> the best film of last year, it is worthy to be crowned as such if or when it is. This is a picture worth seeing, and if you fall into either of the camps aforementioned, don’t be afraid to put down these prejudices until after you’ve seen it. And, if you still hate it, feel free to tell me I’m wrong and I’ll feel free to accept your opinion as that.</span></div>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-74801313033071389702011-01-13T10:24:00.000-05:002011-01-13T10:24:24.326-05:00The Social Network - David Fincher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.accesshollywood.com/content/images/125/originals/125929_movie-trailer-the-social-network.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.accesshollywood.com/content/images/125/originals/125929_movie-trailer-the-social-network.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>There are very few young filmmakers as dynamic as David Fincher. In fact, Christopher Nolan and Darren Aronofsky come to mind. In his career so far, Fincher has taken on a piece of the <i>Alien</i> franchise, created the film that has, more than any other film defined Generation X, he's definitively proven the guilt of San Francisco's Zodiac Killer and he showed us that people who age backwards are people too...they just lead more complicated lives.<br />
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Two years ago, with the release of <i>The Curious Case of Benjamin Button</i>, David Fincher finally broke into the "Oscar Nominee" category; with October's release of <i>The Social Network</i>, it seems determined that David Fincher will join the immortal group of Oscar winners. Fincher's film may not be the <i>best</i> film of this year; it is; however, the most timely, generation defining and possibly, important film of 2010. When all is said and done, the 500,000,000 members of Facebook are very real. And when you're able to, not only show the genesis of such a defining tool of the age, but to show it with the grace and power that Fincher and star, Jesse Eisenberg bring to this film, there is something special afoot.<br />
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If you're one of us--and by us, I mean the 500 M members of Mark Zuckerberg's website--this is a must see. If you're not one of us--and by this, I mean a person outside of the social networking generation, a generation that spans the concept of age--this film is a tool to help you understand us. Just like 1999's controversial but defining <i>Fight Club</i>, <i>The Social Network</i> takes the defining quality of a generation, boils it down to the elemental and puts it under the microscope.<br />
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In short: See. This. Film.<br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wearthmo-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0307740986&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-58447945318191307352011-01-08T13:19:00.000-05:002011-01-08T13:19:29.497-05:00Top 10 of 2010<a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/True-Grit-image-10392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="http://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/True-Grit-image-10392.jpg" width="320" /></a>10. Hereafter - Clint Eastwood: I, admittedly, have yet to see last year's <i>Invictus; </i>however, with the exception of that one film I have seen everything Mr. Eastwood has graced us with since 2003's phenomenal <i>Mystic River</i>. And, while his latest effort may not be to the same level of brilliance as <i>Mystic River</i> and its ending was slightly abrupt, <i>Hereafter</i> has a lot to offer, and represents the growth of an aged and ripened filmmaker at the peak of his powers.<br />
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9. Despicable Me - Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud: I know the heat that could possibly come my way for daring to name a DreamWorks animated film over a Pixar title. I don't care, <i>Despicable Me</i> was and is the best animated picture of 2010, <i>Toy Story 3</i> included. It was a sheer joy to watch start to end, and while the parent inside of me isn't sure how I feel about thieves being put on a pedestal the way they are in this movie, it is still a delight, and one that the whole family can enjoy together.<br />
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8. Greenberg - Noah Baumbach: Baumbach has a theme that he works with, that he lives with, that he eats, sleeps and breathes. That is: grown men dealing with the pains of growing up too late and the disfunction that it creates in the oft-pathetic lives. <i>Greenberg</i> follows suit to perfection. While it does not have the raw emotional power of 2005's <i>The Squid and the Whale</i> it is also a more subtle and mature film in many ways. And, in it's subtlety, Baumbach is not withholding any punches and this one brings it.<br />
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7. Shutter Island - Martin Scorsese: For those of you who know me, or read this blog at all, you HAVE to know that if Scorsese releases a film, it will be in the top 10. You must also know that if he releases a film and its in the number 7 slot that it's not one of his all time classics and we're in the middle of a solid year in cinema. Both are the case. <i>Shutter Island</i> is not <i>Taxi Driver, Raging Bull</i> or <i>Goodfellas; </i>it may not be <i>The Departed</i> or <i>Bringing Out the Dead</i>; it is, however, every bit as good as <i>Gangs of New York </i>and <i>The Aviator</i>. It brings a psychological depth that may be unsurpassed this year and the end leaves the audience with as many (or more) questions than answers.<br />
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6. The Fighter - David O. Russell: This loser cum champion story is the epitome of a sports film. In many ways it's generic. However, when you do the genre better than everyone else, generic doesn't mean much. The saving grace of this film are the performances from the ensemble: Bale, Adams, Leo and Whalberg. Especially Bale and Adams who are both dynamite.<br />
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5. Ghost Writer - Roman Polanski: Leave it to Polanski to make a thriller about a ghost writer. But, more so, leave it to Polanski to make a great thriller about a ghost writer. I guess when it comes to it, I don't have a lot to say about this movie. On paper it sounds a little weak. On screen it's anything but.<br />
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4. Black Swan - Darren Aronofsky: Natalie Portman kills it in this picture. She brings a depth to her character that is rare, and her performance may be the best by anyone this year. She is flat-out flawless from start to finish. Only Aronofsky could've pulled this film off. By that I mean, only the man who had the gaul to make a psycho-thriller based on mathematics could make such a devastatingly powerful and dark film about the beauty of ballet and the darkness inside of all of us.<br />
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3. Inception - Christopher Nolan: Can this man make a bad movie? I'll just list his films. <i>Memento,</i> <i>Insomnia,</i> <i>Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception. </i>Allow me to answer my own question. If he can, he hasn't and God bless him for it. Some people allow themselves to become too wrapped up in the dream sequences to allow themselves to understand the film. There are four levels of dreams. Each time they go farther "down" the level above them slows down. It's a deceptively simple plot with mind-blowing visual effects. And, that's all it has to be.<br />
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2. Winter's Bone - Debra Granik: This story about a girl trying to save her home after her deadbeat dad puts the house up for parole is a haunting and beautiful film about survival, and perseverance. It is completely unlike anything I have ever seen before and I loved it.<br />
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1. True Grit - Joel and Ethan Coen: The Coen Brothers are, once again, at the peak of their super powers. And, while their <i>True Grit</i> is also an adaptation of the 1968 novel by the same title, it is not a remake of the 1969 John Wayne classic of the same novel. Jeff Bridges plays a one-eyed, old, fat Marshall whose hired by a 14-year old girl to track down the man who killed her father and bring him to justice. You know the story. But you're missing something if you've not seen the Coen's take. Roger Deakins truly outdid himself on this film, and an 8th Oscar nomination and SURELY his first win are within his sights.<i> True Grit</i> is as close to flawless as we can get in most years and that is the reason why it is the best film of 2010.Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-76828575106039876012010-10-12T13:39:00.000-04:002010-10-12T13:39:09.613-04:00No Country for Old Men (2007) - Joel and Ethan Coen - Revisit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.blu-ray.com/reviews/1310_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://images.blu-ray.com/reviews/1310_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Continuing on my Cormac McCarthy kick. I am revisiting the masterwork, <i>No Country for Old Men, </i>the Coen Brothers's 2007 Best Picture winning adaptation. I am not going to bother writing a full fledge review on this picture. Every last one of you know how I feel about this film. But the fact is that nearly three years after it came out I am still completely enthralled in the story and the relentless tension of this film. The scene between Chigurh and the gas station attendant is a perfectly crafted scene and is a beautiful example of what this film is all about. Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones are perfect as the three principles and so is the film as a whole. That is all.Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-20252025231763041972010-10-04T14:35:00.000-04:002010-10-04T14:35:29.207-04:00The Road (2009) by John Hillcoat<a href="http://www.wcmessenger.com/blogs/shelfspace/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/the-road-still-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://www.wcmessenger.com/blogs/shelfspace/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/the-road-still-5.jpg" width="320" /></a><i>-Suppose you were the last man on Earth.</i><br />
<i>-How would you know that. That you were the last man on Earth?</i><br />
<i>-I suppose it wouldn't be something you knew. It'd just be something you did.</i><br />
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These words never come to fruition in either Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize winning novel or John Hillcoat's fantastic adaptation. But, for one reason or another in this brief scene between The Man (Viggo Mortenson) and Eli (Robert Duvall) we understand what is really at stake in the lives of these dying people getting by on this dying planet. When surviving is to be the last man on Earth, a title that only God would know, what good is survival? What good is a trip to the coast? We don't really know what the point is, all we know is that its all that matters.<br />
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John Hillcoat's film is nearly flawless as a film, and looks stunning. The only real complaint to be made against the film is that it lacks some of the poetic punch McCarthy's novel contains. This, however, is not anything <i>against</i> the film just a difference in the mediums of film and literature. The fact that he was willing to take on (what most consider to be) the greatest novel in the canon of one of, if not the greatest American author working today is a feat in itself. But, the fact is, that the novel doesn't offer a lot to film for a mainstream audience which causes the film to feel disjointed at times because there are not the long passages of the man describing the journey on the road, it just shows them traveling briefly before moving onto the next important scene with action or dialogue in it.<br />
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I highly recommend seeing this picture. However, I would suggest seeing it before reading the novel if you plan on doing both. If you have already read <i>The Road</i> just keep in mind that you cannot do the same things on film that you can do in a novel and you will appreciate Hillcoat's vision of McCarthy's masterpiece novel.<br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wearthmo-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B001FB563E&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wearthmo-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B003WSKS9U&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-2392024351264623292010-06-24T18:45:00.000-04:002010-06-24T18:45:37.654-04:00Desired but not needed Adaptations: Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://api.ning.com/files/-zPcSHuUEMR*JqZjbjs1H1pYydAFKzMfn7DEclEqTZU856v1GUDL7Ab6biloV8atodC10XXAM*KI0HLZ3JRI9QrE8LFJ8xrZ/ShermanAlexie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://api.ning.com/files/-zPcSHuUEMR*JqZjbjs1H1pYydAFKzMfn7DEclEqTZU856v1GUDL7Ab6biloV8atodC10XXAM*KI0HLZ3JRI9QrE8LFJ8xrZ/ShermanAlexie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Somewhere on the seam that lies on the border between April and May a friend of mine was about to graduate from the same university from which I graduated in December. As we sat and allowed the light from 2008's <i>Iron Man</i> to glow on our faces, we discussed some of the classes he had taken in the semester that I missed. The one that we kept coming back to was American Novel.<br />
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At one point he said, "Aaron, I don't usually like contemporary literature, but I couldn't put this book down. I think you'll love it." I asked him what it was and he ran upstairs and brought down a copy of <i>Reservation Blues</i> by Sherman Alexie. A book that I took a while to get to, but when I did, I devoured. It is a novel about a rock band called Coyote Springs, made of five American Indians. Three Spokane Indians (from Washington) and two Flathead Indians (from Montana) It is hard to describe some of the happenings in the novel, it is an enjoyable though not always...kosher...read.<br />
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Its about stories. Its about desire. Its about sex. Its about friendship. Its a powerful book with the kind of dialogue that would make any cinephile salivate. The film could be visually stunning, though it wouldn't have to be. It could be an intimate portrayal of these young people's lives and the way that their lives were able to rise and fall with the times and circumstances. This is a film that I would like to see made. But if it never comes to fruition: worse things have happened.<br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wearthmo-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0802141900&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-82816914138164685632010-05-23T14:07:00.000-04:002010-05-23T14:07:56.969-04:00A Beautiful Mind by Ron Howard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://babybird.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/beautifulmind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://babybird.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/beautifulmind.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Ron Howard is 56 years old. He played Oppie in <i>The Andy Griffith Show</i> and Richie Cunningham in <i>Happy Days</i>, he also happens to be a very capable director. With several Oscar Nominations under his belt and one win he has proven that just because more people know you as "Oppie" or "Richie" than your real name means nothing.<br />
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His 2001 film, <i>A Beautiful Mind</i>, is his Oscar darling, it may not go down as his masterpiece, but its the one that got him the hardware. It follows the life and hardships of Nobel Prize Winning economist and mathematician, John Nash. Played by Australian hot-head Russell Crowe, in one of the finer moments of a very solid career. The film is not perfect, as so few films are, but it has a heart, and her name is Jennifer Connelly. At the center of all of Nash's problems is the fact that he can't just be a menace to himself, because he has a wife that loves him more than she can figure out the reason for.<br />
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The chemistry between Crowe and Connelly with the direction of Howard and the graceful writing of Akiva Goldsman create a very good film. It is not, however, the cinematic achievement that I want to talk about. At the true center of this film is a nugget of fearful truth. The film faces mental illness in a way that few films do, and love in the face of illness. The quality of a woman who loves her man in the face of adversity and stays by his side through one of the hardest situations that a person can be put through. So, while there is some legitimate criticism about this film, manipulation of the audience, etc from a cinematic perspective. Its true. It is a flawed film. That being said, most films are flawed, there is a rare gem of perfection. But its what this film shows us about love and family and illness that makes it a picture worth watching and remembering.<br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wearthmo-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000FVQLQQ&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-1230456928851031812010-05-16T21:34:00.000-04:002010-05-16T21:34:50.808-04:00Greenberg by Noah Baumbach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.indiewire.com/images/uploads/i/greenberg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i.indiewire.com/images/uploads/i/greenberg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <i>You like me more than you think you do.</i><br />
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<i> Hurt people, hurt people.</i><br />
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These are the two enduring quotes from Wes Anderson pal, Noah Baumbach's fourth film <i>Greenberg</i>. The film is a departure, of sorts from his previous two films, <i>The Squid and the Whale</i> and <i>Margot at the Wedding</i> in that the film isn't about children. On the surface. Roger Greenberg, played masterfully by Ben Stiller, is a 41 year man child. And his part-time lover, Florence, a 25 year old college grad who has now spent as much of her life since college as she spent in college, seems very well put together on the surface, but, she has some growing up to do herself.<br />
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While the film is named after Roger, one could argue that Florence is the centerpiece of the film. In Florence the audience is able to see themselves; and, in Roger we're allowed to see what Florence is in danger of becoming if she isn't able to save herself--and possibly Roger--from the ruts of their lives. Roger is a bitter man who always has a deep seeded guilt that he was the one who killed his band's chances of making it 15 years before.<br />
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Roger takes this anguish out on everyone he loves. Florence. Ivan. His brother. He wasn't willing to show up for his mother's funeral out of fear that he would have to face his former friends and bandmates. He also has a tendency of exploding on people as he gets truly close to him.<br />
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<i>Greenberg</i> is a film that is an incredibly awkward film. It has some truly hysterical moments and some touching and poignant scenes. Ultimately, I believe that the film has a message that says that we all have to grow up at some point. It won't be fun. But, the longer that a person puts off this inevitable moment the more difficult it becomes to do it without suffering major consequences. I believe that the film is loved by the people that admit to liking it; but I believe that when the film says "you like me more than you know," is a little wink to those in the audience that didn't enjoy the movie. Because, Noah Baumbach knows, as well as I do, that the movie caught the hearts and minds of the audience, whether they "liked" it or not.<br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wearthmo-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000CS464G&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wearthmo-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B001IYE8TQ&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-22327789835383821032010-05-14T15:02:00.000-04:002010-05-14T15:02:29.642-04:00Bad Lieutenant - Port of Call: New Orleans by Werner Herzog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://liveforfilms.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/bad4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://liveforfilms.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/bad4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Since the 1970s Werner Herzog has been one of the jewels of world cinema. With classics such as <i>Aguirre: The Wrath of God</i>, <i>Stroszek </i>and the remake of F. W. Murnau's <i>Nosferatu</i>. Herzog has blessed audiences around the world with unforgettable cinematic experiences for decades. His Psycho-Realist style is fairly unique to him, though other filmmakers have made films within Herzog's style it seems that he has stuck to it as if it were a genre and not just a style within the broader scope of cinema. In 2005, Werner Herzog expanded his horizon's making his first, truly, American film--while I concede that <i>Stroszek</i> is close, it is much more of a German film--the documentary <i>Grizzly Man</i>, since then his last four features two documentaries and two narrative's have all been truly American films.<br />
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On the flip side of this film is the outstanding Nicolas Cage. Throughout his career, Cage has made some very (very x's you choose) bad decisions. However, when Cage is at his best is when everything around him is going wrong. In his classic roles from <i>Moonstruck</i>, <i>Leaving Los Vegas</i>, <i>Bringing Out the Dead</i>, <i>Adaptation</i> and <i>The Weather Man</i> Cage sneaks his way through a life that could be better, though for some reason he can't make it so. In Herzog's newest film. <i>Bad Lieutenant - Port of Call: New Orleans</i> Nicolas Cage is allowed to be just that. He is a lieutenant in the New Orleans police department in the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Katrina. He and his partners have gotten used to the "cowboy" style that was afforded to them by the near martial law status of the city during the days after the devastation. And, a back injury causes him to get into worse habits than he had already had.<br />
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Equipped with every non-alcoholic vice that I have ever heard of, Cage sleazes his way through the seedy underworld of New Orleans. As the film unfolds we are allowed to see the this man and everyone around him both at their best and worst. We are able to see corruption and redemption over and over again. In many way Herzog's film plays like a comedy of errors as we are left in disbelief with what we see, and the consequences for the actions taken. The Psycho-realism and Cage's man-on-the-edge persona are a match made in cinematic heaven.<br />
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This is a film of vice and should be watched as such. That being said, it is also a vastly entertaining crime film that will keep you guessing and shaking your head from start to finish.<br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wearthmo-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B002TVQ48K&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wearthmo-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B002TVQ48A&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-18676437306849133232010-05-11T16:52:00.000-04:002010-05-11T16:52:12.486-04:00Needed Adaptations. Anything by Charles Dickens.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://danassays.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/charles_dickens2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://danassays.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/charles_dickens2.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>This adaptation is quite different from the last few that I have done. In that, I am avoiding making a statement about which piece of literature should be adapted. Charles Dickens, is perhaps, the greatest British novelist of all-time. He is, also, perhaps, the greatest Non-Russian novelist. Though many may argue Jane Austin or George Eliot for British novelists, and many may argue James Joyce as greatest non-Russian novelist. I don't care. I will cross that bridge and have that discussion when it comes.<br />
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In any case. It makes no difference. The fact is that Charles Dickens wrote classic after classic and one of them <i>must</i> be adapted; but in a very specific way. Some of my readers may be aware of my...misunderstanding...(?) of the American filmmaker Tim Burton; however, this is a project that I think must be tackled by the quirky goth kid who brought us <i>Beetle Juice</i>, <i>Sleepy Hollow</i>, <i>Sweeny Todd</i> and his greatest film, <i>Big Fish</i>. But, to do Dickens's characters justice, this must be done in Burton's signature, stop-motion style animation.<br />
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What Tim Burton did as producer with the cult-classic, <i>Nightmare Before Christmas</i> and director in <i>The Corpse Bride</i> truly add a different dimension to the stories being unfolded on the screen. Think about the jagged edges, the gothic characteristics, the allegorical looks of Dickens' characters. This could be done with makeup, but its not the same. I would like to see Tim Burton's animation team take on Charles Dickens and the novels that I keep coming back to are <i>Oliver Twist</i>, though it has been adapted several times, successfully, already and <i>Tale of Two Cities</i> which has a bright and boring BBC adaptation made about it.<br />
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Once again, leave your feedback, recommendations and arguments in the comments section. I am really looking forward to hearing any ideas that are not mine.<br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wearthmo-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0141439602&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-78949708724377199332010-05-10T20:18:00.000-04:002010-05-10T20:18:14.444-04:00Needed Adaptations. Nick Adams by Ernest Hemingway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ginavivinetto.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/hemingway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ginavivinetto.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/hemingway.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>Ernest Hemingway, in my opinion, to the shock and awe of many of my friends, is the greatest of the American Modernists. He has many praiseworthy pieces of literature, and I believe that there may be another one of his works on this list later on. However, There is no denying the greatness of Hemingway's short stories; and the best of his short stories are those surrounding the character Nick Adams.<br />
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Stories including the thrilling "The Killers," and the heart breaking "The End of Something." Hemingway breathes life into Adams that is a rare kind of life for characters within short stories.<br />
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The film, in all likely hood would end up being episodic in nature, as are Hemingway's stories and novels anyway; but I don't believe that is a bad thing in the least. An author like Hemingway is a rare talent and American literature has seen few people who can replicate his ability to weave a story. His terse sentence structure and frank dialogue driven stories are among the best ever told, let alone by an American author--perhaps Poe is his only rival within American literature in the short story.<br />
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Hemingway is an American treasure and the brightest of his gems have yet to be touched by the world of cinema. It is time for that to change.<br />
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*Once again, I ask for any suggestions and recommendations that you will be willing to offer.*<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wearthmo-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0684843323&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-47244986326462275762010-05-09T11:34:00.000-04:002010-05-09T11:34:43.494-04:00Needed Adaptations. St. John's Eve by Nikolai Gogol<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/g/gogol/nikolai/portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/g/gogol/nikolai/portrait.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>I will say that I love Nikolai Gogol's master novel, <i>Dead Souls</i>, as much or more than the next guy. Believe me when I say that it is one of my favorite novels. I have called Gogol the Russian Dickens, which seems fitting since they were breaking conventions of the novel and story-telling in general at the same time in their respective nations. As much as I love <i>Dead Souls</i>, however, I also admit the near impossibility to adapt a novel that was supposed to have three sections and ends abruptly 3/4 of the way through the second part after missing significant portions of text in the second part to begin with. To adapt the novel a filmmaker would have to be brazen enough to write portions of missing text and create an ending...or just give their audience an ending as or more open-ended as the Coen's <i>No Country for Old Men</i>.<br />
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Nikolai Gogol, however, wrote more than just the one master novel. He wrote several plays and a lot of wonderful short stories. The one that sticks out to most literati-types is "The Overcoat," as it may be a truly pivotal point in the history of Russian Literature; however, I think that it would make for an interesting short story, but a lackluster feature. I think that, as his shorts go, that "St. John's Eve" would be a very adaptable piece that would be very entertaining and, if done right, quite horrifying.<br />
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"St. John's Eve" tells the tale of a man who makes a deal with the Devil for fame and all that ensues. The plot is simple and maybe doesn't sound like a lot in synopsis form. But believe me when I say that its the work of a master and if it was ever made into a film, if it was done right it would be a great film. Gogol has other stories that could make great movies, but I'll leave it there for now.<br />
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*Please share insights or suggestions in the comments section. I will be glad to consider them or discuss them with anyone who shares. Book suggestions? Have I missed a film? Please share.*<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wearthmo-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B002YDIUOE&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-79372770589734899692010-05-07T17:34:00.005-04:002010-05-08T14:33:01.453-04:00Needed Adaptations. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky<a href="http://filipspagnoli.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/fyodor-dostoevsky.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://filipspagnoli.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/fyodor-dostoevsky.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 390px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 310px;" /></a>Fyodor Dostoevsky is, possibly, the greatest novelist of all-time. Of course, is contemporary and compatriot, Leo Tolstoy, would give him a good run for his money. And, <i>The Brother's Karamazov</i>, is probably his greatest novel, though <i>The Idiot</i>, <i>Crime and Punishment</i> and <i>The Possessed </i>(oft-called<i> Devils)</i> are also great in their own right. The fact, however, is that there hasn't been a Russian-language adaptation made of the novel, that is readily available here in the United States.<br />
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</div><div>It is a shame that one of the greatest novels of all-time, <a href="http://www.adherents.com/people/100_novel.html">named the fifth greatest novel of all time</a>, doesn't have an adequate film adaptation that was made in its native language that can be accessed world-wide and that holds up to the cinematic standards that the novel has held up to. </div><div><br />
</div><div>In 1967 the Soviet filmmaker, Sergei Bondarchuk, made a six hour epic based on Tolstoy's <i>War and Peace</i> that has held up as one of the crowning achievements of the Soviet film industry as well as one of the most faithful adaptations ever put on celluloid, because that's what films were put on back then.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>*The above post is the first in a series that is still in development. I don't know how many novels will be named, and I don't know how it will go. I would appreciate input from anyone who is willing to offer it on novels they would like to see, films I may've missed based on these novels and whether you even agree with what I'm putting on the list. Enjoy.</div>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-41608256464895632232010-05-01T07:51:00.002-04:002010-05-01T07:54:23.044-04:00Here it is.I have been trudging my way through James Joyce's <i>Ulysses</i> for, about, the last two weeks. So, with that beast of a novel and the beginning of baseball season it has been hard for me to get to any quality movie time. I finished ripping the Bergman pictures yesterday before returning to Indiana for graduation of my Alma Mater. I should be back to giving <i>real</i> posts in the near future instead of life updates and excuses for not giving any meat.Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-34669678592158542942010-04-20T23:36:00.002-04:002010-04-20T23:48:56.264-04:00Someone's gotta do it...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sisterrose.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/scorsesemartin.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 621px;" src="http://sisterrose.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/scorsesemartin.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Moving your stuff from one computer to another is always a daunting task; however, when you move things from a PC to a Mac things become increasingly difficult...especially when external hard-drives are involved. A couple of summers ago I went out and got myself a nice Terabyte hard-drive to put all of my movies on. For the record that was painstaking enough. However, when I switched computers files and folders were lost along the way, and at some point I deleted my entire Martin Scorsese catalogue.<div><br /></div><div>This may not seem like much of a big deal; however, that is over 20 films, most of which come in over 2 hours, and several come close to 3 hours to rip onto the new computer to place back onto the hard-drive. But then, I discover that the program I use to rip my movies onto my Mac results in a much higher quality digital copy than did the old program. So, now I am currently re-ripping everything, or nearly everything I own. I suppose that's what happens when A) Better Quality B) Cinephilia and C) Lots of time combine to create a perfect storm.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, after several days off the "Favorite Films" series, I have decided that I do not know enough about 1930s cinema to continue the series as it was being run. So, as for now I don't know what to tell you to expect over the next few weeks, maybe I'll start posting some reviews here again (that's a novel idea). So, maybe we can start getting some quality reviews up again instead of little 150-300 word blurbs that one can find on imdb. </div>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-2447425532844735622010-04-16T15:09:00.003-04:002010-04-16T15:33:06.420-04:00Favorite Films: The 1940's<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/blog/casablanca.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 394px; height: 311px;" src="http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/blog/casablanca.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Casablanca (1942) Michael Curtiz - Let the record show that choosing a "number one" film for the 1940s was the hardest of the decades yet because there were two films that easily could have been chosen. But, when all was said and done, how could I go against Humphrey and Ingrid? Is there really any doubt that this film about two war-torn lovers who meet in Paris and meet again in Casablanca is the most romantic film ever. At least the most romantic ever made about World War II. The film was adapted from a little-known stage play and was originally supposed to be another cheaply made mass produced picture by Warner Bros. Studio and star future president Ronald Reagan. As luck would have it, however, Bogart ended up taking the lead role in the film sharing the headline with Swedish beauty, Ingrid Bergman. The film would go on to win three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay, and in 2006 the Writers Guild of America named it the greatest screenplay ever written, and the American Film Institute has it currently ranked as the 3rd greatest American film ever made. I have my doubts its because the scenario is truly relatable for a large majority of people, but I also have my suspicions that most people have experienced love-lost or had a "We'll always have Paris"-type moment in their personal story. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman would both star in several of the pictures to be listed below, but in 1942, they captured the hearts of thousands when they starred together for the only time in both of their outstanding careers.<div><br /></div><div>The Rest:</div><div><br /></div><div>Citizen Kane (1941) Orson Welles</div><div>Detour (1945) Edgar G. Ulmer</div><div>Double Indemnity (1944) Billy Wilder</div><div>Its a Wonderful Life (1946) Frank Capra</div><div>The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger</div><div>The Maltese Falcon (1941) John Huston</div><div>Notorious (1946) Alfred Hitchcock</div><div>Spellbound (1945) Alfred Hitchcock</div><div>The Thief of Bagdad (1940) Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger</div><div>The Third Man (1949) Carol Reed</div><div><br /></div><div>Honorable Mentions: The Best Years of Our Lives, The Grapes of Wrath, The Red Shoes, Treasure of Sierra Madre.</div><div><br /></div>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-81872872903129336482010-04-15T17:15:00.002-04:002010-04-15T17:42:22.796-04:00Favorite Films: The 1950's<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/medias/00/18/98/001898_ph2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 637px; height: 433px;" src="http://img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/medias/00/18/98/001898_ph2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rear Window (1954) Alfred Hitchcock - Jimmy Stewart may be the most lovable leading man in the history of Hollywood. Alfred Hitchcock may be the greatest suspense director in the history of cinema. The two teamed up several times and made several great films. But 1954's <i>Rear Window</i> is the mother of them all. The film takes place, almost exclusively, in one room and from one vantage point. This can be maddening, and I have a nagging suspicion that that is the point. Why should we as the audience get any better view than the leading man? After all, it is his story, and it is his camera lens that we're seeing the picture through. Hitchcock once said that it is the director's job to "play the audience like a piano," and there is not a better example of his doing so than in <i>Rear Window</i>. Many say that <i>Vertigo</i> is the master's opus and some may add <i>Psycho</i>, It seems to me, however, that this gem is his most overlooked, with the possible exception of one a little further down the list.<div><br /></div><div>The Rest:</div><div><br /></div><div>12 Angry Men (1957) Sidney Lumet</div><div>400 Blows (1959) <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:webdings;">François Truffaut</span></span></div><div>Beat the Devil (1953) John Huston</div><div>Dial M for Murder (1954) Alfred Hitchcock</div><div>Rashomon (1950) Akira Kurosawa</div><div>Seven Samurai (1954) Akira Kurosawa</div><div>Seventh Seal (1957) Ingmar Bergman</div><div>Strangers on a Train (1951) Alfred Hitchcock</div><div>Sunset Blvd. (1950) Billy Wilder</div><div>Wild Strawberries (1957) Ingmar Bergman</div><div><br /></div><div>Honorable Mention: Bob Le Flambeau, Elevator to the Gallows, I Confess, Ikiru, North by Northwest, On the Waterfront, Rebel Without a Cause, The River, Smiles of a Summer Night, Vertigo</div>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-62987192199284493402010-04-14T21:43:00.003-04:002010-04-15T08:57:19.949-04:00Favorite Films: The 1960's<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://billsmovieemporium.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/drstrange.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://billsmovieemporium.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/drstrange.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) Stanley Kubrick - Let it be known that Stanley Kubrick is one of the greatest filmmakers ever. Period. Even those who do not enjoy his pictures can recognize the skill and care of the craft. Kubrick was nothing if he weren't a technical master. That said, this is his masterpiece. <i>Dr. Strangelove</i>, is quite possibly the funniest film ever made. If it is not, I'd be hard pressed to think of any better. But This film is more than hysterical, it is also incredibly smart and nearly perfectly crafted. The film is a satire of the Nuclear threat that was on constant red alert in the United States and in the Soviet Union. At the center of this "hot line suspense comedy" is a triad of performances by the vastly under appreciated, Peter Sellers. His portrayal of the US President was so funny and irreverent that the film was due to come out in November 1963, but after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Kubrick decided that it wouldn't be appropriate for release and personally held it back until February 1964. Which is the kind of man and filmmaker Kubrick was, as we was quoted as saying, "One man writes a novel. One man composes a symphony. It is necessary for one man to make a film."<div><br /></div><div>The Rest:</div><div><br /></div><div>2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Stanley Kubrick</div><div>Bonnie and Clyde (1967) Arthur Penn</div><div>The Faith Trilogy (1961-63) Ingmar Bergman</div><div>The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966) Sergio Leone</div><div>The Graduate (1967) Mike Nichols</div><div>A Hard Days Night (1964) Richard Lesster</div><div>Persona (1966) Ingmar Bergman</div><div>Psycho (1960) Alfred Hitchcock</div><div>The Virgin Spring (1960) Ingmar Bergman</div><div>Who's That Knocking At My Door (1968) Martin Scorsese</div><div><br /></div><div>*Apologies to 8 1/2, Battle of Algiers, Breathless, Jules and Jim, Band of Outsiders, La Dolce Vita and Ivan's Childhood for forgetting you on this list. Probably only 2 of you had a real chance of getting on anyway. Consider this an Honorable Mention for the French New Wave and Italian Neo-Realists.</div>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-56650708502826898362010-04-13T19:51:00.003-04:002010-04-15T09:00:57.601-04:00Favorite Films: The 1970's<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://moogirl22.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/the-godfather.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 520px; height: 416px;" src="http://moogirl22.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/the-godfather.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The Godfather pts I & II (1972/1974) Francis Ford Coppola - This may seem like, and may be a cop out. But I don't care. The fact of the matter is that these two films are one story, follow one arc, are perfect and belong to the greatest decade in the history of cinema, and as it is the greatest decade in the history of cinema it deserves to have double the pictures (totaling nearly 6 1/2 hours) than the other decades have had. As I have already stated, these two films are completely perfect. There is little that I can say that can add to the endless literature on these two pictures, the arc of a man's life from young idealist that wants nothing to do with the "family business" to running it. Al Pacino delivers two of the great performances of his career, if not of all time as Michael Corleone and Marlon Brando and Robert de Niro both give knock out performances as Michael's father, Vito 'Don' Corleone. The constant tragedy that envelopes this family are incredible, the way that they're able to wade through it and get passed it...or become it. However, despite both of these films being as great as they are, there is one scene that goes beyond the point of perfection at the end of the first film wherein Coppola shows the baptism of a child and the end of a bloody gang war, and the juxtaposition of the scene may be the greatest scene I have ever seen on celluloid.<div><br /></div><div>The Rest:</div><div><br /></div><div>3 Women (1977) Robert Altman</div><div>Cries and Whispers (1973) Ingmar Bergman</div><div>Jaws (1975) Steven Spielberg</div><div>McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) Robert Altman</div><div>Nashville (1975) Robert Altman</div><div>Network (1976) Sidney Lumet</div><div>One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) Milos Foreman</div><div>Scenes From a Marriage (1974) Ingmar Bergman</div><div>Stroszek (1978) Werner Herzog</div><div>Taxi Driver (1976) Martin Scorsese</div><div><br /></div><div>And here's where my self-imposed cutoff is killing me. But I will resist naming any other films from the 1970s.</div><div><br /></div><div>Honorable Mentions: Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Agguire: The Wrath of God, Annie Hall, Autumn Sonata, Chinatown, Dog Day Afternoon, Five Easy Pieces, Manhattan, M*A*S*H, Mean Streets</div>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-62808845746282124722010-04-12T07:02:00.002-04:002010-04-12T07:25:05.524-04:00Favorite Films: The 1980's<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/Images/f_fanny_alexander.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px; height: 389px;" src="http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/Images/f_fanny_alexander.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>1. Fanny and Alexander (1982) Ingmar Bergman - Ingmar Bergman is one of my favorite filmmakers to ever take a breathe of air. His films are stark, spiritual, searching, existential, human. From the 1950s through <i>Fanny and Alexander</i>, his last film, until his real last film, <i>Saraband</i>, in 2003, Bergman represented all that was beautiful and difficult in world cinema. It was Bergman in <i>The Seventh Seal</i> that gave us the iconic image of death playing a game of chess for a young knight's life after the crusades, during the plague years in Europe. It is, however, this film, <i>Fanny and Alexander</i>, that is his magnum opus. The film combines the best attributes of his humanist pictures of the 70s and his spiritual/existential pictures of the 50s and 60s. It is a gigantic film that clocks in at either 3 hours or 5 hours, depending on the version of the film you watch; the three hour version plays very fast for a film that length, the five hour version fills in the blanks and takes a little more time (obviously) but if one has the allotted time, it is a beautiful film, and was Bergman's preferred version. Ingmar Bergman died in July, 2006, and left behind him an extensive, prolific, but masterful catalogue of films that have been loved and devoured by cinephiles throughout the world for decades, and will continue to be among the names at the top of the auteurs list forever.<div><br /></div><div>The Rest:</div><div><br /></div><div>After Hours (1985) Martin Scorsese</div><div>Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) Woody Allen</div><div>Do the Right Thing (1989) Spike Lee</div><div>Fitzcarraldo (1982) Werner Herzog</div><div>Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) Woody Allen</div><div>Raging Bull (1980) Martin Scorsese</div><div>Raiders of the Lost Ark (1982) Steven Spielberg</div><div>Ran (1985) Akira Kurosawa</div><div>Secret Honor (1984) Robert Altman</div><div>Wings of Desire (1988) Wim Wenders</div>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-18961035763368744992010-04-11T18:07:00.004-04:002010-04-12T08:57:30.558-04:00Favorite Films: The 1990's<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://billsmovieemporium.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/shawshank_l.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://billsmovieemporium.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/shawshank_l.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>This following group of posts will not be as extensive in categories, or analysis as the Decade in Review post was for 2000-2009; it will however give a breakdown of some of my favorite films of the decade between 1990-1999. Contrary to the previous post, I will limit these posts to 10 films per decade, I will not try to limit it to the five or six I had previously said. I will, however, try to give one favorite film with some analysis followed by nine to ten other films in alphabetical order.<div><br /></div><div>1. Shawshank Redemption (1994) Frank Darabont - In 1994 a young filmmaker took two of the great American actors to an out-of-commision prison in Mansfield, Ohio with a script based off of an uncharacteristic novella by the king of horror, Stephen King. The novella was "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption." The story follows a man convicted with the murder of his wife and how he stays positive through the crucible and brings life back to the institutionalized men. The film condenses some of the novella's characters, specifically, the warden, who remains the same man throughout the film and is three men in the novella. The protagonist is played by an inspired Tim Robbins fresh off of two brilliant collaborations with American master, Robert Altman, and a successful political satire of his own, <i>Bob Roberts</i>. Robbins is perfect through the film, but the heart of the film comes from Morgan Freeman, the man Pauline Kael said was the greatest working American actor: after his first picture. The films tells a story of unlikely friendship through trying circumstances and 20 years of rejections, new friends, and old friends dying off. Darabont's film is a beautiful film that captures the best of friendship in the worst of circumstances.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Rest:</div><div><br /></div><div>Being John Malkavich (1999) Spike Jonze</div><div>Bringing Out the Dead (1999) Martin Scorsese</div><div>Fargo (1996) Joel Coen</div><div>Goodfellas (1990) Martin Scorsese</div><div>L. A. Confidential (1997) Curtis Hanson</div><div>Magnolia (1999) Paul Thomas Anderson</div><div>The Player (1992) Robert Altman</div><div>Pulp Fiction (1994) Quentin Tarantino</div><div>Saving Private Ryan (1998) Steven Spielberg</div><div>Three Colors Trilogy (1993-94) Krzysztof Kieslowski<br /><br /></div>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-2010012677684488102010-04-06T12:01:00.003-04:002010-04-06T18:19:46.705-04:00A Decade in Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/Hellivision/pans_labyrinth4.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 450px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/Hellivision/pans_labyrinth4.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div>I did make a Best of the Decade list which I will post here. I will also be unveiling a new style list that I was just introduced to where I will give a favorite film of each decade, and then I will give a few (up to five) honorable mentions (in alphabetical order) for that decade. This is in order to forego a traditional top whatever movie list which forces me to say "this is my 3rd favorite movie of all time." That will be posted within the next few days, but here are the Top 10 of 2000-2009 in a semi-organized fashion.</div><div><br /></div><div>10. Up in the Air (2009) by Jason Reitman - Reitman made three films in the latter half of the last decade that were all great films in one way or another, <i>Thank You for Smoking</i> made a contemptible man into a lovable protagonist, <i>Juno</i> showed the hardships of being a 16 year, especially one who becomes unexpectedly pregnant, but his latest film was the one that was completely relevant, and pulled out the tough stops to say something important. <i>Up in the Air</i> is a romantic comedy that refuses to play by any preset standards, shows the American dream at its worst, is driven by a great screenplay with powerhouse performances by its three principles, including the best performance of George Clooney's already stellar resume.</div><div><br /></div><div>9. There Will be Blood (2007) Paul Thomas Anderson - Along with Reitman, Anderson is a young auteur that will be making powerful and relevant films for years to come. His fifth feature breaks down the standard dichotomy that has faced America since its inception: Faith versus Greed. How much is too much? How far is too far? Daniel Day-Lewis plays Daniel Plainview in this throw back to a 1970s style Western and is the supernatural force behind this powerhouse film that toes the fine line between melodrama and hysteria, but toes it with dignity and class and never misses a step.</div><div><br /></div><div>8. The Departed (2006) Martin Scorsese - The last decade was a good one for my favorite director. While he didn't have an all-time great, such as <i>Goodfellas, Raging Bull </i>or <i>Taxi Driver</i> he had three films that were very good, and capped it in 2006 with this great film that, perhaps, just missed the pantheon, but did finally win him his long overdue Oscar. The film's plot is Shakespearean and takes its viewers on a twisting turning ride through Boston's Irish underworld. With a great ensemble cast, Scorsese makes his return to the streets a big one in this Crime Thriller that is bound to be a classic.</div><div><br /></div><div>7. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) Andrew Dominik - 2007 brought back the Western in a big way. A genre that I thought was officially dead when Clint Eastwood made the beautiful<i> Unforgiven</i> 15 years earlier in 1992. But not everything is officially dead after their soliloquy is written, and if one doesn't count a film I have further up the list as a Western, <i>The Assassination of Jesse James</i> is the best Western made since '92. Photographed by the oft-underappreciated Roger Deakins, the film is beautiful to look at from start to finish, and as some critics pointed out the title allows us to not worry about the ending of the film and just see how it all unfolds. Maybe this soliloquy is the true swan song, but something tells me the Western will never actually die in American cinema, its too important to our nation's mythos.</div><div><br /></div><div>6. Adaptation (2002) Spike Jonze - In 1999 the world was introduced to a young screenwriter and a young director and the world of cinema would never be the same. The film, <i>Being John Malkavich</i>, the screenwriter: Charlie Kaufman, the director: Spike Jonze. In 2002 the two men joined forces once again to create another gem, <i>Adaptation</i>. The film follows Charlie and his fictional twin Donald as they try to adapt <i>The Orchid Thief</i> into a screenplay. The twins are played by Nicolas Cage, in his best performance since <i>Leaving Los Vegas</i> in an implosive performance that rivals Day-Lewis in <i>There Will be Blood</i> and Sean Penn in <i>Mystic River</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>5. Munich (2005) Steven Spielberg - Some films are important because of artistry, some because of message, some just are, and some have all three. In 1972 the Israeli Olympic team suffered a terrorist attack by a group of Palestinian nationalists called Black September, Mossad retaliated by sending a secret team of intelligence experts out to dispatch of these men. Spielberg's 2005 masterpiece follows the retaliation in a thriller for the ages, but when he leaves us with the last shot of the picture, we get it. This is one of those films that is important for its artistry, its message and for various inexplicable but noticeable reasons.</div><div><br /></div><div>4. Synecdoche, New York (2008) Charlie Kaufman - Here's that name again. Charlie Kaufman made the list for his directorial debut by being the king of a fairly weak year. As I stated in a post just a few days ago, this may be the most profound film that I have ever seen, as a screenplay its perfect, the <i>Magnum Opus</i> of Hollywood's best writer. As an acting piece it is top notch, from a spiritual and philosophical level it is near the peak. Philip Seymour Hoffman is pathetic as Caden and we cannot help but see ourselves at our worst in him. He just wants to be remembered. Well, he will be, and so will this film.</div><div><br /></div><div>3. Mystic River (2003) Clint Eastwood - If someone were to tell Dirty Harry that he was going to have a second career even better than his first, but it wouldn't be for being rough and tumbled but a true artist, they should be found and put on a mantle. By 2003, Clint Eastwood had already won two Oscars for <i>Unforgiven</i>, but then it turned out, it was no fluke and 2003's <i>Mystic River</i> marked the beginning of what has to be an unparalleled string of pearls for a director in his 70s making seven films in seven years all of which have been lauded in most film circles. Sean Penn gives one of the best performances of the decade and is flanked by one of the best ensembles of the decade.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. No Country for Old Men (2007) Joel and Ethan Coen - These brothers have made a career of making films that eat at their audience from start to finish. This is their masterpiece. This is the best film of the best year of the decade. A cat-and-mouse thriller that pits an everyman against a man that could be the Grim Reaper himself, though I doubt it. Maybe Death's first general though. Playing the best villain since Hannibal Lector, Javier Bardem steals the show as Anton Chigurh a sadistic and mysterious man that seems to have no stakes in his business other than the love of seeing other people loose his game.</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Pan's Labyrinth (2006) Guillermo del Toro - Once ever 15 - 20 years an explosion of talent enters Hollywood from a foreign language market. In the 50s and 60s it was a massive European explosion with the French New Wave, the Italian Neo-realists and Ingmar Bergman from Sweden. This is probably the longest stretch of American love for foreign cinema ever as it stretched into the 70s and early 80s as Bergman pumped out masterpiece after masterpiece. In the early parts of the last decades there was some smoke coming out of Mexico, but in 2006 the fires erupted as the top three directors from Mexico (lovingly dubbed the Three Amigos as they are friends and business partners) as del Toro, Cuaron and Inarritu all pumped out critically acclaimed films. <i>Pan's Labyrinth</i> was the best of them, also the only one made strictly in Spanish. The story has been called a Fairy Tale for adults and must be seen to be appreciated, as a plot description would not suffice.</div><div><br /></div><div>Honorable Mentions - <i>Lost in Translation</i> (2003) Sofia Coppla, <i>Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</i> (2004) Michel Gondry, <i>Juno</i> (2007) Jason Reitman, <i>Million Dollar Baby</i> (2004) Clint Eastwood, <i>Lord of the Rings </i>(2001-03) Peter Jackson, <i>Iwo Jima Saga</i> (2006) Clint Eastwood</div><div><br /></div><div>Best Year - 2007</div><div>Screenwriter of the Decade - Charlie Kaufman</div><div>Director of the Decade - Clint Eastwood</div><div>New Artist - Jason Reitman</div><div>Actor (not performance) - Sean Penn</div><div>Actress - Kate Winslet</div><div>Lead Male Performance - Daniel Day-Lewis (<i>There Will be Blood</i>) Sean Penn (<i>Mystic River</i>) tie</div><div>Lead Female Performance - Kate Winslet (<i>Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</i>)</div><div>Supporting Performances - Javier Bardem (<i>No Country for Old Men</i>) Naomi Watts (<i>21 Grams</i>)</div><div>Original Screenplay - <i>Synecdoche, New York</i> - Charlie Kaufman<i>; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</i> - Charlie Kaufman<i>; Pan's Labyrinth</i> - Guillermo del Toro</div><div>Adapted Screenplay - <i>No Country for Old Men </i>- Joel and Ethan Coen<i>; Adaptation</i> - Charlie Kaufman<i>; Up in the Air</i> - Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner</div>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755380292989019165.post-51981963614538063982010-04-01T10:07:00.002-04:002010-04-01T10:16:31.604-04:00Mulholland Drive (2001) by David Lynch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ghostinthemachine.net/mulhollanddrive.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 450px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.ghostinthemachine.net/mulhollanddrive.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>David Lynch's dark, experimental film noir, <i>Mulholland Drive</i>, is a mind screw of the highest quality. The film has several explanations, the question, however, is whether trying to explain this film is even necessary. I, for one, don't believe it is.<div><br /></div><div><i>Mulholland Drive</i> is a dark, sexy and thrilling film that keeps you wondering what the mystery is from start to finish and leaves you wondering if there is even an explanation to be had once it is over. Watch it.</div>Aaron Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10280415012998717736noreply@blogger.com0