Welcome to the 271st Edition of my long running series. I have hated
the weather over the week but one day it will be warm again. This week I
pay tribute to the late director Peter Yates who recently left us. At
this point in football I don't really have a favorite but would like to
see one of the two games go into overtime. I don't really have much to
say so let's get to this week's 10 recommendations.
G.I. Jane
(1997): I know this one will get some mixed reactions and most know
this one as the one where Demi Moore shaved her head. Ridley Scott
directed this film which stars Demi Moore as the title character named
Jordan O'Neill who is with the Navy but decides she wants to train with
the Navy Seals and is chosen. She must then make it through training in
an absolute man's world. Viggo Mortensen plays the very difficult
drill instructor and looks a lot different than usual with his shorter
hair and mustache. Anne Bancroft plays the senator who is able to get
her chosen but also has her own agenda. I felt that Demi Moore has one
of her better roles here. It gives a pretty good look at training for
the Navy Seals and how not everyone in the Navy can be in it. It may be
considered a feminist film but still a good story line.
Strange
Days (1995): This is the 11th link on the chain and this link goes to
Ralph Fiennes who stars in this futuristic film. Kathryn Bigelow
directs this film which stars Fiennes as former cop turned street
hustler Lenny Nero. He specializes in data-disks that generates
memories for people which is on the black market. He then receives a
disk of a prostitute who has been murdered which he begins to
investigate but he gets deeper into a world of murder. Angela Bassett,
Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, and Glenn Plummer all co-star in this
bleak futuristic film that takes place in 1999 right before the
millennium. James Cameron, who was Bigelow's husband at the time
co-wrote the screenplay. Years later Bigelow's THE HURT LOCKER would
beat Cameron's AVATAR for best picture at the Academy Awards.
The
Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): David Fincher directs this
adaptation of a short story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Brad Pitt
stars as the title character who is born an old man and ages backwards.
Cate Blanchett plays Daisy, his love interest who drift apart but end
up together again throughout the film. However, a relationship is very
complicated when he is getting younger and they have a child. Brad Pitt
was great in his many different ways ages he had to act. This is a
project that many people have considered but never got off the ground
until now and this is the right time and the right version. Julia
Ormand also co-stars as Daisy's grown up daughter who reads her dying
mother her journal entries from Benjamin. This is available on Instant
Netflix.
8 Ball Bunny (1950): This is my animation short of the
week which is from the DVD of last week's feature THE TREASURE OF THE
SIERRA MADRE and even this short makes references to the film with a
Bogart character. Bugs Bunny stars in this one where Bugs finds a
penguin and looks to help the penguin get to his home with much trouble.
This is one of the better Looney Tunes shorts and the second and last
to feature the character of Playboy Penguin.
John and Mary
(1969): This is my tribute to the late Peter Yates who directed this
film. This is an early film with Dustin Hoffman where he stars as the
title character John and Mia Farrow plays Mary. These two characters
meet at a singles bar and end up sleeping together and then spending the
day trying to get to know each other while flashbacks are used on their
previous relationships. This appears to be a movie where people who
lived in this era would appreciate the most. With that being said,
Hoffman and Farrow work very well together as Hoffman is fresh off his
success from THE GRADUATE and Farrow was fresh off her success in
ROSEMARY'S BABY. Quincy Jones writes a good music score as well as an
original song called MAYBE TOMORROW. Listen closely for an uncredited
song called LOST IN SPACE by Jeff Bridges. This is one where you must
become emotionally invested in the characters. This is available on Instant Netflix.
The
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920): This is another one of the dvds my dad
got me this year for Christmas so I bring you another silent film and
this one is from Germany. Werner Krauss plays the title character who
exhibits a somnambulist named Cesare who can apparently predict the
future. He soon predicts the death of another man which becomes true
making him the main suspect. This is a pretty good, early horror film
with a great ending but probably only appreciated if you can watch
silent films.
Despicable Me (2010): I came across this film by chance. I was at the
Muncie Public Library and I learned they were showing it for free so I
decided to go on in there. This is an animated film through
Illumination Entertainment. Steve Carell stars as criminal mastermind
Dr. Gru who, along with his cool minions which may be his answer to
Oompa-Loompas, is planning his biggest heist of all time which is
stealing the moon. He then encounters three orphaned girls and realizes
that he can use them in his scheme. However, he slowly begins to
really like the girls. There are also some very amusing flashbacks
where Gru recalls having a hard time impressing his mother. In Gru's
scheming and his new kids, he must also contend against another younger
criminal who is trying to steal Gru's thunder named Vector. It was
unfortunate that in this decent comedy, it had to go head to head
against TOY STORY 3. This one is a little less dark than the Pixar hit
but both are still quite good and this one should not go overlooked.
Other voices include Julie Andrews, Russell Brand, Jason Segal, Will
Arnett, Kristen Wiig, and many others.
I Want to Live (1958): This one is based on a true story of Barbara
Graham. Susan Hayward plays this person who is a pretty wild woman who
gets arrested a lot. However, she is then accused of murder which she
says she never committed. Graham is then convicted and sentenced to
death and fights to prove her innocence. Hayward was great as Barbara
Graham. This film is based on articles written by investigative
journalist Ed Montgomery. This is a very compelling film and I'm not
going to let know of what happened even if it is a true story so either
check it out or research Barbara Graham.
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963): I guess this could be
considered a comedy epic which was directed by Stanley Kramer. This
movie contains just about every comedic actor from this era and some
that would have been considered legends even then. In the start of the
film where a dying thief who just got out of jail claims to have a
hidden 350,000 dollars. Many are around him and everyone sets out on a
road race to get the money where they try to have an agreement on
splitting it but usually greed gets the best of them. Spencer Tracy
stars as Captain Culpepper who is investigating all the road crimes that
are being investigated but seems to be a bit interested himself.
Mickey Rooney, Milton Berle, Ethel Merman, Buddy Hackett, Sid Caesar,
Terry-Thomas, among many others are involved in this hilarious chase for
the money. Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Jerry Lewis, Buster Keaton and
even the Three Stooges have cameos. I would have liked to see more done
with the stooges as they were firemen but really just appeared in front
of the camera. Jonathan Winters makes his film debut here. When
getting word of Kramer's project, many comedians called volunteering to
make appearances or just asking why they were not contacted. Many
comedians declined to make appearances. This movie had some very funny
moments but not the greatest comedy of all time in my opinion. The
climax was rather violent and even somewhat depressing. This is
probably only going to be appreciated if knowing of the actors in the
film but worth a look if you do know most people in the movie.
The Child (2005): This is my foreign language film for the week which
takes place in France. This was directed by the Dardenne brothers and
stars Jeremie Renier as Bruno who is a petty thief. Deborah Francois
plays Sonia who is Bruno's girlfriend. They are a very immature couple
but have a child. Bruno has a lot of debts so to get money he sells
their baby which causes him to rethink his decision due to Sonia's
reactions. He then sets out to find his baby hoping to redeem himself
for Sonia. The title could be a reference to Bruno who just lacks
responsibility in every way but he brings you in rooting for him when he
realizes his wrongdoing. This is rather bleak but well-shot and good
for anyone who likes foreign films.
Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and what you
dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Willem Dafoe,
Claudette Colbert, Tom Hanks, Albert Finney, Paul Muni, and many
others.
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