My "Reel" Adventure

Titanic (#83)

2008-02-10T10:24:00.000-05:00

Titanic-

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater, Billy Zane as Cal Hockley,
Released: 1997
Director: James Caneron
Netflix rating: 3.7 stars, my rating: 3.5 stars
Favorite quote(s): Jack: Where to, Miss? Rose: To the stars.

This movie is incredibly long. It took me 3 nights to watch it. Of course I was really tired all three of those nights. What I like about this movie I think far outways the things that I don't like.

I like that James Camerson did A LOT of research and pre-production work prior to filming.
I like that James Cameron is a real artist- he drew all the sketches in Jack's book as well as the pic of Rose.
I like that Camerson tried to get actors that looked like the real people to portray the real characters.
I like that he forfeited his own salary for this movie to get made because it went so far over budget.
I like that some of the scene's are replicas of the movie "A Night to Remember" about the sinking of the Titanic.
I also like that a lot of the lines in the movie were ad libbed. (I think that makes a movie more real- not that you know until you read that they were ad libbed- but you get the point- I like it).
I just read too that there really was a J. Dawson on board Titanic. He was Irish and went down with the ship.

What didn't I like- not a whole lot really, but it is a little too cheesy in some parts. It is a love story after all. The thing is- I am sure that something like this or similiar to it COULD have happened on the Titanic or another ship- so I think that it is based in reality.

The story of Titanic is so tragic that watching a movie about it almost seems morbid. Thinking about all those people that lost their lives on the "Unsinkable Ship" breaks my heart. And the absolute horror of watching the ship go down, either being in one of the resue boats, on the ship or already in the freezing water makes me crazy. This is a good movie and the soundtrack is good, and I think you should watch it DAD!!

Rocky (#57)

2008-02-06T20:08:00.000-05:00

Rocky---

Starring: Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, Talia Shire as Adrian Pennino, Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed, Burgess Meredith as Mickey

Released: 1976

Director:John Avildsen

Netflix rating: 3.8 stars, my rating: 4.5 stars

Favortie quote(s): (only because this is how I feel)

Paulie: [about Adrian] She's pushing thirty freaking years old, and if she don't wise up, she's gonna die an old maid.

Rocky: I'm thirty myself!

How do I comment on a movie like Rocky? If you haven't seen this one, you should be shot! This is one of the most amazing movies I have ever seen. No joke! There are so many awesome things about this movie that make me smile. Sly Stallone wrote this movie...he also directed the next 5 in the series. He directed the boxing choreography as well. Um, hello? Did I know that Sly Stone was so talented, NO! But he really is! The fact that there are 5 additional movies in the series , and he wrote them all, directed 5 out of 6, and choreographed all of the them iscertainly enough to say that this was and remains a great movie series. The first is always the best, and this simply proves my point. Also...Sly Stallone was the third person ever nominated for Oscar's in both best actor and best writer categories in the same year, following Charlie Chaplain (The Great Dictator) and Orson Welles (Citizen Kane). That's pretty amazing! Ok Ok Ok--so SLy has also been nominated and won some of the most Razzie Awards that I have ever seen too! Oh well, this was all after Rocky! :)

The characters are well developed, and well played. Mickey, Adian and Pauly are amazing! They ARE the characters that they portray. And of course, Apollo Creed! (Carl Weathers!- this is a joke- shouted at the top of our lungs-with a few friends at the local pubs!) The actors play them through 5 more movies. ( Well, Mickey dies in # 2 and Creed dies in #4-if I remember correctly, but you know what I mean.)

This should be higher on the AFI list if you ask me!

Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (#34), The Searchers (#12) and Blade Runner(#97)

2008-02-04T08:27:00.000-05:00

Well, this weekend was an interesting movie weekend. In lue of the SuperBowl I spent my Sunday watching movies and cleaning. It was a great day with a few disappointments. Here's the Good, the Bad and the Ugly:

The good....
Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs:
Starring: all uncredited voices
Released: 1938
Genre: animated

Director: Disney
Netflix rating: 3.9 stars, my rating: at least 5
Favorite quote(s):
Snow White: I'm awfully sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. But you don't know what I've been through. And all because I was afraid. I'm so ashamed of the fuss I made. ( This is just an example of the clever rhyming really...)

Here's a film that will always get 5 stars from me. It is timeless. I did not know that it was the first animated feature length film from Disney. As I watched it, I remembered all the songs and yes, I sang along. "Somday my Prince will Come" has been my theme song for a while now. When I tried to see who the characters were voiced by, all were uncredited, however that info. is available on imdb.com- a movie lovers heaven. I was impressed with the animation too. Some of the smallest details were drawn with care. And this was made in the 1930's- seriously?- that was a long time ago. Animation has certainly come a long way, but imagine people's reaction when they saw this in the theatre. Amazing. Disney was a genius.

The bad...
The Searchers:
Starring: John Wayne as Ethan Edwards, Jefferey Hunter as Martin Pawley and Natalie Wood as the older Debbie.
Released: 1956
Genre: Western
Director: John Ford
Netflix Rating: 4 stars, my rating: 3.5
Favorite Quote(s): Reverend Clayton: You wanna quit, Ethan? Ethan: That'll be the day.

I guess it wasn't so bad after all. Again, I will admit right up front that I do not like Westerns as a general rule. They bore me. I really don't like John Wayne- I think he was rediculous. However, this is one of my father's favorite movies and I can sort of see why. Despite being very derrogatory to the Natives of this country, cinematography is pretty amazing. It is an interesting story and I did have a few tears watching it. I wasn't bored with it, and I liked the ending. I do have some questions that remain that were not answered in the film however. For example, was Martha Edwards in love with her brother in law, Ethan. There is a scene where he is about to leave again after a long absence and she gets his coat. She smells it and is observed by the reverend. When she gives it to Ethan, he kisses her forehead. She is killed by the next scene so it is never explored. It just made this film seem like a sequel. I guess John Wayne and John Ford had a special bond. This was their 12 film together. Not sure if there are any others on this list, cause I won't watch them unless they are.

And the ugly...
Blade Runner:
Starring: Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard, Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty, Sean Young as Rachel
Relased: 1982
Genre: Sci-Fi
Director: Ridley Scott
Netflix Rating:3.5 stars, My rating: 2 stars
Favorite quote(s): Only one for this one...
Batty: I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.

Well- this is too funny to me. When I told my friend Jason about watching this movie he thought it was great. He loved this movie. I really don't see the attraction. Now mind you, I like your average sci-fi film- but this was a little too weird for me. I am also a big Harrison Ford fan, just not in this movie. Don't waste your time on this one folks. I won't do it again.

I'm a little 'movied' out for right now....but I am sure that when I get home tonight there will be another one waiting for me. Can I really watch all 100? What do you think?

Vertigo- # 9

2008-01-31T13:09:00.000-05:00

Starring: James Stewart as Scottie, Kim Novak as Madeline

Released: 1958

Genre: Film Noire/Thriller

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Netflix rating: 5 out of 5 stars, my rating: 3- 1/2 out of 5 stars

Favorite quote: Midge: You want to know something? I don't think Mozart's going to help at all.

This is an old movie. I like it, as I have liked most Hitchcock films- not because they are the easiest to watch mind you, but because of the way the stories they tell. And the fact that they always have some sort of twists and/or turns that keep you watching. Hitchcock is known for his filming techniques- which I don't know a whole lot about- so I don't really have a comment on that. Although he does some interesting stuff with color when Scottie is having a mental breakdown. I do know is that this film is interesting in it's ability to keep me guessing at what is going on. Kim Novak is phenomenal at playing the part of the possessed woman. She gets this blank stare in her eyes and looks through everything. James Stewart is his typical charachter- I love it, but he is the same guy in every film that I have seen, I am hoping to find a different charachter in some of the ones I haven't seen yet. Sometimes it gets jumpy- but you catch up in the end.

I think Barbara Bel Geddes has all the funniest lines in the movie- she plays Scottie's friend, Midge. There is another great line about a bra that is hanging in her work space... She tells Scottie that he should know about those things, being a big boy and all. It's funny. Cracks me up! Let me know what you think if you have seen it, or watch it anytime soon.

Silence of the Lambs- #74

2008-01-30T13:03:00.000-05:00

First and foremost- a big giant thank you to Kelly- she helped me come up with a "punny" name for my new blog. It may change down the line- but it's a good start!

Last night I got home and dilly-dallied around for a while, then decided to watch a movie. I have decided to watch the movies in a no-particular-order manner.

I started with The Silence of the Lambs.

Starring: Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling and Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter

Released: 1991 by Orion

Genre: Crime/Thriller

Director: Jonathon Demme

Netflix rating: 4 out of 5 stars, my rating: same

Favorite quotes:

***Hannibal Lecter: A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

***Hannibal Lecter: Why do you think he removes their skins, Agent Starling?

Hannibal Lecter: Enthrall me with your acumen.

Clarice Starling: It excites him. Most serial killers keep some sort of trophies from their victims.

Hannibal Lecter: I didn't.

Clarice Starling: No. No, you ate yours.

I really like this movie. It's quite scary. I hadn't seen it in a long time. The scariest scene in the whole movie was when they were taking Lecter to see the mother of the latest victim. A plastic mask covering his mouth and nose is placed on his face and he is thoroughly strapped to a dolly. It is the most resonating scene in the movie for me. Simply creepy! What kills me is watching Anthony Hopkins play a character like Lecter. He talks in such a manner that from the very beginning is eerie and continues to prove so throughout the movie. I think it's the cadence of his speech. It's pretty creepy if you ask me. I also found myself almost routing for Lecter. I know that he is a monstrous villain- yet I couldn't help but like him and his overwhelming intelligence. He is rather clever, isn't he?

1 down, 99 to go!

New goal

2008-01-29T11:21:00.000-05:00

I have been inspired! It doesn't really take that much...My blog is going to take on a new life for a while....a revived one at that- sorry it's been so long. So here's the story morning glory:

I was reading a magazine that Becky left behind...It was the January edition of Elle Magazine...usually just fashion and girly stuff. This issue however had an interesting article. It was about 8 people that took on a New Year's task for 30 days. One person worked for on improving her memory, one worked on eating right, one worked on reading poetry and liking it. The one that inspired me was the person wthat gave up TV to watch as many of the AFI's 100 greatest movies. This is where the idea came in: I don't really watch TV as it is, so that's the easy part. But, I want to watch ALL 100 movies that the AFI has deemed to be the greatest movies of all time. I just looked them up on-line and printed off the list. I have gone to Netflix and loaded my queue with a good majority of them and will set off on my journey as soon as the first one arrives. Actually I think that I own a few of them, and will watch one tonight. I plan on turning my boring (you can agree with that, it's okay) and practically non-existent blog into a movie review forum. Ok- that's a little too "Ebert and Roper" or whoever- but you get the idea....movies will be my life and that of my blog from now on....100 movies, 100 reviews and other quippy things....I'm sure you will all be waiting with bated breath....I know I am.....

So the question I pose to all of you is.... What should the new and improved title of this bolg be....I have already changed the tag line....but the title is eluding me. Help me out with some suggestions, if you would. Also, should I start with#100 and go up the list or should I start at #1 and go down the list??