It’s always hard to go into a heavily nominated film for me. This won’t surprise you at all if you know me, but I tend to overanalyze things… So, the question with this film for most is, “Did Mickey Rourke get snubbed at the Oscars?” Well, I can’t answer that because I haven’t seen Milk. I think the bigger question should be, “Would this movie’s story propel over the performances?” The answer is… not quite, but The Wrestler is still a powerful independent film that dissects the fear of loneliness and losing what is most important to you. Rourke plays Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a huge 80’s wrestling icon that finally has to face the reality of his age and the fact that he can’t demolish his body in stinky convention centers anymore. Rourke’s performance is pretty amazing as he captures the essence of the toils of life in an almost too frightening way. It’s the type of acting that transcends into normal life. Watching this movie will cause you to start seeing “real” people on the streets and thinking of Randy “The Ram.” Not because they look like former wrestlers, but you start to see and visualize the personalized hell on their faces, and you can’t help but be reminded of this film’s messages. It’s a very grim movie, but it stays with you, and you come to realize that the things you take stock in truly form you into who you are, for better or for worse. Some of the scenes and situations are a little clichéd from time to time, but Rourke’s amazing performance and director Darren Aronofsky’s innovative shooting style makes me give The Wrestler 4 out of 5 hair-metal songs.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Wrestler (2008)
It’s always hard to go into a heavily nominated film for me. This won’t surprise you at all if you know me, but I tend to overanalyze things… So, the question with this film for most is, “Did Mickey Rourke get snubbed at the Oscars?” Well, I can’t answer that because I haven’t seen Milk. I think the bigger question should be, “Would this movie’s story propel over the performances?” The answer is… not quite, but The Wrestler is still a powerful independent film that dissects the fear of loneliness and losing what is most important to you. Rourke plays Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a huge 80’s wrestling icon that finally has to face the reality of his age and the fact that he can’t demolish his body in stinky convention centers anymore. Rourke’s performance is pretty amazing as he captures the essence of the toils of life in an almost too frightening way. It’s the type of acting that transcends into normal life. Watching this movie will cause you to start seeing “real” people on the streets and thinking of Randy “The Ram.” Not because they look like former wrestlers, but you start to see and visualize the personalized hell on their faces, and you can’t help but be reminded of this film’s messages. It’s a very grim movie, but it stays with you, and you come to realize that the things you take stock in truly form you into who you are, for better or for worse. Some of the scenes and situations are a little clichéd from time to time, but Rourke’s amazing performance and director Darren Aronofsky’s innovative shooting style makes me give The Wrestler 4 out of 5 hair-metal songs.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Survivor: Tocantins - Finale
I've been planning a certain something for Coach for a long time now when he got voted out. I thought it was going to be a lot earlier than it was, but all along I was going to write something from his point of view. But, he ended his "reign" in such a ridiculous fashion, I decided to follow suite: So, before I get to the finale, I would like to recite a poem:
My attempts to be a strong warrior and Survivor player,
were challenged even though I tried to avoid Exile island.
I endured criticism from Erinn, Sierra and all the naysayers,
But with unexpected back pain, immunity lost was unplanned,
and the wizard put the final stake into the Dragon Slayer.
(I know it's not the greatest, but give me some credit, ok?!)
The final four, which wasn't a huge surprise was J.T., Stephen, Taj and Erinn. What was the surprise that followed a spider-web challenge built just for J.T., was the outing of Taj. I'm still trying to figure out the reasoning behind this. They said it was because Taj was more of a threat to win individual immunity in the final three than Erinn was and I don't buy that at all. Besides the challenge way back when everybody played water-tackle-basketball, Taj has not been a threat at all. I don't know if Stephen and J.T. were scared that they might not hold up to their promise to be in the final two, which apparently cracked anyway. I think Taj wouldn't have been frustrated at all to be third and she would have probably cast a vote for Stephen. But they pretty much just made their only Jalapao ally very, very angry.
The regret was apparent when the final three returned to camp and Erinn couldn't shut her yapper. Then my pick Stephen decided to start a new gameplan. I think it was called "Self-implode" because from the moment him and Erinn had their little heart to heart, it seemed like Stephen did everything in his power to destroy the great game he had played up to this point. Although I wasn't the biggest fan of Erinn, I definitely knew she was smart enough to weasel herself into the final two.
I liked the final immunity challenge because it was different than the endurance ones we are used to seeing, yet it obviously tested your mental prowess. J.T. proved once again that concentration can get you a long way in winning a challenge and Stephen just let his nerves overtake him. Then after this, the bond that seemed to have no faults in it broke. Erinn made an ingenious move by pleading a brilliant case to J.T. to take her to the final two. Now, I don't blame Stephen AT ALL for talking to Erinn, but when J.T. confronted him on it, all he had to say was, "Yes, I talked to her about that, but I wanted to throw her off our game. I wanted to see if she would approach you about it..." There, all is said and done.
I honestly think J.T. was dead set at that point to bring Erinn to the final two, but his plan changed at tribal council because Stephen began to be more talkative than he ever should have been. He answered Jeff's questions so badly, I think J.T.'s plans changed. He saw a jury that would respect him for bringing the strongest player with him (which means more votes) and he now had a jury that hated Stephen at that moment more than Erinn. I do think friendship played into it as well, don't get me wrong, but J.T. was so good at reading people at this game, and at that moment he saw that Stephen would be more hated in the final two than Erinn, which had not been the case up to that point.
I've never been the biggest fan of the final tribal council. It provides for all sorts of akwardness, which I know is the point, but it usually just ends up being a jury full of resentful players getting their last two cents in and being all coy about who their vote is going to be for. Besides for Sierra who took this route, I thought the jury asked great questions for the most part and they were ones that actually made the other two squirm, well Stephen at least. Like Amanda in China and Fans vs. Favorites, Stephen did an awful job of pleading his case. Stephen did a great job in this game... he strategized well, seemed to play the social game well (until the end), and made very strong allies, but none of this shine through. For a while in my mind I had Stephen over J.T., because it did seem like Stephen made the plans and J.T. went along but diverted if it shone a bad light on him (how brilliant was it not to vote for Coach?). But by the end, I thought nobody was more deserving of winning than J.T. I was surprised that Stephen got absolutely no votes, but that's how bad he did at that last tribal council.
I thought it was great to see a final two that had the two strongest players in it, and to see somebody win that I thought absolutely played a flawless game throughout. J.T. was a provider, everybody loved him (although he played a part in everybody getting voted out), he was awesome in challenges, and he alligned himself with the right people at the right time.
Congratulations to Roger for winning this season! At the beginning, I was certain J.T. was going to make it to at least the jury, but usually somebody who is so strong gets a target on his chest early. J.T. played that Southern charm to perfection and he showed that you can play this game with intensity and strategy, but still have everybody love you at the end. By far, one of the top Survivor players ever. Wow, it sounds like I have a man-crush on him too... Great pick Roger...
We have at least two more seasons of Survivor left... it'll be a long summer, but in the meantime watch So You Think You Can Dance, you won't regret it...
Thanks for reading all my updates this spring and being patient for all my delays. I hope you love reading them as much as I like writing them. Also, I think it's time to reapply again, don't you? As always, I have to leave you with some questions...
Will there ever be a more colorful character than Coach? Did you think Taj deserved to be voted out like that? If Erinn were in the final two, would she had a chance at all of winning? Was Stephen his own worst enemy? And would you agree that J.T. is one of the best Survivor players ever...
Until the fall...
My attempts to be a strong warrior and Survivor player,
were challenged even though I tried to avoid Exile island.
I endured criticism from Erinn, Sierra and all the naysayers,
But with unexpected back pain, immunity lost was unplanned,
and the wizard put the final stake into the Dragon Slayer.
(I know it's not the greatest, but give me some credit, ok?!)
The final four, which wasn't a huge surprise was J.T., Stephen, Taj and Erinn. What was the surprise that followed a spider-web challenge built just for J.T., was the outing of Taj. I'm still trying to figure out the reasoning behind this. They said it was because Taj was more of a threat to win individual immunity in the final three than Erinn was and I don't buy that at all. Besides the challenge way back when everybody played water-tackle-basketball, Taj has not been a threat at all. I don't know if Stephen and J.T. were scared that they might not hold up to their promise to be in the final two, which apparently cracked anyway. I think Taj wouldn't have been frustrated at all to be third and she would have probably cast a vote for Stephen. But they pretty much just made their only Jalapao ally very, very angry.
The regret was apparent when the final three returned to camp and Erinn couldn't shut her yapper. Then my pick Stephen decided to start a new gameplan. I think it was called "Self-implode" because from the moment him and Erinn had their little heart to heart, it seemed like Stephen did everything in his power to destroy the great game he had played up to this point. Although I wasn't the biggest fan of Erinn, I definitely knew she was smart enough to weasel herself into the final two.
I liked the final immunity challenge because it was different than the endurance ones we are used to seeing, yet it obviously tested your mental prowess. J.T. proved once again that concentration can get you a long way in winning a challenge and Stephen just let his nerves overtake him. Then after this, the bond that seemed to have no faults in it broke. Erinn made an ingenious move by pleading a brilliant case to J.T. to take her to the final two. Now, I don't blame Stephen AT ALL for talking to Erinn, but when J.T. confronted him on it, all he had to say was, "Yes, I talked to her about that, but I wanted to throw her off our game. I wanted to see if she would approach you about it..." There, all is said and done.
I honestly think J.T. was dead set at that point to bring Erinn to the final two, but his plan changed at tribal council because Stephen began to be more talkative than he ever should have been. He answered Jeff's questions so badly, I think J.T.'s plans changed. He saw a jury that would respect him for bringing the strongest player with him (which means more votes) and he now had a jury that hated Stephen at that moment more than Erinn. I do think friendship played into it as well, don't get me wrong, but J.T. was so good at reading people at this game, and at that moment he saw that Stephen would be more hated in the final two than Erinn, which had not been the case up to that point.
I've never been the biggest fan of the final tribal council. It provides for all sorts of akwardness, which I know is the point, but it usually just ends up being a jury full of resentful players getting their last two cents in and being all coy about who their vote is going to be for. Besides for Sierra who took this route, I thought the jury asked great questions for the most part and they were ones that actually made the other two squirm, well Stephen at least. Like Amanda in China and Fans vs. Favorites, Stephen did an awful job of pleading his case. Stephen did a great job in this game... he strategized well, seemed to play the social game well (until the end), and made very strong allies, but none of this shine through. For a while in my mind I had Stephen over J.T., because it did seem like Stephen made the plans and J.T. went along but diverted if it shone a bad light on him (how brilliant was it not to vote for Coach?). But by the end, I thought nobody was more deserving of winning than J.T. I was surprised that Stephen got absolutely no votes, but that's how bad he did at that last tribal council.
I thought it was great to see a final two that had the two strongest players in it, and to see somebody win that I thought absolutely played a flawless game throughout. J.T. was a provider, everybody loved him (although he played a part in everybody getting voted out), he was awesome in challenges, and he alligned himself with the right people at the right time.
Congratulations to Roger for winning this season! At the beginning, I was certain J.T. was going to make it to at least the jury, but usually somebody who is so strong gets a target on his chest early. J.T. played that Southern charm to perfection and he showed that you can play this game with intensity and strategy, but still have everybody love you at the end. By far, one of the top Survivor players ever. Wow, it sounds like I have a man-crush on him too... Great pick Roger...
We have at least two more seasons of Survivor left... it'll be a long summer, but in the meantime watch So You Think You Can Dance, you won't regret it...
Thanks for reading all my updates this spring and being patient for all my delays. I hope you love reading them as much as I like writing them. Also, I think it's time to reapply again, don't you? As always, I have to leave you with some questions...
Will there ever be a more colorful character than Coach? Did you think Taj deserved to be voted out like that? If Erinn were in the final two, would she had a chance at all of winning? Was Stephen his own worst enemy? And would you agree that J.T. is one of the best Survivor players ever...
Until the fall...
Thursday, May 21, 2009
#100: Ben-Hur (1959)
*Oscar winner:
Best Actor (Charlton Heston), Best Supporting Actor (Hugh Griffith), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Best Picture, Best Sound *Unequaled until 1997’s Titanic
Ben-Hur is a Biblical epic in which a Jewish prince of Jerusalem, Judea Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), has his whole life turned upside down when his old friend Messala, a high-ranking officer of Rome, throws Ben-Hur into slavery after he is wrongfully accused of trying to murder the Governor of Rome, and for good measure, locks his mother and sister in jail as well. Told alongside Jesus’ ministry on Earth, the film follows Ben-Hur’s incredible journey to find those closest to him and seek revenge on Messala.
It’s a great plot. You can’t help but think of other epic films like Braveheart and Gladiator, but the big thing for me was that it took 3 1/2 hours to tell this story when it could have just as easily been told in 2 1/2 hours or less. It’s hard to adjust to the theatrical acting in the film because it just makes the scenes seem that much longer. But it is amazing to watch just for the set design, and oh yeah, have I mentioned the chariot scene yet? This movie really was truly an amazing feat for something made in 1959. If it was made today, I can imagine all the sets just being computer effects, like 300. Ben-Hur is a movie that has its ups and downs, but like many roller-coaster rides, you are glad that you stepped out and took the ride.
I give Ben-Hur 3.5 out of 5 spiky wheels.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
AFI'S 100 Years... 100 Movies
In the summer of 2007, The American Film Institute updated their list of the 100 Greatest American Movies, which was originally released in the summer of 1997. I'm going to embark on a journey where I watch #100 all the way #1!
“Why do this?” you may ask. Well, when I looked at the updated list, I was kind of surprised to discover that I’ve seen 67 out of the 100 movies throughout my lifetime. That’s really not too bad, but as I examined the list more thoroughly, I found myself blushing as I could not cross off some of the movies. I have seen 9 out of the top 10, but can I really call myself a movie fan if I haven’t seen On The Waterfront, The Sound of Music, or even The Gold Rush?
Even if I have seen the film, it will be good to revisit it because many on the list I saw as a kid (Hitchcock’s Vertigo & North By Northwest) and I can’t remember those all that well. I’m not sure when I’ll get through all of them, but hopefully it’ll make me appreciate film more even though we are constantly bombarded by the summer blockbusters.
Thanks for reading along with this and I hope that if you have the time, you can follow along as well and truly discover the classics of cinema!
Even if I have seen the film, it will be good to revisit it because many on the list I saw as a kid (Hitchcock’s Vertigo & North By Northwest) and I can’t remember those all that well. I’m not sure when I’ll get through all of them, but hopefully it’ll make me appreciate film more even though we are constantly bombarded by the summer blockbusters.
Thanks for reading along with this and I hope that if you have the time, you can follow along as well and truly discover the classics of cinema!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Survivor: Tocantins - Week 11
Whitney and I didn't get a chance to watch this week's episode until last night, so here are some quick thoughts. With the episode tonight and the finale on Sunday, I'll have plenty to write about.
* I don't know why Coach was so upset. He wanted Sierra gone. So funny that a person would actually say out loud, "Cowards. Cowards. Cowards. All of them."
* Debbie showed that you got to play consistent in this game. She was a little too strong with her strategizing too late.
* I want to say that Stephen and J.T. better not get bit by the overconfident bug as well, but they seem to still be making smart moves.
* A little disappointed that the auction reward wasn't longer. Those are always fun to watch.
* If you say that you didn't cry at Taj's reaction to seeing Eddie George, you are lying.
* Coach... you brought your assistant coach, really??? More and more I think that a Survivor factory created this man.
* Stephen finally won a challenge! Also, he guaranteed that it will never be used by giving away how he won it.
* I think it was a brilliant move not to tell Coach about Debbie getting the boot. So, when they come back to camp they'll say it was because she had turned on him and he will forget all.
* I know that it is still Stephen, J.T., Taj and Erinn, but I've never seen a not so solid four go so far. I wouldn't be surprised if Erinn gets voted out next because you just don't have to worry that much about Coach at the end.
* This was another great episode. I'm really liking this season. It has me guessing at tribal council almost every time.
I'll try to write another recap before Sunday... wish me luck!
* I don't know why Coach was so upset. He wanted Sierra gone. So funny that a person would actually say out loud, "Cowards. Cowards. Cowards. All of them."
* Debbie showed that you got to play consistent in this game. She was a little too strong with her strategizing too late.
* I want to say that Stephen and J.T. better not get bit by the overconfident bug as well, but they seem to still be making smart moves.
* A little disappointed that the auction reward wasn't longer. Those are always fun to watch.
* If you say that you didn't cry at Taj's reaction to seeing Eddie George, you are lying.
* Coach... you brought your assistant coach, really??? More and more I think that a Survivor factory created this man.
* Stephen finally won a challenge! Also, he guaranteed that it will never be used by giving away how he won it.
* I think it was a brilliant move not to tell Coach about Debbie getting the boot. So, when they come back to camp they'll say it was because she had turned on him and he will forget all.
* I know that it is still Stephen, J.T., Taj and Erinn, but I've never seen a not so solid four go so far. I wouldn't be surprised if Erinn gets voted out next because you just don't have to worry that much about Coach at the end.
* This was another great episode. I'm really liking this season. It has me guessing at tribal council almost every time.
I'll try to write another recap before Sunday... wish me luck!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The Foot Fist Way (2006)
This film was quietly released into art house theaters with the tag of, “Presented by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay (Talladega Nights, FunnyOrDie.com),” and from the previews, it seemed to be billed as a raunchy Napoleon Dynamite. Director Jody Hill (Observe and Report, HBO’s Eastbound & Down) and star Danny McBride (Tropic Thunder, Pineapple Express) have moved on to bigger things, but The Foot Fist Way does not prove that somebody’s earlier works are their best. Shot on a shoestring budget, it follows Fred Simmons (McBride), a shopping center Taekwondo instructor who is more vulgar and disillusioned than talented. The plot isn’t that important because this totally is a calling card for a couple of guys to say and do things to just get a reaction. Some of it works, but the majority of the material seems like an inside joke between teenagers. You can definitely see the star power of McBride and he can pull off many of these stunts that others can’t. The problem is that except for the un-funny villain, nobody else is as cartoonish as the main character. So, the film comes across as if Looney Tunes characters were placed in the real world, which turns out, doesn’t work. You can’t help but compare this to Napoleon Dynamite, because of the budget, feel, look, and editing style. The difference is, Dynamite found a balance between implausibility and reality, where The Foot Fist Way is all over the place. There are some memorable moments and lines, but just ask me about them and it’ll save you a movie’s worth of time. I give The Foot Fist Way 2 out of 5 demo tapes.
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)
Although I would consider fellow Longview High School graduate, Matthew McConaughey’s films more on the bad side than good, his charm is infectious just because you know he probably knows this. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past takes The Christmas Carol theme we all know so well and thrusts it onto Connor Mead (McConaughey), an egotistical, big-time photographer who attends his brother’s wedding, despite his disdain for the sacred tradition. Of course one of his former loves is a bridesmaid… and you can probably figure out the rest from here. There isn’t a whole lot to say about the film except that if you like the trailer, you’ll like the movie. It was one of those films that you decide whether to have fun or not as you walk into the theater. This time I had fun. I was able to discount some of the bad acting and implausible characters and focused on the fun of the three ghosts and their leader (Michael Douglas), and how they would plop in and out of Connor’s life. You know there is a happy ending coming, so it keeps you invested. It doesn’t even come close to having the moral impact that past Scrooges have presented to us, but I’ll just say that it was nice to see a chase scene in a romantic comedy that wasn’t necessarily aimed at the main love interest (Jennifer Garner). As I previously said, you’ll enjoy this one about as much you think you will. With that, I give Ghosts of Girlfriends Past 3 out of 5 “Time After Time” montage sequences.• On a side note… This film didn’t have much language, but I’ve never heard the word sex or the slang for the word used so many times in a PG-13 rated film. I don’t know if it gets a pass because it’s a romantic comedy, but it shows that the MPAA rating system is screwy if this gets a PG-13 rating and Slumdog Millionaire gets a R. I’m just saying…
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