Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Act of Valor

Impressive acts of violence and appreciation for the attempted concept can’t completely save this military propaganda film.  A lazy story, poor line readings from the “stars” of the picture, unintelligible plot holes, and annoying first-person shooter camera styles give the viewer a sense they are watching a real-life Call of Duty video game.
Focusing on the flaws of the movie first, the plot of Act of Valor has been done a hundred times before, where a terrorist plot must be stopped before a bomb (in this case, group of suicide bombers) is detonated somewhere in the United States.  What was supposed to make this movie different was that every element of the story is taken from past Navy SEAL happenings and the audience could believe everything being done onscreen had taken place before, but with real lives on the line and wasn’t a scenario fabricated from the minds of screenwriters.  It also didn’t help that there is very little attention given to the personal lives of the story’s heroes, which results in not having much invested emotionally when the payoff at the end comes.
Another gimmick included in Act of Valor is the use of active-duty Navy SEAL commandos in starring roles rather than paid actors.  A lot of people have lampooned the acting and the criticism of those critiques is, “how can you berate their acting when they are portraying exactly who they are?”  Well, the simple answer to this is they are still reading lines off a page and those lines, while probably being as close to what is really said by these guys when in a real combat mission, is extremely stiff.  There is no authenticity to the performances outside of the action scenes and it just shouldn’t be the case because they aren’t supposed to be acting.  When you combine a plot found in several action movies prior to this one with poor “acting” it makes for a tough watch.
Surely with the military providing all this genuineness to make a great movie that will make us want to sign up for active duty at the nearest recruiting office we will get a glimpse into how SEAL teams not only prep for an assignment, are deployed into action, and execute any given mission, but also retrieve their information about where to find the bad guys.  Yet, it seems the military decided to hold back on certain details of how it uncovers its intel due to wanting to protect military secrets.  If Act of Valor is any indication to how easy it is for the U.S. military to gain access to when backroom meetings between villains and where terrorist attacks are going to take place, then finding and capturing Osama Bin Laden should have taken about three weeks following the 9/11 attacks.  I don’t mean to sound critical of our military because I am extremely proud of those who serve and what our government is doing to keep Americans protected, but I just can’t believe it is so easy to discover the most secretive plot details of potential terrorism plots in such a short time span as this film would make it seem.  There was just no effort put into letting the audience know how the government came about its information about dates and places of important plot points in the movie.  That is poor writing in my opinion.
Two more minor points of criticism before moving on to what I liked about the movie include my abhorrence of the first-person shooter view and insinuating how barbaric all enemies of our country are in times of war while we are the legion of decency when it comes to interrogation tactics.  A spoiler side note, I did find it somewhat asinine when you compare how the American spy is beaten, tortured, and on the verge of death but doesn’t give up any state secrets, yet the baddie of the movie gives up everything he knows without the use of violence altogether.
Regarding the good qualities of Act of Valor, the action sequences were some of the best seen in a war/action picture, especially the extraction scene at the beginning of the film.  Those alone give the film an uptick in its enjoyment.  The filmmakers gave up on the idea of finding actors who would be able to imitate what Navy SEALs go through during a mission and it is appreciated by the audience.  Watching these men bust down doors and sneak through criminal compounds is valued more than it would be if Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, Vin Diesel, and Sylvester Stallone were paid to do the same.  That extra bit of legitimacy goes a long way with viewers.  If only they could have made us believe they weren’t reading off of cue cards during the slower parts of the film.
Overall the movie isn’t great, but if you leave the theater not having more admiration for those serving in the military then you are dead inside and don’t deserve the freedom they are putting their lives on the line to uphold for you and me.  It might be patriotic propaganda, but it is entertaining propaganda.
Act of Valor earns a 6 out of 10.

Monday, February 27, 2012

84th Annual Academy Awards

Awards season is over.  Oscar has come and gone.
The Artist won the Academy's highest honor of Best Picture along with several other awards, including Best Director, Actor, Costume Design, and Original Score.  In fact, the silent picture, which is only the second in Oscar's history to win Best Picture after Wings received the award for Outstanding Picture at the inaugural event, tied with Hugo for most statues won at five.  The only other film to win multiple awards was The Iron Lady, which received Best Actress and Makeup.
Billy Crystal did a reasonably good job.  The nine-time host seems very relaxed on stage and gives a natural performance when delivering his jokes.  Even flubbing a line last night, he simply stopped, stated he would start again, imitated being rewound a few seconds, and started again like nothing had gone wrong.
Crystal's replacement hosting duties (which came after Eddie Murphy bowed out following the release of director Brett Ratner from a producing postion) inched him a bit closer to Bob Hope's record total of 18 as the ceremony's emcee.  In third place is Johnny Carson with five gigs as host.
The most disappointing portion of the evening was the poor sound quality.  During Crystal's opening musical number, his vocals were too low to be heard over the booming instruments and throughout the entire ceremony feedback could be heard coming from the microphones during award presentations and acceptance speeches.
Normally I try to see as many of the movies nominated as I can, but this year was a tough one due to having a baby.  It's true what they say that your social life ends when children enter the home.  While our lives haven't completely come to a halt because of Jack, Joanna and I have seen a downturn in date nights.
In the Best Picture category this year I was able to watch The Help, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, and The Tree of Life.  My favorite of that group was Moneyball, but The Help and Midnight in Paris were both really enjoyable movies.  I can't say the same for The Tree of Life.  It was a chore to watch that tedious film.  A lot of critics who loved The Tree of Life have compared its scope with Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, but where Kubrick differs from director Terence Malick is that 2001 includes an engaging story in between all the ostentatious photography and epic classical music.  Malick failed to connect with the audience when it came time to actually unravel the narrative of his movie.
Hopefully by burying the details of this so far down it will be overlooked by many, but after reigning supreme in our Oscar ballot picking game every year I was taken down by my friend Danny.  I knew going in I would likely lose, but falling five behind the winner was a tough thing to swallow.  Danny got 16 correct and I came in second with 11.  My wife brought up the rear of the six participants with only four right selections out of 24 categories.  Not a good night for Joanna, but she made up for it with her awesome menu of movie-themed dining foods and snacks.
The final talking point for this post will be how nice it was to see The Muppets win an Oscar for Best Original Song.  Go Kermit and the gang!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Does Most Mean Best When It Comes To Oscar?

During this time of year I focus a lot of my mind on the Academy Awards.  While I don't completely agree with the notion that the Oscars are the be-all, end-all when it comes to what is the best films of the year, it does give viewers a broad spectrum of what are considered some of the most well-made movies in the past 12 months.  A lot of us everyday Joe Blow Americans who don't know the ins and outs of Hollywood can't understand what makes great art direction or costume design, let alone point out the best short animated film or documentary, but we do get a glimpse into the opinions of what those who make movies think of movies.
Last year I took a look at the Best Picture winning films and compared it with the Best Director winners who did not match.  If you have any interest in that post you can find it at http://mobyd.blogspot.com/2011/02/correlation-between-oscars-best.html.
This year I have tackled the movies that earned the most nominations for the year and whether those movies won the Best Picture or Best Director awards.  The following is the list:

1928 (1st): Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans and Wings received four nominations each (tied for second) and won the preceding awards for Best Picture (which were divided into Outstanding Picture, Production and Unique and Artistic Production).  Two Arabian Knights won Best Director, Comedy Picture and Seventh Heaven won Best Director, Dramatic Picture.

1929 (2nd): The Broadway Melody received three nominations (tied for third with Alibi and The Divine Lady; In Old Arizona and The Patriot received the most with five nominations) and won Best Picture.  The Divine Lady won Best Director.

1930 (3rd): All Quiet on the Western Front received four nominations (tied for second with The Big House and The Divorcee; The Love Parade received the most with six nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1931 (4th): Cimarron received seven nominations (most) and won Best Picture.  Skippy won Best Director.

1932 (5th): Grand Hotel received one nomination (the only time in Oscar history where a movie with only the Best Picture nominee won; Arrowsmith and The Champ received the most with four nominations) and won Best Picture.  Bad Girl won Best Director.

1933 (6th): Cavalcade received four nominations (tied for most with A Farewell to Arms and Lady for a Day) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1934 (7th): It Happened One Night received five nominations (tied for second with Cleopatra and The Gay Divorcee; One Night of Love received the most with six nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1935 (8th): Mutiny on the Bounty received seven nominations (tied for most with The Lives of a Bengal Lancer) and won Best Picture.  The Informer won Best Director.

1936 (9th): The Great Ziegfeld received seven nominations (tied for most with Anthony Adverse and Dodsworth) and won Best Picture.  Mr. Deeds Goes to Town won Best Director.

1937 (10th): The Life of Emile Zola received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture.  The Awful Truth won Best Director.

1938 (11th): You Can’t Take It with You received seven nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1939 (12th): Gone with the Wind received 13 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1940 (13th): Rebecca received 11 nominations (most) and won Best Picture.  The Grapes of Wrath won Best Director.

1941 (14th): How Green Was My Valley received 10 nominations (second; Sergeant York received the most with 11 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1942 (15th): Mrs. Miniver received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1943 (16th): Casablanca received eight nominations (third; The Song of Bernadette received the most with 12 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1944 (17th): Going My Way received 10 nominations (tied for most with Wilson) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1945 (18th): The Lost Weekend received seven nominations (second; The Bells of St. Mary’s received the most with eight nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1946 (19th): The Best Years of Our Lives received eight nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1947 (20th): Gentleman’s Agreement received eight nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1948 (21st): Hamlet received seven nominations (tied for second with Joan of Arc; Johnny Belinda received the most with 12 nominations) and won Best Picture.  The Treasure of the Sierra Madre won Best Director.

1949 (22nd): All the King’s Men received seven nominations (tied for second with Come to the Stable; The Heiress received the most with eight nominations) and won Best Picture.  A Letter to Three Wives won Best Director.

1950 (23rd): All About Eve received 14 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1951 (24th): An American in Paris received eight nominations (tied for third with Quo Vadis; A Streetcar Named Desire received the most with 12 nominations) and won Best Picture.  A Place in the Sun won Best Director.

1952 (25th): The Greatest Show on Earth received five nominations (tied for sixth with Viva Zapata!; High Noon, Moulin Rouge, and The Quiet Man received the most with seven nominations) and won Best Picture.  The Quiet Man won Best Director.

1953 (26th): From Here to Eternity received 13 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1954 (27th): On the Waterfront received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1955 (28th): Marty received eight nominations (tied for most with Love is a Many-Splendored Thing and The Rose Tattoo) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1956 (29th): Around the World in Eighty Days received eight nominations (third; Giant received the most with 10 nominations) and won Best Picture.  Giant won Best Director.

1957 (30th): The Bridge on the River Kwai received eight nominations (third; Sayonara received the most with 10 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1958 (31st): Gigi received nine nominations (tied for most with The Defiant Ones) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1959 (32nd): Ben-Hur received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1960 (33rd): The Apartment received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1961 (34th): West Side Story received 11 nominations (tied for most with Judgment at Nuremberg) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1962 (35th): Lawrence of Arabia received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1963 (36th): Tom Jones received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1964 (37th): My Fair Lady received 12 nominations (tied for second with Becket; Mary Poppins received the most with 13 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1965 (38th): The Sound of Music received 10 nominations (tied for most with Doctor Zhivago) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1966 (39th): A Man for All Seasons received eight nominations (second; Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? received the most with 13 nominations) won Best Picture and Best Director.

1967 (40th): In the Heat of the Night received seven nominations (tied for fourth with The Graduate and Thoroughly Modern Millie; Bonnie and Clyde and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner received the most with 10 nominations) and won Best Picture.  The Graduate won Best Director.

1968 (41st): Oliver! received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1969 (42nd): Midnight Cowboy received seven nominations (tied for third with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Hello, Dolly!; Anne of the Thousand Days received the most with 10 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1970 (43rd): Patton received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1971 (44th): The French Connection received eight nominations (tied for most with Fiddler on the Roof and The Last Picture Show) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1972 (45th): The Godfather received 10 nominations (tied for most with Cabaret) and won Best Picture.  Cabaret won Best Director.

1973 (46th): The Sting received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1974 (47th): The Godfather: Part II received 11 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1975 (48th): One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest received nine nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1976 (49th): Rocky received 10 nominations (tied for most with Network) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1977 (50th): Annie Hall received five nominations (tied for fifth with The Goodbye Girl; Julia and The Turning Point received the most with 11 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1978 (51st): The Deer Hunter received nine nominations (tied for most with Heaven Can Wait) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1979 (52nd): Kramer vs. Kramer received nine nominations (tied for most with All That Jazz) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1980 (53rd): Ordinary People received six nominations (tied for fourth with Fame and Tess; The Elephant Man and Raging Bull received the most with eight nominations) won Best Picture and Best Director.

1981 (54th): Chariots of Fire received seven nominations (fifth; Reds received the most with 12 nominations) and won Best Picture.  Reds won Best Director.

1982 (55th): Gandhi received 11 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1983 (56th): Terms of Endearment received 11 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1984 (57th): Amadeus received 11 nominations (tied for most with A Passage to India ) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1985 (58th): Out of Africa received 11 nominations (tied for most with The Color Purple) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1986 (59th): Platoon received eight nominations (tied for most with A Room with a View) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1987 (60th): The Last Emperor received nine nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1988 (61st): Rain Man received eight nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1989 (62nd): Driving Miss Daisy received nine nominations (most) and won Best Picture.  Born on the Fourth of July won Best Director.

1990 (63rd): Dances with Wolves received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1991 (64th): The Silence of the Lambs received seven nominations (tied for third with The Prince of Tides; Bugsy received the most with 10 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1992 (65th): Unforgiven received nine nominations (tied for most with Howard’s End) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1993 (66th): Schindler’s List received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1994 (67th): Forrest Gump received 13 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1995 (68th): Braveheart received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1996 (69th): The English Patient received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1997 (70th): Titanic received 14 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

1998 (71st): Shakespeare in Love received 13 nominations (most) and won Best Picture.  Saving Private Ryan won Best Director.

1999 (72nd): American Beauty received eight nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

2000 (73rd): Gladiator received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture.  Traffic won Best Director.

2001 (74th): A Beautiful Mind received eight nominations (tied for second with Moulin Rouge!; The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring received the most with 13 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

2002 (75th): Chicago received 13 nominations (most) and won Best Picture.  The Pianist won Best Director.

2003 (76th): The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King received 11 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

2004 (77th): Million Dollar Baby received seven nominations (tied for second with Finding Neverland; The Aviator received the most with 11 nominations) and received Best Picture and Best Director.

2005 (78th): Crash received six nominations (tied for second with Good Night, and Good Luck and Memoirs of a Geisha; Brokeback Mountain received the most with eight nominations) and won Best Picture.  Brokeback Mountain won Best Director.

2006 (79th): The Departed received five nominations (tied for fifth with Blood Diamond; Dreamgirls received the most nominations with eight) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

2007 (80th): No Country for Old Men received eight nominations (tied for most with There Will Be Blood) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

2008 (81st): Slumdog Millionaire received 10 nominations (second; The Curious Case of Benjamin Button received 13 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

2009 (82nd): The Hurt Locker received nine nominations each (tied for most with Avatar) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

2010 (83rd): King’s Speech received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.

There are periods in the Academy Awards history where receiving the most nominations was a good sign to win both Best Picture and Best Director.  In 1958-1963, 1970-1976, 1982-1990, and 1992-1999, the movie that received the most nominations (or came in a tie for most nominations) ended up being the heavy favorite for the top two statues, excluding 1972, 1989, and 1998.
In the past two years the film with the most nominations ended up with Oscars in Best Picture and Best Director, so we will see if Hugo can keep the trend continuing as it has the most nominations at 11.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Top Movies By Decade: Part 4 - "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."

Author’s Note: I apparently did this in July of 2009 but didn’t list my top ten favorites.  It simply had my favorite film and then a few honorable mentions that would have been in the top five.

I started a series of lists that rank my top ten favorite movies by decade.  It began in the 1920s and will be working toward the new millennium.
To compile this list, I took my ranked films from IMDb, which I grade after every movie viewing, and sorted them from highest to lowest. Then, looking at each movie in each decade I came up with my favorite ten.
I have included some honorable mentions to show what the top ten were up against. We will continue with the 1950s.

1950s
Honorable Mentions: All About Eve (1950), Winchester ’73 (1950), High Noon (1952), Shane (1953), Sabrina (1954), Blackboard Jungle (1955), Diabolique (1955), 12 Angry Men (1957), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Paths of Glory (1957), and Vertigo (1958)

10. Cinderella (1950) – Due to World War II and low box office returns, this was the first feature-length, full-bodied animation film in nearly a decade from Walt Disney Studios, which was heavily in debt and had not had a big hit since Snow White and the Seven DwarfsCinderella is considered the last of the “golden age” of Disney animations that spanned the 1930s and 40s.  The generous profits from this film, along with additional money made from record sales, music publishing, and other merchandise, gave Disney a resurgence of cash flow to proceed with new films, both animated and live action, establish his own distribution company, enter television production, and begin building Disneyland.  Cinderella received three Academy Award nominations, all in the sound and song categories.  At the inaugural Berlin International Film Festival, it won the Golden Bear (Music Film) award and the Big Bronze Plate award.  The AFI included Cinderella among its 10 Top 10 Animated films, ranking ninth.

9. Rear Window (1954) – Some viewers are bored by the single set, slow-moving story, however, those fascinated by Rear Window are not alone, as the film received four Oscar nominations, was ranked 42nd and 48th on AFI’s 100 Movies and 100 Movies Anniversary lists, was universally praised by critics, and in 1997 was included in the United States National Film Registry.  As the movie is all about voyeurism, Hitchcock’s film exquisitely display’s the human need to look in on other people’s lives, ignoring what is going on right in their own home.  With the explosion of Facebook and Twitter, the insatiable need to make a connection with others without ever becoming involved is a successor to Hitchcock’s feature of a man and his camera looking out into an apartment building courtyard.  Rear Window uses a natural soundtrack, with diegetic sounds and music stemming from James Stewart’s neighboring apartments.  Along with the 100 Movies wins, the AFI also included Rear Window in its 100 Thrills and 10 Top 10 Mystery lists.

8. Seven Samurai (1954) – Possibly better known to American audiences in remakes such as The Magnificent Seven or A Bug’s Life, the idea of recruiting individuals with special skills to perform a specific task was originally seen on the Japanese screen in Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece, Seven Samurai.  The now-common plot element introduced in this film can be seen in popular American cinema, such as The Guns of Navarone, Ocean’s Eleven, and The Dirty DozenSeven Samurai is described as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, making it on Sight & Sound’s list of the 10 greatest films of all time in 1982 and the directors’ top ten film in 1992 and 2003 polls.  It was also ranked number one in Empire magazine’s The 100 Best Films of World Cinema in 2010.  Winner of the Silver Lion award at the Venice Film Festival, the film was also honored with several nominations and wins for acting and directing at the British Academy Film Awards, Jussi Awards, and Mainichi Film Awards.  Seven Samurai received two Academy Award nominations as well.

7. Sleeping Beauty (1959) – The final fairy tale animated feature produced by Walt Disney himself and the last of Disney’s features to use hand-inked cels, Sleeping Beauty was initially a financial failure, resulting in the first annual loss in a decade and leading to massive layoffs in the animation department.  It took nearly a decade to get the movie made, with story work beginning eight years prior to its theatrical release and voice recordings taking place seven years before as well.  The film was initially met with mixed reviews, most critics claiming poor character development, but with the unique stylized design of the artwork and lavish musical score have resulted in a sustained interest in the movie and ultimately it is now one of the most praised animated features ever made.  Sleeping Beauty was nominated for an Oscar and a Grammy for its soundtrack, but lost at both ceremonies.

6. The Killing (1956) – Where Seven Samurai set up the concept of showing the audience the process of hiring a group of mercenaries to do a job, Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing showcased a heist picture from several different viewpoints and the precise planning and undertaking it takes to pull off a multi-million dollar robbery, much like the number one movie for this decade's list.  Like many movies considered classics of their genre and decade, this one was a disappointment at the box office.  However, The Killing showed off the talent Kubrick had as a director, cinematographer, and storyteller, giving audiences a glimpse into what was to come later in his career.  Critics respected the picture, praising Kubrick as the next great director with skills that hadn’t been seen since Orson Welles.  The only major award nomination for The Killing was at the BAFTAs for Best Film from any Source, but its legacy has influenced many, including Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs.

5. Sunset Boulevard (1950) – One of the most well written film noirs, Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard is an absorbing movie with an unforgettable leading lady and countless memorable quotes.  Told through William Holden’s character, unsuccessful screenwriter Joe Gillis, about his meeting and subsequent tumultuous relationship with former silent-film star Norma Desmond, the film is a disturbed showcase of Desmond’s fantasy world where she believes a comeback to Hollywood stardom is near.  Sunset Boulevard was an instant success, nominated for 11 Academy Award nominations, winning three, was included in the first group of films selected for preservation in the National Film Registry, and saw its inclusion in the top 20 greatest films by the American Film Institute in its 100 Movies and 100 Movies Anniversary lists, at 12 and 16 respectively.  It is highly regarded as the greatest movie about Hollywood ever made.

4. Singin’ in the Rain (1952) – Another movie about Hollywood, this one takes a much more comedic and light-hearted tone of Tinseltown.  Tackling the period of time when films transitioned from silent to talkies, Singin’ in the Rain has become known as one of the greatest musicals to ever be made, but it was not originally accepted so pleasantly.  Co-director and star Gene Kelly’s dance number to the titular song with an umbrella in the rainy streets has become an iconic moment in film history, recognized by even those who have not seen the movie.  The film received two Academy Award nominations for Supporting Actor and Original Music Score, a Golden Globe for Donald O’Connor’s performance, and recognition for best written American musical at the Writers Guild of America.  Singin’ in the Rain has twice appeared on Sight & Sound’s list of the 10 best films of all time.  The film was among the United States Library of Congress’s first 25 films chosen for the newly established National Film Registry.  The American Film Institute included the musical among its 100 Movies, 100 Laughs, 100 Passions, 100 Songs (three times), 100 Musicals, and 100 Movies Anniversary lists.

3. On the Waterfront (1954) – A tough, gritty look at union violence, corruption, and racketeering among longshoremen in New Jersey, On the Waterfront won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Story.  Based on a Pulitzer Prize winning 24-part series in the New York Sun, the film is considered to be the director’s rejoinder to critics for his identifying former Communists in the film industry before the House Committee on Un-American Activities.  Released to rave reviews from critics, On the Waterfront has since been deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry during its inaugural year and included among many critics top film lists it also made the Vatican’s list of 45 greatest films of all time.  AFI included the film among its 100 Movies, 100 Heroes and Villains, 100 Quotes, 100 Film Scores, 100 Cheers, and 100 Movies Anniversary lists.

2. North by Northwest (1959) – My personal favorite of all of Hitchcock’s films, North by Northwest is also one of his most critically favored among the innocent man on the run stories.  Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason give commanding performances in this stylish thriller with a finale set amongst one of America’s most historic monuments.  Ranking at 98 in Empire magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Films of All Time, North by Northwest is considered a masterpiece in filmmaking for its themes of deception, mistaken identity, and moral relativism.  The movie was nominated for three Academy Awards and won a 1960 Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay.  In 1995, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. Among AFI movie lists, North by Northwest ranked among its 100 Movies, 100 Thrills, 100 Movies Anniversary, and 10 Top 10 Mystery lists.

1. The Asphalt Jungle (1950) – A film noir caper film with a cast who’s most famous member now, Marilyn Monroe, was at the time unknown to audiences follows a group of men planning and executing a jewel robbery.  The Asphalt Jungle, directed by John Huston, was nominated for four Academy Awards.  Creating a legacy with its style and production, the film is one of the most influential crime films of the decade and presents an impressively staged robbery to be copied for years to come, creating its own subgenre of caper films.  The Asphalt Jungle won awards at the Venice Film Festival, National Board of Review, and Edgar Allen Poe Awards, along with nominations at the Golden Globes, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Directors Guild of America, and Writers Guild of America.  In 2008, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Included in this list are animated pictures, heist movies, foreign films, and Hollywood movies about Hollywood.  The 1950s are the end of the stranglehold Hollywood had on American audiences looking for visual stimulation as television began its competition, resulting in gimmicks and cheap ploys to herd people back into theaters.  Big production, spectacle, widescreen techniques, and 3-D became prevalent in moviemaking.  the 50s will also be well known for its heightening of interest in science fiction, thanks to Cold War paranoia and a renewed interest in science due to the atomic bomb.  The western genre was revitalized and Alfred Hitchcock saw some of his most popular films released in this decade.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Saint Valentine's Day!

I'm not really into this holiday, but for those who are I wish you a happy love day.
The origins of Valentine's Day is not quite what it is known to be today and even modern history of this date has been marred by a mafia massacre in Chicago in 1929.
Whatever your reason for celebrating, have a happy one!

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Haywire

I’ve put this review off for about a week because I just didn’t truly know how I felt about the latest directorial effort from Steven Soderbergh, Haywire, which is also his first foray into the action genre.
I had two major thoughts about the movie while walking out of the theater.  The first thought was how it reminded me of an opinion people have about the James Bond franchise.
Don’t get me wrong, this is nothing like a James Bond movie.  It is slow-paced, low-key, and light on action.  So what about Haywire reminded me of the 007 series?  The idea of putting a non-action director in charge and letting him focus on the story and characterization while others worry about the action stunts is something that keeps coming up when people discuss the direction the Bond movies need to go.  Now is not the time or place to argue the merits of that scheme, but I will say the producers seem to have taken that course, hiring Marc Forster and Sam Mendes for the last two films.
Getting back to Haywire, Soderbergh is certainly not an action director and most will recognize his name as the guy who was in charge of the party during filming the Ocean’s films with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and the rest of the gang.  He is also the champion of independent filmmaking, as his movie Sex, Lies, and Videotape began the independent movie push of the 90s.
Although Soderbergh’s credentials were not tailored to action movies, he had the idea to create a project around MMA star Gina Carano.  Essentially, it would be an action film (like a James Bond movie) helmed by an artsy director.  That is where the thoughts on Bond end though when it comes to comparing it with Haywire.
Soderbergh’s trademarks are all over this movie.  In fact, going into it I had no idea he was the director.  I simply had seen a preview or two, thought it looked interesting enough, and convinced a buddy to go with me on a Wednesday night.  But while watching things progress I couldn’t help wondering what was going on, not because I didn’t understand the plot but instead because it didn’t feel like the movie I thought I was going to see.  There was a lot of style to it you just don’t normally see in action movies.  It was less like Salt or the Bourne series and more like The American.  The characters didn’t make decisions based on the next action sequence they needed to be at but rather the action cropped up when it was necessary.
The Steven Soderbergh style I am talking about is most plainly felt in the flow of the storytelling, seen in the cinematography, and heard in the soundtrack.  Immediately when the credits started rolling at the film’s finale and Soderbergh’s name popped up as the director everything made sense to me regarding how the story was told, the photography shot, and the music chosen.
The second opinion I had regarding Haywire was Carano’s acting debut.  My initial reaction to Carano was she is cold and unemotional.  Actually to be more accurate, I thought every time she opened her mouth she was attempting to avoid any sort of altercation with her opponent by lulling them to sleep with a monotone delivery and expressionless gaze.  It was only the next day I learned that Soderbergh had altered Carano’s voice to make it less attractive.  In fact, some are reporting it is actress Laura San Giacomo who dubbed Carano, which says something about what Soderbergh thinks of San Giacomo’s beauty or lack thereof I should say.
Generally, I liked what I saw but not so much that I would make a point to sit down and watch it again in full.  The performances from the supporting cast, which included Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, and Michael Fassbender, were generally good and I’m going to give Carano a pass since the dubbing might have skewed the final results.  The actor I shall not give a pass to and have never seen a quality performance from is Channing Tatum.  That guy is just dreadful.
I have concluded to give Haywire a 6 out of 10 grade.

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Investing In TV

How does a person in today's state of small screen excellence jump into a serialized television show without starting from the beginning?
Obviously a show like Lost would be completely befuddling to someone who caught the fifth episode of season four without ever knowing what happened before, but even normal dramas and action shows are so intricate with character storylines these days that it would seem like the viewer is missing pivotal plot points for several episodes if they picked the series up in midstream unless they went back and watched from the beginning.
I've read a lot of comments lately on entertainment websites regarding television show recommendations that state a person will check out the next episode when they can.  How can you give a true opinion of a series if you don't know the origin and backstory of all the characters?
It seems to me that if a person watched a random episode of a random show in today's television programming (not counting reality TV), they lose some of the greatness the show could offer because half their time is spent working out who everyone is and the motivations behind the characters' actions.  The viewer might decide the show isn't for them, whereas had they started at the beginning and progressed with the show as it was intended then they might be the number one fan of the series.
Maybe I'm weird, but if I am recommended a show then I have to start at the beginning.  It just doesn't feel right to dive in midseason and play catch-up.