Tuesday, April 30, 2013
RESERVOIR DOGS (1992)
As an avid (if not fantatical) student of movies, Quentin Tarantino’s first film Reservoir Dogs definitely is influenced by the heist gone wrong films of the past such as The Asphalt Jungle, The Killing and Bob the Gambler. He defintely puts a more modern spin in that this group of theives reminise about 70’s music and complain about minutae such as the color code name they are given for their assignment. Reservoir Dogs is extremely dialogue heavy, but the words are entertaining and move at a fast pace. I must say that I like all the actors here. Of course, my favorite is Steve Buscemi as Mr. Pink, the guy who doesn’t believer in tipping. But how can you forget Michael Madsen as the psychopath Mr. Blue? Or raspy voiced film noir veteran Lawrence Teirney as the leader of the heist? Also, Harvey Keitel’s Mr. White, who may be the closest thing the movie has to a main character. Did I mention Mr. Orange (Time Roth)? Chris Penn as Nice Guy Eddie, you can’t leave him out? Even crime writer Eddie Bunker shows up as Mr. Blue. And Tarantino himself is Mr. Brown. Well, I pretty much named the whole cast here. Doesn’t quite hold itself up as well as Pulp Fiction for me, but a distinctive and good film in its own right.
With all the 90’s film I still have left on the list, I may have to do another 90’s month soon.
Monday, April 29, 2013
THE ICE STORM (1997)
30 from the 90's Post 29 of 30
The Ice Storm
Family drama with good cast whose strongest recommendation for me is probably how well it takes you back into 1973. I say that being a person who doesn’t take much prodding to get back to 1973, as I am seem to find myself forever stuck in that decade. So I gotta like the teenager who makes out while wearing a Nixon mask, the waterbeds, polyester pants and the suburbia wife swapping as well as the reruns of Time Tunnel, The Green Hornet and Divorce Court. Love that 70's home décor too!
Question from my wife: “Why does Kevin Kline’s chest have to be so hairy?” When asked this question, I looked at her and didn’t answer since I assumed the question was rhetorical and not of a medical nature.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
DECONSTRUCTING HARRY (1997)
30 from the 90's (Post 28 of 30)
Deconstructing Harry
I grew up watching Woody Allen films in the 70’s and throughout the 80’s. I’ve seen them all through Take the Money and Run in 1969 until Crimes and Misdemeanors in 1989. His films in the years since have not connected with me nearly as well. I say that admittedly not having seen a majority of them. Deconstructing Harry from 1997 is an exception. Allen goes way beyond playing the neurotic nebbish he once defined and is a full-blown unlikeable narcissist here. He’s a foul mouthed writer who treats women like cattle and everyone else he meets like someone to twist into a character in his book. Deconstructing Harry’s best moments for me are the sections where little skits show the characters from his book interacting with each other before and later we see samples from his real life where his family/friends/acquaintances are seen as they actually are and most are not too happy about the way Harry portrays them. The best of his strong cast is Judy Davis, who is wonderful as one of Harry’s ex-girl friends.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
HEAVENLY CREATURES (1994, NEW ZEALAND)
30 from the 90's (Post 27 of 30)
Heavenly Creatures
When I started this blog, I wondered to myself…
What if I can’t come up with anything to say about one of the movies on the list?
What if you don’t like it or hate it and you are just sort of null on it?
To fix this dilemma I decided to give myself a sort of Get Out of Jail Free Card and allow me to post the equivalent of “no opinion, no story, no rant.”So after, four-hundred and something posts, I’m turing in my Get Out of Jail Free Card for Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures.
If you, on the other hand, have an opinion on Heavenly Creatures, I would certainly like to hear it and invite you to leave your opinion in the comment field below.
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