November 20th, 2009 05:36pm
Will Pfeifer
For several weeks now, I’ve been gathering my picks for the Best Movies of the last decade. I’ll be revealing that list sometime before the new year, both here at the Movie Man Blog and in the Rockford Register Star.
But I want to compile a list of readers’ favorites, too. Send me your top five movies released between Jan. 1, 2000, and Dec. 31, 2009. Include your name, city of residence, a daytime phone number (not for publication) and a line or two explaining why each movie made your list. Send them to wpfeifer@rrstar.com, and put “Best of Decade” in the subject line.
We’ll print as many as possible in the newspaper, and I’ll share ‘em all here online. I’m hoping to get a big response to this — after all, this sort of opportunity only rolls around once a decade. Let’s have some fun.
And here, possibly (though not definitely) for the last time, are three more potential picks for my list:
Can you name ‘em?
November 20th, 2009 10:45am
Will Pfeifer
Over at his Shadowplay blog, David Cairns writes up an excellent analysis/review/appreciation of Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece, PSYCHO. It’s full of astute observations and worth reading in its entirety, but here’s a small sample, where he discusses the scene where Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) and Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates) have dinner at the hotel before Marion takes that fateful shower…
Dinner in the office, with the stuffed birds. Hitchcock is in economy mode, keeping it static and letting the actors hold the scene, with repetitive shot/countershot coverage that keeps amping up, every minute or two, with an angle change that intensifies the mood. (Screenwriter Josef) Stefano wrote this as a little play, a two-hander that could almost stand alone — without the backstory we already have for Marion it would be positively Pinteresque. Anyway, by the end of it, Marion has decided to return the loot, which is a pretty tragic irony. And Norman has discovered that she signed a false name on the hotel register, which makes him think… what? That she’s not a nice girl, presumably. This makes it OK, in his mind, to peep on her (except he was already planning on doing that, it seems) and presumably explains his later line “She might have fooled me but she didn’t fool mother.”
Read the rest here.
November 19th, 2009 09:51am
Will Pfeifer
On Wednesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — aka the people who give out the Oscars — announced the 15 finalists for the Best Documentary category, culled from an original list of 89 films:
“The Beaches of Agnes,” Agnès Varda, director
“Burma VJ,” Anders Østergaard, director
“The Cove,” Louie Psihoyos, director
“Every Little Step,” James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, directors
“Facing Ali,” Pete McCormack, director
“Food, Inc.,” Robert Kenner, director
“Garbage Dreams,” Mai Iskander, director
“Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders,” Mark N. Hopkins, director
“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers,” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, directors
“Mugabe and the White African,” Andrew Thompson and Lucy Bailey, directors
“Sergio,” Greg Barker, director
“Soundtrack for a Revolution,” Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, directors
“Under Our Skin,” Andy Abrahams Wilson, director
“Valentino The Last Emperor,” Matt Tyrnauer, director
“Which Way Home,” Rebecca Cammisa, director
I haven’t seen any of these films (none of them have opened in Rockford, and I think only FOOD INC. is available on DVD), so I can’t judge the selections, but I’m disappointed (though not too surprised) to see that ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL didn’t make the cut — if only to see Lips and Robb Reiner take the stage on Oscar night and give that house a much needed dose of rock ‘n’ roll.
November 13th, 2009 03:55pm
Will Pfeifer
In this piece over at the New York Times, critic A.O. Scott discusses the semi-controversy springing up in the wake of Spike Jonze’s WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (and set to revive itself when Wes Anderson’s THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX opens this week) — namely, are these movies based on children’s books actually aimed at (or just plain suitable for) children?
He comes to an interesting conclusion. Most adult movies, Scott says, are driven by childish wish-fulfillment, where “Justice is served. The bad guys pay. Love conquers all. The naughty boys come home from their crazy adventures and find that their mommies still love them.”
But kids’ movies? Actual kids’ movies? They’re something else entirely…
“But things are much more complicated in some children’s movies, it seems, where the regressive infantilism of grown-up comedies and action pictures is answered by a grave precocity. A movie like WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE or Wes Anderson’s FANTASTIC MR. FOX play a kind of reverse dress-up, disguising adult anxieties in the costumes of innocent make-believe and fanciful spectacle.”
I haven’t seen either movie yet, one (FOX) because it hasn’t opened yet, and one (WILD THINGS) because, tellingly, I don’t think my four-year-old daughter would be willing to sit through it. But I’m dying to see both, and one of the main reasons is that I hope they’ll tap into that illusive inner child lurking somewhere deep inside my dark, FIGHT CLUB-lovin’ soul.
November 13th, 2009 10:55am
Will Pfeifer
Here are four more movie posters from Poland, courtesy of this fascinating site:
First up, Martin Scorsese’s classic urban nightmare, TAXI DRIVER…
Next, this bold take on THE TIME MACHINE, which frankly makes it look more exciting than it actually is…
Then we’ve got a very strange interpretation of THE STING…
And finally, my personal fave, this graphically brilliant poster for PLANET OF THE APES…
November 12th, 2009 04:14pm
Will Pfeifer
Jason Zinoman of VANITY FAIR spends the day at one of screenwriting guru Robert McKee’s day-long seminars and lives to tell about it. What’s more, he remains unimpressed with the man who proclaims ““You can’t work in this business without reading my book.” Read about Zinoman’s experience here, in a piece tellingly called “Robert McKee’s Unconvincing Story.”
And if you haven’t read McKee’s book (titled STORY, by the way), but you feel like you’ve heard of the guy, it’s probably from Brian Cox’s wonderful portrayal of a storytelling guru in Spike Jonze’s movie, ADAPTATION.
Here’s a clip to refresh your memory. (Warning — the language is pretty salty, so consider yourself warned).
By the way, the fictional McKee (mirroring the real-life McKee) is dead wrong about voiceovers. Here’s a partial list of great movies that use them: SUNSET BLVD., THE APARTMENT, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, FULL METAL JACKET, TAXI DRIVER, GOODFELLAS, FIGHT CLUB, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, DOUBLE INDEMNITY…
November 12th, 2009 10:13am
Will Pfeifer
While I’ve been screwing around on this blog, teasing you readers with my contenders for the top 10 movies of the decade, those craft Brits over at the Times (that’s London, mind you, not New York) have manned up and compiled a list of the 100 best movies of what they cleverly call “The Noughties” (oh, those Brits).
It’s in reverse order from 100 to 1, but I’ll save you the effort and share their top 10:
1. HIDDEN (Michael Haneke, 2005)
2. THE BOURNE SUPREMACY/THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM (Paul Greenglass, 2004 and 2007)
3. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2007)
4. GRIZZLY MAN (Werner Herzog, 2005)
5. TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE (Trey Parker, 2004)
6. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Danny Boyle, 2008)
7. THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND (Kevin MacDonald, 2006)
8. CASINO ROYALE (Martin Campbell, 2006)
9. THE QUEEN (Stephen Frears (2006)
10. HUNGER (Steve McQueen, 2008)
First off, I haven’t seen all these movies — I missed THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND, HIDDEN and HUNGER, so I can’t judge those picks. But I will that that (a) SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is wildly overrated, (b) TEAM AMERICA is funny, but not nearly as good as SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER AND UNCUT, and (c) the only movie on this Top 10 list that’s a real contender for my own is Herzog’s brilliant GRIZZLY MAN.
Thoughts?
November 11th, 2009 08:18am
Will Pfeifer
Then it might look a little something like this surprisingly elaborate production cooked up by the Russian group Bolshaya Raznitsa, which according to Neatorama (where I got this clip) translates as “Big Difference.”
November 9th, 2009 04:52pm
Will Pfeifer
According to the New York Times, the total cost for James Cameron’s upcoming sci-fi extravaganza, AVATAR, could reach the fabled $500 million mark…
“The final cost of the film has not been tallied, as Mr. Cameron, who has worked on the film for 15 years, and his collaborators, as far-flung as Weta Digital in New Zealand, continue to complete their work. Published reports have put the production budget at more than $230 million. But the price tag would be higher if the financial contribution of Mr. Cameron and others were included. When global marketing expenses are added, AVATAR may cost its various backers $500 million.”
On the one hand, that’s a lot of money. On the other hand, does that really matter to moviegoers?
As Kristen Thompson says over at the Observations on Film Art blog in a post titled “Don’t Knock the Blockbusters”, in most cases we don’t know (or care) how much it costs to develop a new car, or publish a book, or record a CD. And when that car/book/CD is released, those development costs don’t have much of an effect on the price of the product. With movies, we generally know exactly how much it costs to develop (i.e. film) one, but why do we care? When that movie hits theaters, whether it’s a $500 billion AVATAR or a $15,000 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, the ticket price is going to be about the same.
And, in a big picture, global economic sense, expensive Hollywood movies are, no kidding, good for America — because they’re what foreign audiences really want to see. As Thompson says…
“Yes, it may sound absurd that it requires $200 million to make a movie, especially one that gets mediocre reviews from critics and fans. Still, from a business point of view, it makes sense and it’s good for the country. It’s especially important in a period of financial crisis, when the movie industry’s income seems considerably less affected than many others. Our overall trade deficit is falling, since Americans are saving more and buying less from abroad. This year the film and television industry’s share of the surplus will presumably grow.”
It doesn’t mean they’re good artistically or creatively, or even entertainly. But economically speaking, a $500 billion movie can be good for Uncle Sam, even if it bombs here in the States.
Though you can bet that James Cameron is hoping and praying that isn’t the case with AVATAR. We’ll find out soon enough. The movie opens Dec. 18.
November 9th, 2009 10:01am
Will Pfeifer
And I’m not talking about the actors, either. Before it was a teen comedy (frankly, probably the best teen comedy ever made, not counting RUSHMORE), FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH was a book by Cameron Crowe, the future writer/director. Crowe, who was both precocious and young-looking, enrolled at a California high school — San Diego’s Claremont High — and based his book on what he saw as a (fake) student.
Well, that was more than 30 years ago. The kids — who inspired such well-known characters as Spicoli, Brad and whatever the heck Phoebe Cates’ characters name was — graduated in 1979, and now they’re having their 30th reunion.
From the San Diego Union-Tribune (via a link at Cinematical):
At its 30-year-reunion celebrations this weekend, the crowd is filled with firefighters, teachers,professors, businessmen, engineers, mechanics and many others who are gainfully employed and contributing to society. Last night, the Chieftains danced to popular 1970s and 1980s tunes and posed for promlike pictures in front of clusters of orange, blue and white balloons symbolizing their school colors.
Read the whole story, including how some of these grads don’t want their own teens watching FAST TIMES, here.
(When FAST TIMES hit theaters back in 1982, it was the must-sneak-into movie of the year for my sophomore high school class. I tried valiantly with a friend, but we were followed into the theater by the manager, who forced us to watch E.T. — the movie we had actually bought the ticket for — again. I wouldn’t see FAST TIMES until it came out on the brand-new format of videotape a few years later.)
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