Where Did the Time Go

So for those who follow, it's clear that I haven't been around as of late, nor have I been watching many movies. The Olympics, my friends. There's enough drama, war, comedy and cameos by Donald Sutherland and Michael J. Fox. Starting Monday, we will resume with updates from past movies and continue with the new. I look forward to the times to come and the movies to be watched and the time to be wasted, hopefully not too much though. I do have a life outside of this, at least for now.

Blade Runner

A long time ago...
In a galaxy far far away...

There was a galactic empire of movies known as Star Wars. They ruled the entire universe of movie blockbusters and particularly of the science fiction realm. It started with the release of the first Star Wars movie Episode 4: A New Hope. Since 1977 and the two films that followed it, only one actor survived the fame and chaos and went on to have a successful career in show business. His name, was Harrison Ford. This is his story...at least in the early 80's vision of the future...

Which brings us to AFI Number 97 Blade Runner, though many websites consider this to be the Number 1 Science Fiction movie of all time. Released in 1982, it's pretty surprising how advanced the imagery and special effects were for the time. Watching the movie, I couldn't help but notice the similarities with the "future" as depicted in the Fifth Element: flying cars, high buildings, Chinese people selling you food.

So cutting straight to the plot, I must admit that I enjoyed it despite the "film noir" adaptation throughout. Harrison Ford narrating his thoughts was a little humorous, especially since he sounded like a drunk John Wayne: "Well, you know...how I was fee...ling....What did they...want...on Earth?" Actually, the more I think about it, it was definitely a mix of John Wayne and William Shatner and Jack Daniels. Oh, and something that I definitely did not like was the movie's resemblance to Lethal Weapon. Don't get me wrong, I liked Lethal Weapon and the 25 sequels, but is it necessary to play jazz music during every scene? Even the violent ones? It just doesn't make sense to me, and makes me feel that I'm watching an alternative on-stage performance of murder with some sweaty guy in the background playing the saxophone. If you think that's an odd scenario, then you know how I feel.

Edward James Olmos makes an appearance of what looks to be a character who's half Spanish, half Japanese, half from the future and half from the early 80's. Oh, and he has weird eyes. But I must give him credit for the origami skills. Referring back to my compliments on the movie's plot, I think the powerful message in the ending was ruined with the blatant narration of Harrison Ford, yet again. If they just left him picking up the origami bird and walking off, without a word being said, then I think it would have been so much more powerful. Sometimes silence is essential in movies, just not in the case of Ms. Scarlett who could never keep her mouth shut, for the love of God...

So if you're into science fiction, then watch the movie, it's just shy of 2 hours. If you aren't, but are somewhat interested in the story, then try the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep. If neither, then I bet you were expecting a third option which I unfortunately do not have for you. Sorry.

Until the afternoon, Lawrence of Arabia is next.

(Blade Runner theme FUN TASK: Try spending the whole day narrating everything you do in a John Wayne manner. Not only will you have a blast, but people will never forget you. That's one way to impress your boss.)

Distractions...and the List

For the past couple of days, I've been distracted by so many other movies that we have to consider that the List is not the dictator of my viewing possibilities and options. So 2 days ago, I enjoyed new Blu Ray Disc movies and even watched some movies on the list (each will have their respective posts, I'm not playing favorites here, unlike the Oscars). Actually, to be honest, the first day was spent watching other movies and being lazy, while the next day was spent watching more movies, the Super Bowl and coming up with nice sounding excuses for why I hadn't been writing.

With a Saints win, many commercials, and 3 possible excuses later, I'm ready to return to my paycheck-less loss of entertaining myself and whomever else wants to follow...so mainly me.

Oh, movies I've been watching and/or recommend even though they're not on the list, but hey that's life:

1. Defending Your Life (Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep)- For me this movie was smart and funny and free, 3 points I particularly love about movies.

2. Gigantic (Zooey Deschanel and the black haired, mute kid from Little Miss Sunshine)- Odd movie. The chubby guy from the Hangover is particularly weird in this movie, but like always, Ms. Zooey is very pretty...not close to Ingrid Bergman, but one of the best of modern looks. I like her smile and her voice is unique too...anyway...

3. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (Michael Cera and an other girl)- It seems to me, even though I like his roles, that Michael Cera plays the same timid role in every movie he's in. I haven't seen his most recent film where he has a split persona, but I at least know one of them is still timid. In other words, he's like the modern day Joe Pesci (See my bit on Raging Bull for the reference). Other than that, and an extremely gross subplot surrounding an infamous piece of gum, I was disappointed at never getting to see Fluffy, the famous punk rock band that we never get to hear. (Oh, and the title seems to be longer than the actual playlist)

4. I Robot (Will Smith and robots and Transformers kid)- Maybe not the best acting, but the story is great, which makes me wonder if I should read the books. Either way, Will Smith is the same with his small comments and facial expressions. I may be biased on this one because it was BluRay and surround sound quality in my own home. Very cool.

5. The Storyteller (Jim Henson's Creature Shop)- The wonderful thing about Netflix is that you have access to things that you thought you completely forgot about! If you're like me, you grew up with fantasy movies and hair that was very poofy and curly at the same time. If not, then maybe just the fantasy movies. Legend, Labyrinth, the Dark Crystal, the Neverending Story and so many more. And here I find, the Storyteller, a show from 1987 with 23 minute episodes. They're great, uplifting and really take me back. Muppet thumbs up.

6. Lawrence of Arabia- I saw this AFI Number 7 a couple of weeks ago, but during the past couple of days, I decided I will try to write about it. Yay.

7. Blade Runner- AFI Number 97 but considered the best Sci-Fi movie ever. This will have a post of its own.

This sums up my time for the past 48 hours so I apologize for the delay and will have some relevant submissions hopefully by the end of the day, unless I'm distracted again, but I have a feeling you'll get through it.

Bookings out. (Yes, American Idol reference)

PSYCHO

EEE! EEE! EEE!
Those violins are like music to my ears. They accompany everything in our modern culture that we hate. They play in our heads when an unexpected person enters the corner of our eye. They play when we run into our ex's. They even play when Taylor Swift begins to sing or maybe it's just her out of tune, either way. (Notice the common theme here...)

And where did this famous tune come from? The answer is AFI Number 14 Psycho, another classic by Alfred Hitchcock. If you're easily scared and startled, then this movie will definitely have you on edge. But more specifically, if you love twist endings and psychological thrillers, then I give you the original stone tablet of the genre. This movie, though simple if you think about it, is the premise to most if not all horror/thriller movies of present day. You have to remember that murders by some demented psychopath wasn't as commonplace in movie theatres as it is now. Nowadays, it's weird if there isn't at least one of those movies playing.

So everyone knows the scene where the girl gets stabbed in the shower, her look of fear, the violins playing, and her dreadful scream. Well I didn't know that this scene happens less than half way through the movie, which left me watching with great intent to see what would happen next. This of course leads us to the film's conclusion, and the understanding that Norman is not the name you want for your newborn son. (And if you're name is Norman, than I apologize and I'm sure you love your mother very much...very much.)

What came first? The chicken or the egg?
Who's crazier? Norman Bates or Alfred Hitchcock?

Norman was psychotic, that's for sure, but he's just a character in the mastery of Alfred Hitchcock's imagination (let's just hope it's all imagination). He sure knew how to thrill people, that's for sure, and I have yet to see anyone match that kind of thrill until the late 90's. Yes, it took over 30 years for an Indian guy to match the quality of shock and awe with the Sixth Sense. I'm sure there are others that can be noted, but this one particularly comes to mind.

The movie-photography was great. (See prior posts for my thorough definition of the word). I like how the lighting turned on and off that you didn't know if there was some kid in the back playing with a light switch, but either way, it added dramatic effect. It worked in this movie and Vertigo, so the kid is doing something right.

So, conclusively, I definitely recommend this film to others who love to smother their sons. Let the children remember even more Hitchcock morals, such as, "Love your mother. Kill your mother. Be your mother." Also, "Always check your local newspaper for $40,000 in cash," and finally, "Take showers with a gun."

Alfred, you are the modern day Aesop.

Vertigo..."Balance Disorder"

I skipped a day, watching Surrogates and All About Steve instead. Surrogates was OK, pretty short, while All About Steve was all about Sandra Bullock, so I was thoroughly confused. I didn't think I'd be affecting anyone with the day off and the lack of people actually reading, but I see we have some followers (and by use of the word "we," I mean "me," but I say "we" so I feel I'm not alone and can boost my self confidence). So thank you to anyone and everyone that reads: your comments are appreciated and read, nothing much more after that.

We resume the almost non-chronological ascending list of AFI Top movies with Number 9, Vertigo, simply because Singin' in the Rain has been removed from the Instant Playlist on Netflix, Schindler's List is really long, and I have yet to garner enough energy to write about Lawrence of Arabia. Moving on, nevertheless.

There's a simple rule that applies to many movies but not necessarily all, just most. Mainly the suspense, mystery, and thriller categories (not to be confused with horror, which includes demon puppets and 80's fake blood galore). Here's the rule: if I'm thoroughly surprised by the ending of a movie, then you win and I put a little gold star next to the title. You may think this is pretty simple, but it pretty much is not. So many movies have become predictable in that you sit down, and before 5 minutes has passed, you guessed who the killer is, where he hid the body, and his location on the family tree of the main victim-to-be. I'm talking about when the credits start rolling at the end, I'm saying to myself, "Woah." Flashing an unexpected picture at the end of the movie doesn't count as a surprise.

And in order to achieve such mastery and artistic form to shock and surprise the audience, you need to be a gifted writer.

Enter Alfred Hitchcock.

Now he made movies that we now take for granted. He was the originator of awe and shock. He was living proof that slightly overweight men could become rich and famous. Let's just say, I'll appreciate his creepy artwork from a distance.

Vertigo has you fooled from the beginning. At first I thought that the whole thing would revolve around his dizzy spells, but it was really about Carlotta and Judy and Madeleine and everyone else. But if you think about it, "vertigo" refers to a balance disorder, which in this case referred to the mental balance of pretty much every character in the movie. You have Jimmy Stewart, who among his stuttering, has enough problems with the heights and obsession over a dead woman. Then you have Judy, who plays a dead a woman, who wasn't really dead, but was, and in all the deadness (aka death), she was crazy to keep playing along, even after the death of the undead and dead was settled, but it was really her fate to plummet and join everyone else in the land of the dead. She had it coming, in case you didn't follow, I know I didn't. Then you have Madeleine, who we never really know, but she's dead so moving on. Her husband deserved to be dead but we don't know what happens to him, he just gets away with it. And then Scottie's friend, Midge, was just pretty and crazy enough to paint that weird picture of herself. Either way, maybe it was best she denied the engagement.

What was most impressive was how the movie ended. I mean, after Madeleine's death, I had no idea where the movie was going. And then slowly, and perfectly timed, we find out everything of what actually happened, which left me watching Judy fall, Jimmy looking down a tall tower and a nun who literally frightened a girl to death. Woah.

But like in most Alfred Hitchcock movies, there's a moral and lesson to be learned. We all remember "Don't throw rocks at birds and eat and kill as many as you can" from the beloved classic The Birds, and "Move all windows to the front and mind your own business," in the family friendly Rear Window. Well, Vertigo leaves the children walking away with an important lesson, "In order to face your fears, scare someone else and make them cry until you feel better about your own insecurities." Also, "Nuns can kill you."

Thank you Alfred.

This message brought to you by the Children for a Better, Less Scary America.

Taking a Break

So, today is another break day and the movie installment is This Is It. Michael Jackson, in my book, was a great singer and entertainer, and simply, the movies in depth look at how the concert would have been is breath taking. I've been to one Dave Matthews Band concert in my life, and Trans Siberian Orchestra (doesn't count 'cause it's holiday themed), but this concert looked to be amazing. The music is already legendary, this performance would have topped that. Not to mention I watched it with new surround sound and BluRay Disc player.

So in the honor of the King of Pop and the fact that I'm ridiculously tired and can't think of anything clever to write, I'm signing off. Until tomorrow (which may or may not include Singin' in the Rain...cross your fingers!)

Number 6 is Gone With the Wind

So, we skipped AFI Number 5 because I rented the Number 6 movie and it was due tonight before midnight. Procrastination still prevails.

Gone With the Wind. I watched it today for a second time, seeing that neither my Mom nor sister have seen it before. Though my first experience with the movie was definitely not a good one, this second occasion was a bit better, which I think is due to my open mindedness and expectations for the worst.

The Civil War from the Southern perspective is a bit different than you would expect. Like most wars, there are 2 sides to the story, unless there's a multi-national war where 2 sides are feuding over a disputed futbol match and a 3rd and 4th enter because they're bored and have nothing else to do, while a 5th enters because of their over production of missiles which they only get to shoot at lifeless targets. So I can sympathize that families in the South were destroyed and were forced through extremely hard times. They were protecting land and "tradition," though I'm not necessarily a fan of southern culture. Not all stereotypes are true, but after 4 years living there, I can confirm many.

The movie pretty much revolved around the love affairs of Ms. Scarlet O'Hara. With that said, I would suggest you watch the 4 hour movie for a better idea of the plot, or the 30 second Bunny-mation remix, both sum up my following point.

Of the hundreds and maybe thousands of movies I've seen in my lifetime, Scarlett O'Hara is on top of my most hated villain list. Hannibal Lecter, the Joker, Sweeney Todd, Jason, Freddy Kruger, Chucky...they all come up short. This woman was wretched, and by wretched, I mean, ugggghhh. Pretty much, Scarlet O'Hara was the Civil War enactment, 1930's version of the Lifetime channel's original movie. And simply put, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." All the other characters seemed to be somewhat sane, and Melanie was the golden angel who I clinged to. She was great, simply because she was so forgiving, to look past everything and love people who at one time, loved her. Beautiful really. Ashley, besides the question of his name, was a wimp. And Rhett had his own problems which hopefully he's fixed in the meantime.

After seeing the film again, I wish I had a better memory of when I watched it the first time to 1. Prepare for what to expect when I moved to the South. Apparently they're still sour about the Civil War, and they're planning a terrible counterattack no one could ever survive: Taylor Swift. 2. I would have known never to date a Southern girl, which I did, and I wouldn't have been as shocked after that crazy year.

With that said, the movie was an epic, and it was actually pretty good, but I can't stand Scarlett. Shivers down my spine. But luckily, I was uplifted with The Invention of Lying, which not only was a funny movie, but pretty heart warming as well. Bravo Ricky Gervais.

Bravo Mammy.

Bravo Melanie.

Scarlett....yeah, Rhett said it best.

Raging Bull...Among Others

As you can see, it's been 2 days since the last post, not the promised daily updates. And it wasn't that I didn't watch movies: I did. In fact, I watched several; it's just that none of them were in the top 100. But that's OK because seeing that we have no Blog followers as of yet, I don't really have anyone to apologize to, so I'm saying sorry to myself until someone steps up and complains.

Clash of the Titans, Pineapple Express and Parenthood later, we settle in on AFI's Number 4, Raging Bull.

Seeing that all of my submissions thus far have been blatantly honest, and whole-hearted, I'm not going to stop this pattern. So let me start by saying something nice: the imagery was good, the black and white was captivating, Martin Scorsese is great and Robert Di Nero is a legend. And we pause there.

Raging Bull, is by far, my least favorite movie in the top 10 at this point. I mean, I understand the different qualities of the movie to have it noted, but I don't see how it's in the top 10. So let's make this clear, the movie was good, but it was definitely not great, at least not for me.

Continuing with the good bad good pattern, I have to note that the score was incredibly amazing. That tune that plays, especially during the DVD menu, is so serene and had the story been more captivating, I could have maybe cried. But with such beautiful music, it was hard matching it with the scenes where Robert Di Nero is beaten to a pulp with tomato juice squirting from his eye.

One noteworthy piece is Joe Pesci. I like Joe Pesci, I think he's great in every movie, and in this one, he made me laugh several times. But I noticed that the reason I like Joe Pesci so much is that he plays the same role in every movie. Based on the movies I've seen, My Cousin Vinny, Goodfellas, Lethal Weapon 4, and now Raging Bull all have the same character played by Joe Pesci. No fault to Joe, he gets paid for what he does best. And though I can't put my finger on what it is exactly, I like it.

The story of a boxer who ultimately I feel bad for, his struggles, his tribulations, would make sense as a movie. It worked. Actually, the Wikipedia article on Jake LaMotta seemed to me to be more compelling, enough to maybe watch a History channel documentary one day, just not today.

So I'm glad I saw 3 enjoyable movies before this one. I'm now comfortable with the fact that I may run into more disconcerting installments in the AFI list of 100. So until tomorrow...*Insert memorable quote from recent movie which at this time, there are none..eh*

Casablanca...Here's to Looking at You Kid

Almonds and dried cranberries. Addicting and they taste good. Give it a try.

It finally all makes sense to me now. I mean, there are so many references to this movie, so many quotes that I was guilty of using but never knowing its source. Practically all of the ingenious When Harry Met Sally revolved around the characters of AFI Number 3 Casablanca.

I must admit, the movie was made in 1942 and it's a love story, plain and simple. Now I must admit, I'm not the biggest fan of love movies because I tend to associate them with your typical "chick-flick," but love stories in the 1940's are so much better than the modern stuff. Yeah, so some recent films might slip out that actually tug on your heart strings, but not many. Casablanca was a different story, seeing that it had my attention the entire time.

The movie, in my opinion, was complete, in that not only was it a love story, it had components of friendship, war time genre, and other side relationships that propelled the film forward. I was definitely fond of Humphrey Bogart's character who was that super nice guy but didn't want anybody to know. I couldn't help but think that I had to look up where I could buy that white suit, 'cause it was pretty slick, I must say. I imagine myself putting it on one night, buying my first pack of cigarettes, going to a local club,and then lean on the bar counter looking so cool. Then I would buy a drink, wink at some girls, light a cigarette, inhale, choke, gag, convulse in a weird way that draws the kind of attention you don't want, and die a horribly embarrassing death in front of the crowd of Abercrombie and Fitch wearing college students.

Now to the characters. You've got Humphrey Bogart's Slick Rick as I like to call him. Such a suave guy who knows how and when to act, managing to avoid trouble while inadvertently helping others. You have his close friend Sam, who plays that oh so familiar hit, "As Time Goes By," (which plays near the finale of When Harry Met Sally). The captain, Renault, now he made me chuckle quite often. I liked his brash personality and straight forwardness. For a second I was beginning to lean towards the idea that he was a son-of-a-gun German supporter, but it was clear that it was all fo' sho'. Finally, you have Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa.



I spaced down a little because I felt she deserved a clear paragraph for herself. OK, so nowadays, you turn on the TV or open a magazine or accidentally look at the cover of a magazine that you were trying to avoid your entire time at the store but it got you right as you were ready to check out. Well, in these various forms of media, especially the sinister magazine cover, you see the typical beautiful movie stars and models. Now, yes, they are pretty, some very very pretty. But when I saw Casablanca, and I saw Ingrid Bergman, my first thought was that she was beautiful. Beautiful in a way that you almost want to whisper it or it might ruin the moment. This is the marrying type, because I mean really, what would Mom say if you brought home Jessica Simpson or someone like that? "Yes Mom, I'm sure she finished elementary school." Ingrid is the type that probably has 3 doctorates under her arm. Simply put, she puts a smile on my face.


OK, that's enough space.

"I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship." It's nice to have someone there with you once you just let go of a girl you fell in love with and she ran off, and you were left thinking you would never see her again, (becoming somewhat bitter), just for her to come back, (and you becoming bitterer), and at the same time see her with another guy, (making you become bittererer) and have a feeling of wanting to kill her and kiss her at the same time, (a feeling of the utmost bitterest), and then actually get to kiss her, passionately one should note, and then see her leave again, with the other chump, (the ultimate low of bitterment), who's really a nice guy, but he just happened to be on the bad side of things, and you're left where you were, except, now as a result of the preceding events you have to leave the country and flee for your life (at which point you forgot what it was to feel bitter and now have this new mixed feeling of resentment, depression and happiness)...yeah, it's nice to have a friend sometimes.

Two thumbs up for this one. And seeing that I don't like to play favorites among my fingers, two pinkies up too.

Summary: cool guy, nice friends, BEAUTIFUL woman, bitter, lovely, bitter, lovely leaving me with a relaxing sigh as the movie ended. I like that feeling. So far, this movie would be my safe bet to recommend to anyone and everyone.

The Godfather...for now

69MTHG6XZZZE
OK so this one will be pretty brief for the time being. I figured I would run into several movies on the way that I've seen no less than 10 times each. Though The Godfather isn't one of those movies, I'm pretty sure I'm close to the 8 or 9 count. As a fan of movies and TV in general, it would be equivalent to a sin had I not seen AFI Number 2 the Godfather before, but safe to say, no Judas here.

Classic. I'm sure many would agree, even if they haven't seen the movie, just because the name is so familiar. Everyone imitates it, poorly mainly, but still. It's good enough that your local bum to the CEO of AIG is talking in a soft, scratchy voice almost unlike that of Marlon Brando's artistry: "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse," and other memorable quotes. Honestly, that quote intimidates me in itself. Cake? Cake's a good offer and who can refuse cake? That's what I always hope, that Marlon Brando would offer me cake.

Now here's a man with power, and he knows it! It's funny if you think about it: Citizen Kane had one man who was strong willed and didn't want anything to do with political leadership. In the Godfather, the character is split in two: Vito Corleone, the leader, boss of bosses, very big ring and slick hair; and Michael Corleone, war hero, wants to be a politician and not be involved in the "family business," still pretty slick hair. And bam! Guess who kills a couple guys, hides out in the old country and comes back kicking butt and literally taking names, a list which you do not want to be on? "Michael" is the answer for those of you who missed that rhetorical question.

Personally, I like the spectrum of the Corleone family. I love how you can see Vito's love for his own family, the strength in Sonny, the honesty in Michael, the fear in Fredo and the compassion to take in Tom. It's beautiful really.

Another thing to note is how young everyone is! I mean, really, you look a them now and they're all soo old. I guess time does that to you.

Oh, and Diane Keaton, that's what you get when you marry into an established immigrant family...just deal with it, they'll watch your back, just don't get into their business, OK? Good.

Familia is a valuable thing and this movie definitely emphasizes that point, 'cause even the bad guys have families. All in all, great movie, great lines, great actors, and great movie-photography (cinematography).

So that's all for now until I decide to sit down and actually watch the movie again. "Don't ask me about my business." Enough said.

Citizen Kane

Sitting down with my bowl of popcorn, I first considered the weight I may gain in my efforts to watch all 100 movies. So I'm making an official note that I may need to add healthy snacking options in the near future.

On with the movie! My first one sentence exclamation would be, "It was great." Simply, it was great. For me, the best part of a movie is the story. The second part is the score/music/orchestra man (the one who actually got a career as a music major, and rightfully so). In this movie, the music wasn't exhilarating moving, but that wasn't necessary because the story line was good enough to follow solely. Sometimes there are movies where you have the main character walking through a park for 10 minutes and you think, "Well if I saw this scene in real life, it would be as if I was staring at some random guy for 10 minutes, without him noticing a.k.a. stalking." Hence the need for some dramatic music.

As an effort not to ruin the movie entirely for those who haven't seen it, I won't spell the p-l-o-t o-u-t plainly, but I will instead refer to scenes and other material that should make no sense unless you actually saw the movie. If all this fails, then I'm sorry and will direct ultimate blame to the government.

I like characters who know who they are. Men who stand up for themselves morally, and preserve their integrity, or at least their idea of integrity. Women characters do this as well, but unfortunately a lot of movies that try to tackle this theme tend to approach it from a melodramatic Lifetime perspective which is a bit much for me. Charles Kane was one of these characters, and it was surprising to see how much he knew who he was, given his circumstances as a child (you see, I didn't spill the beans!). As powerful as his persona was, the same reflected of his life story in the movie. In the end I felt bad for him. He had everything, and it wasn't necessarily that he wanted it all. The one thing that he needed and longed for, was the one thing he could never receive: his youth. At least that's the way I saw it. It makes you wonder when you reach the latter days of your life, if when you look back, you see things that you wished you did or attempted. Opportunities are always there, but they're like those eye bugs you see when you stare into the sun for too long: you have to have the right focus.

Wikipedia* goes on to say how Kane's life was supposed to reflect the life of this Hearst fellow who apparently was outraged by the film. No one really knows why, some suggesting he didn't like the portrayal of him by Orson Welles (writer and star actor) or of the portrayal of Kane's second wife. Either way, Hearst and Welles went out about it and evidently had a Cold War dilemma, leaving both in a bitter stalemate. I'm not much for politics, but these guys sure were, and the movie was definitely their fighting ground medium. I mean political corruption is common, especially in movies, but in Citizen Kane, you could see that a man who was considered "destined" for politics, was the man who wanted the least to do with it. Irony can hit you like an iron plate, I'll tell you what!

*Wikipedia technically isn't an accredited reference source, at least that's what they tell you in school, but I use it, and most people who live on the Internet use it, and if you're reading this, it's safe to say that you're a part of this world wide web society who accepts it as their Britannica, therefore, it's good enough for me. And if someone tells you otherwise, ask them to write a report as to why Wikipedia isn't valid enough...without using Wikipedia sources. That'll get them thinking.

Back to the movie. Black and white. It was their only option back then but now it's almost a cinematic setting that whispers to the audience, "Shhhh! This part is important!" So since all of Citizen Kane is black and white, I found myself shhshhing anyone who tried to speak during the movie. The lighting and cinematography was great. I don't know exactly what cinematography means, but I think of photography, and apply it to movies and that's my definition, in which case, the movie-photography was great. The placement of the actors, the way the light shone on them, the close ups of Kane's face, especially as he aged, it was very moving.

Speaking of aging, the makeup was pretty neat. I use the word neat because nowadays, the makeup effort would be equivalent to that of a really good high school drama production, but back then, it was pretty awesome. So now it's neat. You could see the stretch marks of whatever plastic, clay looking mold was thrown on his face, but like I said before, the movie was too good to be diverted from the plot.

Finally, the ending. It pretty much makes the movie, simply because that's what the whole thing is about! Rosebud Rosebud Rosebud. Yeah, we figured out what it means (thank GOD!) but it also reminds me to do one thing before I keel over on my death bed: write a letter or note or something explaining my life mysteries, if I have any by that time. Even if I think no one will read it, it's only polite. It's the least you can do, instead of causing a big upheaval over what my life meant, could have meant, was lacking in meaning or so forth. I don't want to be the cause of a war or something, 'cause you never know, people are crazy.

I didn't shed a tear, but I liked the movie for sure. I can see why it's number one, it's very American and it stands for something. A man's tribulations? Life's dying words? Predicting the coming of terrible pop artists ruining the radio supported by rich production companies? Who knows? Go be philosophical and figure it out, you can't get it wrong, I promise.

The Night Before the Premiere

And so it begins...

A mindless effort and waste of time some would say but I have a lot of time to waste right now, and I don't want my mind to shrivel away, so I figured aimlessly writing about movies I watched while wasting my time is really better than nothing. On the plus side though, I allow myself to watch a bunch of movies, classics in fact (as deemed so by the American Film Institute, seeing that America apparently is the Third Reich when it comes to movie appreciation). OK maybe not as strict, but still led by Charlie Chaplin nonetheless.

Let it be known that as I begin my journey through these 100 films, I have no official background in the film industry, hence, I'm you're ordinary Joseph E. Schmo watching movies from the perspective of: me. So if you can imagine sitting in a movie theatre, looking back at the other people settling in, some with popcorn buckets and sodas, others deciding strategically where to sit, and then looking forward again because there was nothing behind you that really caught your attention...I was the one with the popcorn.

With that point made, I think I should just touch on the idea(s) that inspired me to start this "journey." I was wasting away in the world of the online waste bucket, when all of a sudden I found myself looking up the top 100 movies on Google. I printed out the list and figured it would be fun to say, "Yes sir, I've seen the top 100 movies of all time...Excuse me?...Yes, of ALL time...Thank you." It also finally gave me an excuse to go to my local video store instead of the all-too-frequently visited RED BOX. (Which, on a side note, I always wondered why they seem to be near McDonald's more often than not. Is it just me, or has the general public associated hamburgers with movie watching, replacing our beloved popcorn ideals? I certainly hope not. A big McDonald's conspiracy if you ask me.) Anyway, there just so happened to be a "Classics" section in the video store, for which I am ever so grateful, another sign that watching these movies may be my destiny, or at least a way of passing time till I find out exactly what my destiny is, and if I even have/had one. I came home and figured that I would need to talk to someone after watching these films, at least for discussion. I talk to my sister all the time, though she complains that most our conversations involve me referring to at least one movie or TV show per conversation. Because she's absolutely right, I figured I could write my thoughts down to maintain her sanity, or what's left of it. Then it lead me to the possibility of allowing others to read my thoughts, seeing that I don't have a Facebook, Twitter, Myspace or FamilyWatchDog account. Plus I could limit my thoughts to the movies and not have to write random statements throughout the day as they apply to me, "President is giving a speech tonight, can't wait...cancel that: American Idol is on, hope he doesn't interrupt." And so forth.

Another dilemma I met along the way was the eerie resemblance to the movie "Julie and Julia" and how this attempt may seem to be too cliche and not original enough. But then again, the use of the word "cliche" has in a way become cliche in itself, and by the weird laws of mathematics and rationalization, the multiple cliches in my dilemma cancel each other out and I feel that I've managed to find a loophole outside of the problem all together. Plus the thought of me playing a male version of Amy Adams gives me unsettling shivers. Moving on.

So roll out the red carpet ladies and gentlemen, I'm walking down, about to watch my first movie, Number 1 on the list: Citizen Kane. I'm excited and if you are too, you may be too excitable, or I have an act to be an enthralling character. If that's the case, thank you.

So until tomorrow! (Or a couple of hours, whichever comes first...think about it...)