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...)