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.