Toren's Guide to Cinemagic

Toren’s Guide to Cinemagic…
…being a brief introduction to the finest, underrated, overlooked and sometimes obscure films the history of cinema has to offer. Hey, I’ve seen a lot of movies. Let me take you on a tour of what I think are the movies that everyone should see. I will gloss over or omit entirely movies that I’m pretty sure everyone has seen and/or knows about, so as not to waste your precious internet surfing time. Nevertheless, get comfy, folks….

CAVEAT: I am an individual with specific tastes. Though I think myself open to any quality film, there are certain genres and styles that I have marked preference for, and this will become apparent pretty quickly. Not all of my favourite films will be yours, especially if you liked Coyote Ugly.

DRAMA: A CHRONOMOLOGICAL ODYSSEY

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – 1975. A con gets out of prison by pretending to be insane, ending up at sanitarium instead where he forms several interesting relationships. Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd at the top of their game.

Network – 1976. A brilliant and still very relevant commentary on “info-tainment,” i.e. how the news became an entertainment division. Great acting all ’round.

Dead Poet’s Society – 1989. It made water come out of my eye.

The Shawshank Redemption – 1994. Set in the 1940’s, a man is wrongfully sent to prison and has to endure much nastiness. Hard to believe this was adapted from a Stephen King novel!

The Madness of King George – 1994. The title summarizes this underrated pic with Nigel Hawthorne and Ian Holm.

The Big Kahuna – 1999. Adapted from a play and completely dialogue-driven, this film doesn’t get a great review from most but I found it quite sharp and thoughtful. But then, I’m an atheist. Danny Devito, Kevin Spacey. See also Glengarry Glen Ross.

The Cider House Rules – 1999. Adaptation of John Irving’s novel starring Tobey McGuire and Michael Caine. Special appearance by Charlize Theron’s bum dimples. Don’t delay on this one.

Snatch – 2000. If you like macho British romps involving guns, swearing and general shenanigans then this and 1998’s Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels are worth checking out.

American Splendor – 2003. A biopic of the underground comic artist Harvey Pekar shot in a very intriguing way. Some of the shots are actual Pekar, some are Paul Giamatti brilliantly playing the role.

THE COEN BROTHERS
One of the things about the Coen Brothers is that their films are usually very dense. Miller’s Crossing was my favourite movie for about ten years, and one of the reasons is that every time you watched it you picked up on an insight to the story and characters that you missed the previous time. So even if you’ve seen one of these films before, especially Miller’s Crossing, The Big Lebowski and No Country for Old Men, watch them again because unlike many movies they become better with each viewing.

Blood Simple – 1984. “Suspense/Crime” film

Raising Arizona – 1987. A comedy, more or less. A childless ex-con and ex-cop couple kidnap one of the Arizona quintuplets and things get more complicated from there. John Goodman, Holly Hunter, Nicolas Cage.

Miller’s Crossing – 1990. Prohibition era gang war, with some violence, yes, but really it is a character-driven story about loyalty. Everything about this film including the dialogue reads as authentic for the 1920’s. John Turturro, Jon Polito, Steve Buscemi and the inimitable Albert Finney. Gorgeous soundtrack by Carter Burwell.

Barton Fink – 1991. John Turturro, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Tony Shalhoub.

The Hudsucker Proxy – 1994, comedy. Steve Buscemi, Jon Polito, John Goodman, and did you know that Bruce Campbell is in this film?

Fargo – 1996. The most well known of the Coen’s films and you’ve no doubt seen it. Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare.

The Big Lebowski – 1998, comedy. The best of the bunch. John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Jon Polito, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Peter Stormare. Lots of swearing. Noticing a thread between these films yet?

Oh Brother Where Art Thou? – 2000, comedy. Three escaped cons journey through an adaptation of Homer’s “The Odyssey” set in the deep south of the 1930’s, with a wonderful soundtrack. John Turturro, John Goodman.

No Country for Old Men – 2007, decidedly NOT a comedy. And then they went back to their roots, which is to say I want to watch Blood Simple again.

HAYAO MIYAZAKI
Chances are you’ve seen either Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke or both, and if so welcome to the world of Hayao Miyazaki, often unfortunately referred to as the Walt Disney of Japan. Despite being a bit of a cartoon nut, I’m not really that much of an anime fan, as I find the over-stylization more of a distraction than a technique in service of the story. Of course, there are exceptions. Please, if you can, watch the subtitled versions rather than the dubbed ones.

Lupin the Third: Castle of Cagliostro – 1979. A charismatic thief and his companions break into a castle to rescue a girl and uncover a counterfeiting plot. You don’t really need to know the backstory of Lupin to enjoy this film.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds -1984. My favourite Miyazaki film. There is an ecological message in this film about a post-apocalyptic kingdom and giant insects, but you don’t get beaten over the head with it. Like all of Miyazaki’s films they’re suitable for kids and adults alike.

Laputa: Castle in the Sky – 1986. A close second to Nausicaa, here’s another delightful fantasy, this time involving sky pirates, a lost civilization, robots and secret agents. Sweet sweet sweetness.

My Neighbor Totoro – 1988. Forest spirits as only the Japanese can envision. A great film for a quiet night at home and if your kid doesn’t love it there’s something wrong…with your kid.

WES ANDERSON.
Semi-comedic movies about failed relationships, familial and otherwise. Darjeeling Limited and The Life Aquatic were both great fun, but pay attention to these:

Bottle Rocket – 1996. Not the best film but not since it’s a little more obscure I’ll mention it. Seek it out if you have enjoyed the others listed here.

Rushmore – 1998. My favourite Anderson film. Put this at the top of your list if you haven’t seen it.

The Royal Tennenbaums – 2001. Great! Only Wes Anderson could make one of Ben Stiller trademark goof characters a working fixture.

COMEDY

The Thin Man – 1934. One can see why there were five sequels to this film featuring the team of William Powell and Myrna Loy as detective story author Dashiell Hammett’s wacky characters. Lots of subtle quips and physicality that had me laughing most heartily.

I Love You Again – 1940. Myrna Loy and William Powell again, but different.

The Ladykillers – 1955. The original with Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers as part of a gang of blundering criminals who plot to kill their landlady.

The Producers – 1968. Without question the best Mel Brooks film, starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder as a pair of theater producers trying to scam old ladies out of their money by producing “Springtime for Hitler” a play they are certain will flop.

Harold & Maude – 1971. Borderline cult film, I don’t want to spoil anything for you if you haven’t seen it but it’s a super fun treat of a film!

Schizopolis – 1996. This is a very quirky film so you have to be in the mood for something a little avant garde, but it is funny! I can’t summarize the film better than this.

God of Cookery – 1996. If you enjoyed Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer, seek out this earlier Stephen Chow film. Ridiculous in a good way!

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (This Island Earth) – 1996. I’ve watched many an episode of MST3K and typically there are hilarious bits with an equal amount of waiting for hilarious bits, but for this “feature” episode lambasting 1954’s sci-fi turd This Island Earth it’s clear they took a lot longer to craft the jokes and it shows. I could watch this over and over.

The Impostors – 1998. One of my favourite films which you’ve probably never heard of, this underrated gem is an homage to the golden age of Hollywood. The story is about two out of work actors who accidentally stow away on a cruise ship and find themselves tangled up in several zany plots. Written, directed by and starring Stanley Tucci, also with Oliver Platt, Tony Shalhoub and Alfred Molina.

Ghostbusters – 1984. You’ve seen it, but how recently? Watch it again and this time note the dangling cigarettes.

Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure -1985, which I’m also sure you’ve seen but bears mentioning just in case.

Grosse Pointe Blank – 1997. A romantic comedy about a hitman going to his high school reunion. The Cusacks & Alan Arkin.

CLASSICS: THANK YOU TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES
Many people discount “classic” movies as outmoded, quaint, and, well, black and white. But there are a lot of great old films in every genre, not to mention the fact that sometimes it’s important to understand movies better by having a decent grasp of historical context. I’ll group old flicks with new by genre, rather than segregate films by age, but I will address some meat & potatoes “dramas” here:

Captain Blood – 1935. A Robin-Hoodesque pirate film as only Errol Flynn could provide. Quite educational, actually, especially if you want to know what a ‘rosary of pain’ is.

The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse – 1938. I found this Edward G. Robinson flick about a doctor who becomes part of a gang of thieves in an effort to scientifically study the criminal mind completely fascinating.

The Maltese Falcon – 1941. If you only see one film noir in your life, this would arguably be the one.

Casablanca – 1942. This was on my list of movies to see for, literally, years. I kept putting it off and when I finally watched it I kicked myself for waiting so long. It really is as good as they say and is a must see for anyone who wants to get the ton of references in pop culture from Bugs Bunny to The Muppets to The Simpsons. PS – if you like Casablanca also check out Bogey and Bacall in To Have and Have Not (1944).

The Magnificent Ambersons – 1942. A tale of a spoiled young heir who gets his comeuppance. The film itself has a rather incredible history if you want to research it.

The Best Years of Our Lives – 1946. Not quick-moving by any stretch, but an extremely poignant look at how WWII veterans deal with returning to their small town lives after being at war. One scene in particular will stand out and I will not spoil it for you. Myrna Loy.

The Third Man – 1949. Great early thriller with Orson Welles.

Roman Holiday – 1953. A nice light romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn.

Stalag 17 – 1953. In a Hogan’s Heroes/M.A.S.H. sort of way, POWs deal with serious times in amusing ways.

On the Waterfront – 1954. We all know the Brando quote “I coulda been a contender.” Now watch the film about longshoremen standing up to corrupt union bosses. Eight Oscars, folks.

12 Angry Men – 1957. Lee J Cobb, Henry Fonda. A film about prejudice, but the real draw is the acting. This should be a lesson to any filmmaker about how it’s possible to make a great film that happens in one room.

Paths of Glory – 1957. Stanley Kubrick. Kirk Douglas. True story. WWI. Mutiny. Not suitable for every mood.

Bridge on the River Kwai – 1957. Takes a while to get going but the time spent with the characters makes the ending that much more powerful. Alec Guinness and a gaggle of sexy Siamese girls.

The Apartment – 1960. Jack Lemmon and a surprisingly cute Shirley MacLaine. Suitable for everyone and anyone at any time.

Inherit the Wind – 1960. There are some things that irk me about this look at the 1925 trial on teaching evolution in school, but this is worth watching nonetheless.

Judgment at Nuremberg – 1961. Four German judges are on trial for using their offices to conduct Nazi policies during a political climate in which the governments are trying to reconcile. Not for the squeamish, especially since you’ll be watching a young William Shatner.

Seven Days in May – 1964. If you like films about military leaders plotting to overthrow the president because of his nuclear disarmament treaty, this is good deep stuff.

The Graduate – 1967. Another film I took forever to finally see, and I don’t want you to make the same mistake.

Wait Until Dark – 1967 was a good year for movies! Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin in this thriller about a recently blinded woman being terrorized by thugs searching for smuggled heroin.

In the Heat of the Night – 1967. Sydney Poitier stars as a black detective sent to investigate a murder in a racist town. You have to be in the right mood for this but when you are, wow.

SCIFI, SUPERHEROES, ETC

The Day the Earth Stood Still – 1951. The definitive cold-war era commentary on peace and xenophobia. A fine film and classic in every sense. Klaatu berata nikto.

War of the Worlds – 1953. Pretty campy by today’s standards but generally a good adaptation and definitely better than the Tom Cruise fiasco.

Forbidden Planet – 1956. A nice cerebral and generally classy (except for the zeitgeist sexism) film full of theremin. Leslie Nielsen as the rugged space captain.

Brazil – 1985. Just as much a comedy as a sci-fi, there is really nothing like this film. It’s Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam’s masterpiece. Actors include that Ian Holm guy again and a cameo by Robert De Niro.

Akira – 1988. Still the best non-Miyazaki anime.

Army of Darkness – 1992. Part fantasy, part horror, part comedy, part of a trilogy yet also viewable independently. One of those “cult” films you may have heard of. Lots of yucks.

City of Lost Children – 1995. Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie, Delicatessen) brings us this surreal, dark fantasy about mad scientists, clones and cyclops.

The Iron Giant – 1999. The Simpsons’ Brad Bird brings us one of my all-time favourite animated films. Watch it soon and watch it often. Gets me right *here* every time.

Galaxy Quest – 1999. The only good Tim Allen film (he’s playing a douchebag so he suits the role), and mandatory for Star Trek fans. Also stars some great actors like Sam Rockwell, Tony Shalhoub, Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman.

Donnie Darko – 2001. Is it about time travel or mental illness? I don’t want to spoil anything for you but it’s set in the ’80s and is a rich and multi-layered film full of memorable yet realistic characters.

WaSanGo – 2001. Volcano High in English, a comedic Matrix-style Korean live-action anime, if you will, with lots of over-the-top kung fu. Akin to Stephen Chow films like Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer.

The Incredibles – 2004. Brad Bird does it again in the be-all-and-end-all of superhero flicks and computer animated flicks.

HORROR
See also my article on the four kinds of horror films: http://www.thickets.net/toren/2004/08/08/scare-tactics/

King Kong – 1933. The original really is amazing, especially for the time, and if you’ve only seen the Peter Jackson version this will give you a new perspective on some of the scenes and in-jokes.

Exorcist – 1973. If you haven’t, do.

Alien – 1979. I probably don’t have to tell you about this. Still holds up as both horror and scifi almost 30 years later, and one of the scariest films of all time. Why? Because we don’t see the monster. Many horror filmmakers can learn something from this technique. Pay close attention to Ian Holm’s performance throughout.

The Thing – 1982. Like Alien, this is about a small group of people trapped in one location with a horrible horrible monster. A remake of a 50’s B picture this one adds a hefty dose of paranoia and is also a classy testosterone fest with Kurt Russell and Wilford Brimley.

MUSICALS
I don’t generally care for them but if you do, here are the ones I’ve seen and enjoyed which it may be conceivable you haven’t seen yet:

Singin’ in the Rain – 1952.

My Fair Lady – 1964.

DOCUMENTARIES
Baraka – 1992. Only for those who enjoy rich visuals & music with no traditional plot or characters. See also Koyaanisqatsi.

Death by Design – 1997. A really boring ending, but otherwise this film about cell death is fascinating!

Spellbound – 2002. If you like spelling bees, “gifted” kids, and watching people’s awkward vulnerabilities, this is the film for you.

Comedian – 2002. This doc of Jerry Seinfeld’s post-sitcom life is quite touching.

SPECIAL MENTIONS:

Amazon Women on the Moon – 1987. Some hit, some miss in this offbeat segment comedy with the pretense that you’re watching an old scifi b-movie on late night TV, complete with commercials and other interruptions. Michelle Pfeiffer, Rosanna Arquette and Steve Guttenberg, if you can believe it. Sit through the dull bits because you won’t want to miss “Don ‘No Soul’ Simmons.”

Gandahar – 1988. Also titled Light Years, this French animation is both fantastical and creepy. Time travel, mutants, destiny – pretty cool stuff. Glenn Close, Christopher Plummer, Penn Jillette voice.

Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny – 2006. This film did poorly at the box office, and it’s mostly because it’s geared towards a very niche market: The Tenacious D fan. I am one of those, so this movie kicked ass. If you’re NOT a D fan, and have no interest in becoming, skip it, knowing that you will miss a rock-off with the devil.

If you’re a Sam Rockwell fan like I’m a Sam Rockwell fan, you’ll want to check out the excellent The Green Mile (1999), the endearing Lawn Dogs (1997), the relaxing Box of Moonlight (1996) with John Turturro, and the quirky Safe Men (1998) with Paul Giamatti.

Comments? Disagreements? Outrage?

Recipes to Share… ALLLLLLVIIIIIIIIIN!

For those of you who read this blog for the sole reason to see if I’ve been using my crock pot lately: I totally did. Last night.

While I was browsing the interweb (when I should have been drawing) I came across a lot of interesting information about the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie, which I really don’t know anything about, but I really enjoyed reading this stuff, so I’m going to share it with you.

From Amid Amidi of cartoonbrew.com on said movie:

Despite the film’s box office success, it’s still an embarrassing project to be involved with if you’re a major part of its creative team and you consider yourself to also be an artist. This became clear when actor Patton Oswalt made an offhand comment on his blog about how he and comedian Brian Posehn were both offered the role of Ian, the agent, and how they both rejected it because of its awfulness. David Cross, who took the role, was so peeved by the notion that he was a sell-out wrote a five-point blog post defending his decision to be involved in the movie. Thankfully, the film’s animation director Chris Bailey, doesn’t have to write a blog post defending his work on the film. Because unlike live-action actors, animation artists have no choice but to work on shit. It’s the only game in town sadly.

Hmm..an artistically bankrupt piece of media that also makes money? Intriguing.

From Patton Oswalt’s myspace blog:

ALVIN AND THE CHIMPMUNKS is a blatant, soulless, money-grab — the only reason it even got MADE was because there was an family-movie-shaped-hole in the release schedule. Oddly enough, both Brian Posehn and I were offered the part of Ian, the agent. We both threw the script across the room in disgust. David Cross caught it.
But for people to whine and bitch about the movie runing their childhoods is even more disgusting. The only way the ALVIN AND THE CHIMPMUNKS movie is ruining your childhood is if you’re 70 years old, or retarded. In fact, if you liked Alvin and the Chimpmunks to BEGIN with, maybe you need your childhood raped.

From bobanddavid.com:

Up to working on “Alvin” I [David Cross in case you haven’t figured that one out] had not worked in six (SIX!) months. That is an eternity if you’re an actor. Think about not working for two months with no hope of anything on the horizon. Now triple that. It was the longest period without work since after “Ben Stiller” got cancelled (the show, not the man) and I was going nuts
….
I have a pretty modest lifestyle, I live in the same relatively small 1100 sq. foot apartment since I moved [to NY]. I don’t own a car, don’t go out “clubbing”, and don’t really own anything of much value. I am in no way hurting for money but I guarantee you that I have much, much less than you think. The reason I bring this up is because two years ago I decided that I wanted to get a small place upstate. Nothing fancy, a small cottage […]I looked informally for a long time but never found anything that I liked in my price range. Then finally, after much disappointed searching, I did. It’s a small cottage […] in the middle of nowhere. No town, no nothing. Two hours outside the city […] Perfect. It was a little more than I had budgeted for but it was definitely worth it. I asked the owner if he’d take some of my credibility as payment. He looked at me as if I was an alien with A.I.D.S. speaking some intergalactic gobbledy-goo. I had to patiently explain to this country bumpkin about my indie hipster cred, and I would now like to cash it in. This rural rube was so backwards and ignorant that he couldn’t even conceive of how financial markets work and simple free market capitalism. I tried again to explain the concept of the value of “credibility” and “artistic integrity” but he refused to take it in exchange for the house. This guy was a fucking idiot! But what could I do? He wouldn’t take no for an answer. If I wanted that cottage I would have to pay him money. Sigh. So I used my “Alvin and the Chipmunks” money to pay for the down payment. Seriously, I totally did.

Incidentally that’s the same kind of justification I tell myself when I do a voice in a Barbie commercial.

Also if you enjoy negative and hilarious movie reviews, check out http://www.avclub.com/content/blog/flops

Including Season 1 & 2 of Samurai Jack!

It was something I was thinking about, and then Joyce did it. In a month or so I’ll be cutting off my cable. Lately I’ve been taping tons of stuff off of Turner Classic Movies, and picking up $5 DVDs from Craigslist in preparation.

But like Lando Calrissian says, I’ve just made a deal that will keep the empire out of here forever.

Tonight I picked up 47 DVDs for $200. Including all 3 extended editions of Lord of the Rings, complete Neon Genesis Evangelion box set which I’ve heard good things about, Final Fantasy VII box set, Postcards from the Future: Chuck Palahniuk Documentary, Transformers Anniversary Special Edition, South Park Season 8, Gollum, Cowboy Bebop, Family Guy vol 3 and almost everything I’ve listed on this new Vancouver Video Swap Facebook group that I started.

Addendum: I! AM! OVERCOMPENSATING!

My promised retort to Joe:

Joe invited me to see Beowulf yesterday but I declined. He tried to convince me that I’d like it despite “I don’t like anything manly.” It’s true I disliked Kill Bill and Sin City and 300, but that has more to do with style over substance and very little to do with manliness. Although I should point out that any film with a man yelling out who or what he is (“I! AM! BEOWULF!” or “THIS! IS! SPARTA!”) is probably trying to be a little TOO manly. Give me the quiet machismo of Clint Eastwood over the grandstanding oiled down bluster of King Leonidas any day. I probably will see Beowulf some day, but not on opening weekend.

THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING

Here’s some manly films I love:

Miller’s Crossing
No Country for Old Men
Conan the Barbarian
12 Angry Men
Casablanca
Aliens
Pulp Fiction
Glengarry Glen Ross
The Thing
Wasango (Volcano High)
Blood Simple
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Bourne Identity
Cool Hand Luke
Snatch
Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Terminator & T2
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
Army of Darkness
Gladiator
The Four Musketeers
The Limey
Stalag 17
Leon (The Professional)
Coldblooded

Also, don’t confuse manliness with misogyny. I’m looking at you, Frank Miller.

Animation As A Storytelling Device

Remember the 1978 Ralph Bakshi Lord of the Rings movie? The one where they rotoscoped live actors and then animated over them? Maybe this pic will jog your memory:

toastbakshilotr.jpg

Now I have nothing against special effects when they’re done well. And if you’re entire movie is going to be special effects (such as, say, animation) then that’s cool too. I happen to love animation. But there is good animation and there is crappy animation. There is Bob Clampett Bugs Bunny and Princess Mononoke and then there is the 1990’s X-Men Cartoon and Rocket Robin Hood.

The most important part of telling a story through animation is the acting. It’s a hard sell. Animation is stylized, and good animators use that as a strength.

Here’s an excellent example of what works. Turn the sound off and watch at least the first 2 minutes of this clip. Pay close attention to the acting in the faces but don’t ignore the body acting either.

Now watch the “Not My Curse” scene between the CGI’d Anthony Hopkins and Ray Winstone here (again turn the sound off if you like):
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808728058/video/4798298/standardformat/

Now, this CGI is certainly impressive. It looks almost real! (I’m a little confused as to why you would try to make an almost real Anthony Hopkins when you actually have access to a really real Anthony Hopkins, more on that later.) It works on some levels, but on others it does not. It’s like they’ve put a veneer over the actors. It’s hyper-realistic enough to confuse my senses, but just simulated enough to take me out of the story, to prevent me from immersing myself into this world. It is art, yes, and for art’s sake it may succeed, but as a tool for filmic storytelling – it takes away. Whereas while the CGI in The Incredibles is also art, the stylized format of animation is used to service the acting, not the other way around.

Now, let me emphasize that I am judging this film solely on the clips I’ve seen on the interweb, but it seems to me that Beowulf is the Bakshi Lord of the Rings of 2007.

No Country For Old Men

A theater named Scotiabank Theatre should only play movies about finances and investments, like Wall Street, Greed, Dog Day Afternoon and It’s A Wonderful Life. It troubles me that it’s the only theatre in BC that’s playing the Coen brothers’ new film “No Country for Old Men.” Which I watched yesterday. I don’t like seeing movies on opening weekend. No Country opened on Friday so I thought a matinee on Sunday would be fine. Well the theatre was packed tight. Even arriving a half hour before showtime there weren’t enough seats together for all of my friends who accepted my invitation to join me. And in one respect Scotiabank Theatre is the antithesis of my fave theatre, The Rio. Not only does Scotiabank show ads before the movie, they show ads constantly between movies. At no time is the screen blank and quiet. Thanks for paying your $12, now watch these commercials for cars and milk. The best part was the audacity of the woman behind me who told me to sit down (I was standing up to flag down Kevin, Stephane & Stewie as they came in) so she could watch these ads. Stupid, stupid woman. I was gratified to be able to sass her about it.

Anyway – on to the movie non-review for No Country for Old Men (no spoilers here, folks).

Rottentomatoes.com puts it at 95%. IMDB at 9.0/10. That’s about right. Like the best Coen Brothers films (Miller’s Crossing, The Big Lebowski), No Country is so rich and dense that you need to watch it several times to fully appreciate all the levels. There were moments that I got so caught up in, that the scenes following were lost to me. The dialogue and acting and pacing are things of beauty. If you go see it in the theater I advise you to pay closer and closer attention as the film progresses. The only criticism I have would likely only be valid if I had a medical background – despite the various grisly wounds in the film nobody ever goes into shock. I guess some folk are manly enough to never succumb. Others may say the movie is too long. They are, of course, wrong. It was too short.

No Country for Old Men harkens back to the Coen’s first outing, Blood Simple, and in many ways Fargo. I need to see it again. Problem is I don’t see myself going back to the Scotiabank Theatre any time soon. Blech. I’ll be getting it on DVD though, and watching it with subtitles on (a habit I’ve gotten into) for that extra layer of depth and clarity.

November on TCM

Here’s a little culture service announcement courtesy of me, all about my favourite TV channel (always commercial free!) TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES and some interesting things to watch on it this month (guest programmer month):

Today – 5pm Adam’s Rib with Spencer Tracy & Audrey Hepburn
– 11pm Citizen Kane with you-know-who
1:15 am – The Magnificent Amberson’s, a wonderful film.
set your VCRs for 7am tomorrow morning (Nov 4) because it’s the noir classic The Maltese Falcon. A must see.

NOV 10 – Guest programmer Danny Devito has some unlikely choices! Bridge on the River Kwai with Alec Guinness (see it if you haven’t); 1975’s Shampoo with Warren Beatty; The Devil Doll (An escaped Devil’s Island convict uses miniaturized humans to wreak vengeance on those that framed him!!) & The Battle of Algiers

NOVEMBRANCE DAY: Woody Allen’s sci-fi film The Sleeper; then Mutiny on the Bounty with Marlin Brando (pretty good!);

NOV 12: 12 Angry Men (a must see!); Inherit the Wind – a 1960 film about teaching evolution in schools with Spencer Tracy; and then, MORLOCKS! in 1960’s The Time Machine.

NOV 14 – Guest programmer Matt Groening

NOV 16 – 1933 King Kong at 7pm

NOV 18 – some Cary Grant goodies including North by Northwest and The Philadelphia Story PLUS Casablanca.

NOV 20 – It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World

NOV 21 – Kermit the Frog guest programmer and picks Singin’ in the Rain

NOV 23 – The wonderful Best Years of Our Lives with my favourite Myrna Loy; plus Stalag 17 the precursor to Hogan’s Heroes but much much better.

NOV 29 – Guest programmer Mark (Devo) Mothersbaugh and Inherit the Wind if you missed it on the 12th.

300

This pretty much illustrates one of the reasons I disliked 300 so much:


courtesy of Robot Chicken.