OK film fans, the Super Bowl has come and gone and the bitter realization that the next game is six months away has slowly started to creep into my psyche. Thank goodness for March Madness. Oh yeah, and the basketball one too. Anyway, since tonight was the curtain call for the NFL and I'm groggy from beer and pizza, it seems like a good time for a list. I'll let my friends Championship Vinyl explain how my Top 5 Football Films will work.
Before I get started let me end some suspense right now, Rudy is not on this list. I know there are many fans of this film and rightfully so, it's a Hollywood "feel good" film based on a true story. Honestly, it's not that I dislike the film; I guess I'm just confused about how it's so motivational for so many people. A 5'6", 165 lb walk-on, in his last chance as a Sr., gets to play a few downs at the end of the game thanks to the kind heart (not in the film) of the Head coach. On the last play of the game, and his 1 game career, he gets a sack and becomes only the second Notre Dame player to be carried off the field. There's no doubting it's a great human interest story, but to me it's about as inspirational as stories of mentally handicapped team managers getting into various high school games. Sure they're great, feel good stories, but inspirational? I would say Invincible with Mark Wahlberg is more motivational and has a better ending. Which message is better: never give up, even if you don't have the tools to succeed or if you have ability it's never too late to use it?
5. Remember the Titans If all you're making is a film about football, it better be pretty damn good to stand out. But if you can add in a true story about race, forced integration and the realization that skin color teaches you less about a person than their character and you have a film for the ages.
4. The Program Here it comes, I can hear the bitching and moaning now! College football is filled with a million dirty little secrets that Head coaches, A.D's and the NCAA spend a great deal of time and money hiding from us. This film decided not to blow anymore smoke up our collective asses. It's not a great film, the character development is pretty weak, but considering the lack of films made that even remotely address any of these issue, let alone the so called "student-athlete" farce, it gets extra kudos for originality.
I just realized how much I'm cannibalizing myself, but it's too late to turn back now. Way back on day 7 I posted my Top 5 Sports Films and it turns out the Venn Diagrams overlap heavily on this list. As such, I'll try to add some new info.
3. All the Right Moves This film came out in 1983, the same year as Risky Business, when Tom Cruise was a rising star who was actually believable in his roles. In my opinion, as I've discussed before, this film nails the feel of high school football better than any other. It's also centered on a common plot device, someone using sports to better their position in life. He knows that football can get him out of his small, dead-end town, but his education will keep him out and create a new life. But in his struggle he learns the importance of kindness and respect that would otherwise be lost in teenage selfishness.
2. Brian's Song There are a lot of things I could say about this film. I could wax poetic about the bromance, the inspiration, the nostalgia and the heartfelt tone of the film. I could discuss how it's refreshingly direct in handling the racial issues faced by Brian Piccolo and Gayle Sayers without every seeming preachy. Or how the friendship between the men is inspirational and is portrayed with subtlety and ease by James Caan and Billy Dee Williams. But, as with all great films, it shows us what true friendship is rather than telling us. It's this rare gift that has allowed this film to endure as a classic.
1. North Dallas Forty I absolutely love this look at the seamy side of professional sports. Much like #4 on the list, it peels back a layer we all know exists but consciously ignore. It takes a serious look at just about all the troubles we see sports stars deal with. The greatest truth in professional sports is stated clearly from one of the players, "Every time I call it a game you call it a business, every time I call it a business you call it a game." Although it's a little dated, and it pains me to say this, they just don't make films like this anymore. And yes, I'm looking at you Oliver Stone.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
day 36 - The Muppet Movie
OK film fans, it's Saturday and my day has been full of song, wine and women. Well, actually I was doing a little house cleaning, car fixing and UFC watching, but you know, basically the same thing. And since I've been ranting vociferously over the past few days, today seems like a good day for some mindless fun.
It's common nowadays for children's films to be filled with winks, asides and jokes intended solely for the adults in the audience. But this wasn't always the case. Most of the early canon of children's films, which are predominately Disney films, are based off of fairy tales created as parables intended to teach rudimentary social norms. Tonight's film is perhaps the first incarnation of children's films aimed at entertaining the adults as much as the children.
The Muppet Movie is one of the few children's films from my youth that is not only still very funny, but moving as well. The film brought all of the characters from the hit TV show onto the silver screen and into the real world. Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzy the Bear (my favorite!) and the rest of the cast not only made the transition to the big screen easily, they jumped out of the TV right into the real world. The premise is simple; a big Hollywood agent, Dom De Luise, hears Kermit singing and playing the Ukulele and, as luck would have it, Hollywood is currently looking for a singing frog. Kermit sets off on a road trip of epic proportions, encounters all of our favorite friends from the show and teaches us wonderful lessons about perseverance in the face of obstacles, the importance of belief in yourself and your dreams.
The groundbreaking trend here is the infusion of stars in cameo roles. Nowadays, it's always in the form of voice overs, but here, since this is puppets interacting with the real world, we get actual star presence sprinkled through the film. At the time it was a veritable who's who of comedy stars including appearances by Steve Martin and Richard Pryor in addition to the great Madeline Kahn, Mel Brooks, Bob Hope and motherf---ing Orson Welles! Let's see you top that Shrek.
Anyway, the true purpose of this post is really just to reminisce about how much I loved this film as a kid, how much it has stayed with me for all these years and the fact that writing this blog allows me to post one of my favorite scenes of all time. Life's like a movie, write your own ending...
It's common nowadays for children's films to be filled with winks, asides and jokes intended solely for the adults in the audience. But this wasn't always the case. Most of the early canon of children's films, which are predominately Disney films, are based off of fairy tales created as parables intended to teach rudimentary social norms. Tonight's film is perhaps the first incarnation of children's films aimed at entertaining the adults as much as the children.
The Muppet Movie is one of the few children's films from my youth that is not only still very funny, but moving as well. The film brought all of the characters from the hit TV show onto the silver screen and into the real world. Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzy the Bear (my favorite!) and the rest of the cast not only made the transition to the big screen easily, they jumped out of the TV right into the real world. The premise is simple; a big Hollywood agent, Dom De Luise, hears Kermit singing and playing the Ukulele and, as luck would have it, Hollywood is currently looking for a singing frog. Kermit sets off on a road trip of epic proportions, encounters all of our favorite friends from the show and teaches us wonderful lessons about perseverance in the face of obstacles, the importance of belief in yourself and your dreams.
The groundbreaking trend here is the infusion of stars in cameo roles. Nowadays, it's always in the form of voice overs, but here, since this is puppets interacting with the real world, we get actual star presence sprinkled through the film. At the time it was a veritable who's who of comedy stars including appearances by Steve Martin and Richard Pryor in addition to the great Madeline Kahn, Mel Brooks, Bob Hope and motherf---ing Orson Welles! Let's see you top that Shrek.
Anyway, the true purpose of this post is really just to reminisce about how much I loved this film as a kid, how much it has stayed with me for all these years and the fact that writing this blog allows me to post one of my favorite scenes of all time. Life's like a movie, write your own ending...
Friday, February 5, 2010
day 35 - 10 Best Movies? WTF Oscars?!?
OK film fans, its Friday night and we're gonna dive right in. With the 82nd Academy Awards rapidly approaching I'd like to examine some of the Oscar contenders for the Best Picture award. The Oscars began in 1929 and from 1932-1944 the number of contenders for the award ranged from 8 to 12 nominees. Starting in 1945 the list was restricted to 5 nominees, the same as all other categories. However, for reasons I can't begin to fathom, this year the nominees were expanded to 10 nominees. Now since this list is, earmuffs if you're dainty, complete and utter bullshit, let's run down the films I will not be including in my list.
5. Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire I'm sure this is a fine film, all the reviewers seem to love it, but the title alone illicits anger in me every time I see it. What was wrong with just Precious? Did we really need to have the rest of this title? If this starts a trend in film titles I'm blaming the Denver socialite (read: Celestial Seasonings trust fund child/spoiled girl with daddy issues who married a wealthy older man) who was a producer for this film. My next problem stems from director Lee Daniels, who was also a producer for Monster's Ball. I find it disturbing that he now has the same number of nominations and more wins than Spike Lee. I can't even get into The Oscars and the bizarre list of films that African-Americans nominees/winners have been associated with. Let's just say it's an unsurprisingly narrow spectrum of roles. Finally, in conjunction with my last point, I'm just really sick of any person of color being nominated for roles involving poverty and overcoming obstacles. I was really hoping the win by a long time favorite of mine, Forest Whitaker, as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, would finally break the mold. Guess I was wrong.
4. Up Joining Beauty and the Beast as the only animated films to be nominated for Best Picture, this may be the greatest animated film ever made. Actually, I haven't seen it so I have no idea if it's good or not. Here's what I do know, it's an animated film. Last I checked they already have their own damned category. I don't care how good a film this is, it's an animated film geared towards children with enough story to keep the adults from losing their minds. That's how kids' films are created and marketed these days. The day a film like this wins the Best Picture award is the day yours truly laces up his skates for a triple axel in hell.
3. Avatar Billion plus dollars in revenue, check. Industry advancing technological innovations, check. Oscar worthy script, direction and acting, I don't think so.
2. District 9 Is an original film about the practicalities of housing stranded aliens in South Africa. With a thinly veiled subtext about our treatment of minorities and the poor in general, it was an interesting film notable for the performance of Sharlto Copley. It also was filled with the semi-truck sized plot holes many sci-fi films are notable for. Solid sci-fi does not equal best picture of the year.
And this of course leaves only one choice left...
1. The Blind Side This glorified movie of the week from the Lifetime channel may be the worst film ever nominated for an Oscar. The mere fact this film is even nominated speaks volumes about America and its unending desire to fellate itself for its good deeds. Let's not forget this is the same Academy that gave the Best Picture award to Driving Miss Daisy while not even nominating Do the Right Thing, an act which should have been considered a hate crime. Considering all of the interesting films that have been made regarding race issues in America, the only award this film should win is being placed atop this list. A couple of years ago I read Tod Lindberg's The Political Teachings of Jesus in which several chapters were devoted to The Sermon on the Mount, one of the center points of Jesus' teachings. I'm reminded of this passage, which may not reflect directly upon the actions of the matriarch of the film, Leigh Anne Tuohy, but it is surely falls on deaf ears in Hollywood.
"Take care not to do your good deeds in such a way as to draw attention to yourself; you could lose the reward your Father has for you. When you help people, do it without fanfare, without that ostentation hypocrites employ to get the admiration of others. The truth is, they've already had all the reward they're going to get. That way is not for you. When you help someone, don't let your left hand know what your right is doing. Keep it secret, and your Father who knows all secrets, will reward you."
And don't even get me started on Sandra Bullock.
5. Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire I'm sure this is a fine film, all the reviewers seem to love it, but the title alone illicits anger in me every time I see it. What was wrong with just Precious? Did we really need to have the rest of this title? If this starts a trend in film titles I'm blaming the Denver socialite (read: Celestial Seasonings trust fund child/spoiled girl with daddy issues who married a wealthy older man) who was a producer for this film. My next problem stems from director Lee Daniels, who was also a producer for Monster's Ball. I find it disturbing that he now has the same number of nominations and more wins than Spike Lee. I can't even get into The Oscars and the bizarre list of films that African-Americans nominees/winners have been associated with. Let's just say it's an unsurprisingly narrow spectrum of roles. Finally, in conjunction with my last point, I'm just really sick of any person of color being nominated for roles involving poverty and overcoming obstacles. I was really hoping the win by a long time favorite of mine, Forest Whitaker, as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, would finally break the mold. Guess I was wrong.
4. Up Joining Beauty and the Beast as the only animated films to be nominated for Best Picture, this may be the greatest animated film ever made. Actually, I haven't seen it so I have no idea if it's good or not. Here's what I do know, it's an animated film. Last I checked they already have their own damned category. I don't care how good a film this is, it's an animated film geared towards children with enough story to keep the adults from losing their minds. That's how kids' films are created and marketed these days. The day a film like this wins the Best Picture award is the day yours truly laces up his skates for a triple axel in hell.
3. Avatar Billion plus dollars in revenue, check. Industry advancing technological innovations, check. Oscar worthy script, direction and acting, I don't think so.
2. District 9 Is an original film about the practicalities of housing stranded aliens in South Africa. With a thinly veiled subtext about our treatment of minorities and the poor in general, it was an interesting film notable for the performance of Sharlto Copley. It also was filled with the semi-truck sized plot holes many sci-fi films are notable for. Solid sci-fi does not equal best picture of the year.
And this of course leaves only one choice left...
1. The Blind Side This glorified movie of the week from the Lifetime channel may be the worst film ever nominated for an Oscar. The mere fact this film is even nominated speaks volumes about America and its unending desire to fellate itself for its good deeds. Let's not forget this is the same Academy that gave the Best Picture award to Driving Miss Daisy while not even nominating Do the Right Thing, an act which should have been considered a hate crime. Considering all of the interesting films that have been made regarding race issues in America, the only award this film should win is being placed atop this list. A couple of years ago I read Tod Lindberg's The Political Teachings of Jesus in which several chapters were devoted to The Sermon on the Mount, one of the center points of Jesus' teachings. I'm reminded of this passage, which may not reflect directly upon the actions of the matriarch of the film, Leigh Anne Tuohy, but it is surely falls on deaf ears in Hollywood.
"Take care not to do your good deeds in such a way as to draw attention to yourself; you could lose the reward your Father has for you. When you help people, do it without fanfare, without that ostentation hypocrites employ to get the admiration of others. The truth is, they've already had all the reward they're going to get. That way is not for you. When you help someone, don't let your left hand know what your right is doing. Keep it secret, and your Father who knows all secrets, will reward you."
And don't even get me started on Sandra Bullock.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
day 34 - Roxanne
OK film fans, we're nearing the weekend but tonight I've definitely hit the wall. Last night I was feeling a little rambunctious and didactic so I got on my soapbox and, I have to admit, it was a lot of fun. But since I'm lacking the energy to wax poetic tonight I'm going to leave it up to an old favorite of mine Steve Martin.
There was a time when Martin was more than phone-it-in actor making films for a paycheck. In the 70s he was a chart topping comedian, host extraordinaire on SNL and began a nice career as a writer/actor with a string of cleverly conceived and scripted films. For me personally, he reached his peak as a screenwriter in 1987 with his modern retelling of the classic French play Cyrano de Bergerac.
Roxanne is a playful, witty, comedy about a single man, C.D. "Charlie" Bales (Steve Martin), who is an intelligent, well-read, funny fire chief in a mountain town near a ski resort. He is loved (and sometimes feared) by his family, friends, co-workers and the residents of the town. Normally this type of man would have his pick of women, but Charlie has a minor issue holding him back: his nose. Charlie has a great big nose.
The play this film is based on has been a mainstay; revisited by each new generation because it touches on a communal human experience, fear of ridicule based on our deepest insecurities. Martin's screenplay is masterful as it sets up Charlie as a really nice guy, that kind everyone loves but who never ends up with the girl. To balance the other side of the equation we meet the new hire to Charlie's fire department, Chris McConnell (Rick Rossovich), a professional firefighter hired to help train the volunteer firefighters.
Chris is the tall, dark and handsome leading man type, but he has issues of his own. While everyone is convinced he's a lady killer the truth is he is both shy and insecure about his intelligence. When a tall, beautiful blond astronomer Roxanne Kowalski (Daryl Hannah) comes to town in search of a comet both men are stricken by her presence. Martin's script shows us, and once again this is the sign of a good film, the differences between the two men and their initial interactions with Roxanne. Charlie's initial meeting with Roxanne is filled with the genial banter you find with someone who you instantly share a connection with. Chris' first meeting with her is via exchanged glances across a restaurant. As the gaze lingers, his shyness gets the better of him and wanting to avoid talking to her, he escapes out the bathroom window.
While Chris is dodging her, Charlie displays just how clever, and manly, he is in one of my favorite comedy scenes in film. Roxanne is impressed but Charlie, stilted by his insecurity over his nose, chooses not to make his feelings about her known. Martin establishes Charlie, through effortless insight and wit, as the superior suitor, but the crux of the film has yet to come. Shortly after the previously posted scene, Roxanne asks to speak with Charlie alone.
In my favorite scene from the film, Roxanne and Charlie hike up a gorgeous mountainside, and with Charlie thinking she is about to reveal her interest in him, she asks him to prod Chris to pursue her. The blocking of the scene shows the heartbreak Charlie tries to hide. In broad daylight, they talk face to face, almost circling each other like Jr. High kids working up the confidence to ask each other out. And at the precise moment Charlie realizes Roxanne isn't talking about him, he turns away from her, for a second or two, and we see the crestfallen expression on his face before he swallows heavily and turns back into the conversation without missing a beat. The scene ends with my favorite exchange in the film.
Roxanne Kowalski: You know you were really great the other night. It's the first time I've ever seen anyone actually be brave.
Charlie Bales: Oh, I've been a lot braver since then.
Of course this request leads into the well known premise of the more intelligent man writing a letter for the more handsome man to pass as his own. When it's time for them to meet, the slapstick comedian in Martin makes an appearance, creating an opportunity for some of Martin's best writing, both comedic and romantic.
In the end, and if you think this is a spoiler I truly feel sorry for you, Roxanne discovers the letters, Chris leaves town with a bartender he shares more in common with and Charlie finds himself alone. That is until Roxanne realizes the person who wrote the letters, who moved and seduced her is the person she should have pursued. In one of the few Hollywood endings I love more than the alternative (Act V), she does just that.
There was a time when Martin was more than phone-it-in actor making films for a paycheck. In the 70s he was a chart topping comedian, host extraordinaire on SNL and began a nice career as a writer/actor with a string of cleverly conceived and scripted films. For me personally, he reached his peak as a screenwriter in 1987 with his modern retelling of the classic French play Cyrano de Bergerac.
Roxanne is a playful, witty, comedy about a single man, C.D. "Charlie" Bales (Steve Martin), who is an intelligent, well-read, funny fire chief in a mountain town near a ski resort. He is loved (and sometimes feared) by his family, friends, co-workers and the residents of the town. Normally this type of man would have his pick of women, but Charlie has a minor issue holding him back: his nose. Charlie has a great big nose.
The play this film is based on has been a mainstay; revisited by each new generation because it touches on a communal human experience, fear of ridicule based on our deepest insecurities. Martin's screenplay is masterful as it sets up Charlie as a really nice guy, that kind everyone loves but who never ends up with the girl. To balance the other side of the equation we meet the new hire to Charlie's fire department, Chris McConnell (Rick Rossovich), a professional firefighter hired to help train the volunteer firefighters.
Chris is the tall, dark and handsome leading man type, but he has issues of his own. While everyone is convinced he's a lady killer the truth is he is both shy and insecure about his intelligence. When a tall, beautiful blond astronomer Roxanne Kowalski (Daryl Hannah) comes to town in search of a comet both men are stricken by her presence. Martin's script shows us, and once again this is the sign of a good film, the differences between the two men and their initial interactions with Roxanne. Charlie's initial meeting with Roxanne is filled with the genial banter you find with someone who you instantly share a connection with. Chris' first meeting with her is via exchanged glances across a restaurant. As the gaze lingers, his shyness gets the better of him and wanting to avoid talking to her, he escapes out the bathroom window.
While Chris is dodging her, Charlie displays just how clever, and manly, he is in one of my favorite comedy scenes in film. Roxanne is impressed but Charlie, stilted by his insecurity over his nose, chooses not to make his feelings about her known. Martin establishes Charlie, through effortless insight and wit, as the superior suitor, but the crux of the film has yet to come. Shortly after the previously posted scene, Roxanne asks to speak with Charlie alone.
In my favorite scene from the film, Roxanne and Charlie hike up a gorgeous mountainside, and with Charlie thinking she is about to reveal her interest in him, she asks him to prod Chris to pursue her. The blocking of the scene shows the heartbreak Charlie tries to hide. In broad daylight, they talk face to face, almost circling each other like Jr. High kids working up the confidence to ask each other out. And at the precise moment Charlie realizes Roxanne isn't talking about him, he turns away from her, for a second or two, and we see the crestfallen expression on his face before he swallows heavily and turns back into the conversation without missing a beat. The scene ends with my favorite exchange in the film.
Roxanne Kowalski: You know you were really great the other night. It's the first time I've ever seen anyone actually be brave.
Charlie Bales: Oh, I've been a lot braver since then.
Of course this request leads into the well known premise of the more intelligent man writing a letter for the more handsome man to pass as his own. When it's time for them to meet, the slapstick comedian in Martin makes an appearance, creating an opportunity for some of Martin's best writing, both comedic and romantic.
In the end, and if you think this is a spoiler I truly feel sorry for you, Roxanne discovers the letters, Chris leaves town with a bartender he shares more in common with and Charlie finds himself alone. That is until Roxanne realizes the person who wrote the letters, who moved and seduced her is the person she should have pursued. In one of the few Hollywood endings I love more than the alternative (Act V), she does just that.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
day 33 - Good Night and Good Luck
OK film fans, today is the birthday of great American painter and illustrator Norman P Rockwell. Growing up my grandmother had an amazing coffee table book of his Saturday Evening Post covers and I would spend countless rainy days pouring over the pages; gazing at his endearing snapshots of a bygone era. He covered just about every topic you could imagine, from the silly to the heartbreaking. For me, he's the definition of nostalgia for simpler, more peaceful time. I'm a sucker for nostalgic films, but as I've stated before, I feel nostalgia should be limited to culture and not extended into beliefs about our humanity, for it is a fallacy to think things were ever really simpler and more peaceful.
Good Night and Good Luck is a slap in the face of nostalgia. It's an unapologetic look at a specific issue from our past, McCarthyism, and shows us not only how little we've advance in 50 years but how much we have regressed. As my guru thoughtfully points out, "The movie is not really about the abuses of McCarthy, but about the process by which Murrow and his team eventually brought about his downfall (some would say his self-destruction)." It's this thought, co-written and directed so elegantly by George Clooney, himself the son of a newsman, that I feel nostalgic for now more than ever. And seeing as this is my blog, allow me proselytize.
We live in a time when reality TV makes stars of buffoons, our news programs have the bite of a puppy and not a pack of wolves and our politicians fear no reprisals from them. In 1954 Edward R Murrow's news program See It Now criticized Joe McCarthy and his Red Scare tactics. The thought now, that a news program would directly question the actions of a dubious Senator and engage its audience in an intelligent, logical dissertation outlining their argument against his policies, is unfathomable. It simple doesn't happen anymore.
Instead, we have "news" programs that pass self-aggrandizement as public edification and the hypocrisy is shocking in comparison to their origins. Murrow was able to help bring McCarthy down by simply holding his own words and deeds up for all Americans to see, while eloquently defending himself against McCarthy's one note defenses. McCarthy was a charlatan, a shallow and petty man hiding behind fear and hate that Americans, with Murrow's help, soon saw through.
But the sad truth, as prophesied by Murrow himself in a milestone speech from 1958, is that television, and news shows in particular, are no longer the watchdogs of society they used to be. They are hollow spectres, mere shadows of their former selves. They lack both the skill and the desire to take the torch passed to them, leaving its few remaining embers to flicker in various online news sites.
As Murrow stated in the speech I posted above, "This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box. There is a great and perhaps decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerance and indifference. This weapon of television could be useful. Stonewall Jackson, who knew something about the use of weapons, is reported to have said, 'When war comes, you must draw the sword and throw away the scabbard.' The trouble with television is that it is rusting in the scabbard during a battle for survival."
We no longer can count on the news we see on television to offer us insight, they can barely tell us the truth. Instead, we get misplaced longings for nostalgia from inept, unqualified, muckraking 3rd rate PT Barnum hucksters; men whose modern day panacea consists of nothing more than the desire to divide Americans for their own personal gain. Their scare tactics draw a remarkable parallel to the topic covered in this film. And what's more, they have no respect for what men in their profession were capable of and did as a virtuous testimonial of the righteousness of facts over opinions. But as the line goes, in my favorite song from the soundtrack, "I've got my eyes on you." I hope you do too.
Good Night and Good Luck is a slap in the face of nostalgia. It's an unapologetic look at a specific issue from our past, McCarthyism, and shows us not only how little we've advance in 50 years but how much we have regressed. As my guru thoughtfully points out, "The movie is not really about the abuses of McCarthy, but about the process by which Murrow and his team eventually brought about his downfall (some would say his self-destruction)." It's this thought, co-written and directed so elegantly by George Clooney, himself the son of a newsman, that I feel nostalgic for now more than ever. And seeing as this is my blog, allow me proselytize.
We live in a time when reality TV makes stars of buffoons, our news programs have the bite of a puppy and not a pack of wolves and our politicians fear no reprisals from them. In 1954 Edward R Murrow's news program See It Now criticized Joe McCarthy and his Red Scare tactics. The thought now, that a news program would directly question the actions of a dubious Senator and engage its audience in an intelligent, logical dissertation outlining their argument against his policies, is unfathomable. It simple doesn't happen anymore.
Instead, we have "news" programs that pass self-aggrandizement as public edification and the hypocrisy is shocking in comparison to their origins. Murrow was able to help bring McCarthy down by simply holding his own words and deeds up for all Americans to see, while eloquently defending himself against McCarthy's one note defenses. McCarthy was a charlatan, a shallow and petty man hiding behind fear and hate that Americans, with Murrow's help, soon saw through.
But the sad truth, as prophesied by Murrow himself in a milestone speech from 1958, is that television, and news shows in particular, are no longer the watchdogs of society they used to be. They are hollow spectres, mere shadows of their former selves. They lack both the skill and the desire to take the torch passed to them, leaving its few remaining embers to flicker in various online news sites.
As Murrow stated in the speech I posted above, "This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box. There is a great and perhaps decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerance and indifference. This weapon of television could be useful. Stonewall Jackson, who knew something about the use of weapons, is reported to have said, 'When war comes, you must draw the sword and throw away the scabbard.' The trouble with television is that it is rusting in the scabbard during a battle for survival."
We no longer can count on the news we see on television to offer us insight, they can barely tell us the truth. Instead, we get misplaced longings for nostalgia from inept, unqualified, muckraking 3rd rate PT Barnum hucksters; men whose modern day panacea consists of nothing more than the desire to divide Americans for their own personal gain. Their scare tactics draw a remarkable parallel to the topic covered in this film. And what's more, they have no respect for what men in their profession were capable of and did as a virtuous testimonial of the righteousness of facts over opinions. But as the line goes, in my favorite song from the soundtrack, "I've got my eyes on you." I hope you do too.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
day 32 1/2 - Groundhog Day
OK film fans, today is February 2, which can only mean one thing woodchuck chuckers, it's Groundhog Day! Let's make this clear right now; I am a huge Bill Murray fan. My sense of humor was shaped by his characters on SNL (when it actually mattered) and his early films like Meatballs, Caddyshack and Stripes. He is, in the words of Roger Ebert, "the first comedian since Jack Benny who can get a laugh simply by standing there."
Groundhog Day is centered on an absurd but simple premise; a weatherman working an assignment in a town he hates, on a story he finds beneath him, finds himself living the same day over and over again. And he is the only person aware of this happening. It is through the combination of the script, the direction and the performance of Murray that a timeless comedy masterpiece, with a profound moral and spiritual message, is created.
Let's break it down. Murray's character, Phil (like the groundhog) represents the worst of our inner selves. He is arrogant and sarcastic; absorbed in his own problems, without hope he has isolated himself from others. He is already condemned to a repetitive existence, where the weather changes but never his shtick, before his wake up call begins. One of the main reasons this film works is because of the persona Murray brings to the screen. He easily establishes Phil as a jerk without histrionics. He doesn't have to because Murray has the snide, self absorbed persona down pat. But the true reveal comes from how Murray transitions Phil from pariah to town saint.
The film begins with Phil in Punxsutawney, PA to cover the groundhog festival that takes place. It is one of those common human interest stories on local news that serve as no real purpose other than to lighten the mood after stories of earthquakes, home foreclosures and violence. To Phil it is a dead end. In a perpetually irritated mood, he treats everyone shabbily with his underhanded comments, including his long suffering cameraman Larry (the under heralded Chris Elliot) and his new producer Rita (Andie MacDowell). He rushes through his groundhog story eager to leave the town full of "hicks."
Phil awakes the next morning with a sense of deja vu, feeling like everything has already happened. By the third day he realizes that time is no longer advancing for him and he is stuck in Punxsutawney. At first he reacts with bewilderment but soon turns to despair and turns his life into a game. He gets arrested, risks his life, gorges on food, steals and manipulates women into bed.
As his days run together Phil discovers a new purpose: to learn everything he can about Rita so he can pretend to be her ideal man and seduce her. Rita is the moral and spiritual opposite of Phil, happy, inquisitive and fully engaged with those around her, even Phil. We see him build his repertoire and come surprisingly close to garnering her affections, only to be rightfully rejected and never reach his "special moment" with her again. He is a false man and Rita can sense something is off.
Despair deepens for Phil and he turns to a new game, killing himself. He tries countless times and always awakes in the morning to the unbearably happy sound of Sonny and Cher singing "I Got You, Babe." In a moment of vulnerability, he describes his plight to Rita, convincingly predicting things that will happen around them as they sit in the local diner. Rita agrees to spend the day with him and see if his plight is true. She spends the night with him, platonically, only for Phil to wake up alone yet again.
But his day of intimacy with Rita, who seemed to genuinely like him for who he is, has changed his outlook on his predicament. He begins to live each day constructively, not passively letting circumstances dictate his life. He begins to change, aided by the knowledge that each new day will be the same, safe in his knowledge of what will happen next. He learns to play piano, takes up ice sculpting and slowly becomes a more generous man. However, it is his brush with death that pushes Phil into the next stage.
Phil comes across a homeless man and, in his newly acquired sense of generosity, seeks to help the man. But regardless of Phil's efforts the man always passes away by the end of the day. At first he cannot accept the man's death and tries urgently to prevent his death. When Phil stops trying to stop the death of the old man and relents in its inevitability, his final defenses slip away and his compassion turns to the living. He uses his knowledge daily to catch a young boy falling from a tree and save a man choking on his meal. He begins to empathize with others and transitions from isolation to complete immersion in the community of Punxsutawney.
When Phil gives his Chekhov speech he has reached his moment of enlightenment. He has learned the simple pleasures of life and the sense of belonging that comes from companionship with your fellow man. He has become a better Phil, not a different Phil, a man worthy of Rita's affections and she no longer resistant to his pursuit, in fact she pursues him. Phil has righted his moral compass and now when they spend the night together, once again platonically, he is rewarded with the endless possibilities of a new day. He promptly takes advantage of this gift by spending some none platonic time with Rita. When we see the couple emerging into a new day he exclaims, "It's so beautiful - let's live here!" After they kiss he adds, "We'll rent to start." While "happily ever after" is a fine notion, Phil has learned it is best to start slow.
Groundhog Day is a fabulous comedy that successfully delivers messages of self-improvement, morality and spirituality. It emphasizes the need to look inside oneself and realize that true satisfaction in life comes from turning outward and concerning oneself with other rather concentrating solely on one's own wants and desires. It reflects Buddhist themes of selflessness and rebirth while also representing Catholic ideas of Purgatory. It has even been dubbed by some religious leaders as the "most spiritual film of our time."
Groundhog Day is centered on an absurd but simple premise; a weatherman working an assignment in a town he hates, on a story he finds beneath him, finds himself living the same day over and over again. And he is the only person aware of this happening. It is through the combination of the script, the direction and the performance of Murray that a timeless comedy masterpiece, with a profound moral and spiritual message, is created.
Let's break it down. Murray's character, Phil (like the groundhog) represents the worst of our inner selves. He is arrogant and sarcastic; absorbed in his own problems, without hope he has isolated himself from others. He is already condemned to a repetitive existence, where the weather changes but never his shtick, before his wake up call begins. One of the main reasons this film works is because of the persona Murray brings to the screen. He easily establishes Phil as a jerk without histrionics. He doesn't have to because Murray has the snide, self absorbed persona down pat. But the true reveal comes from how Murray transitions Phil from pariah to town saint.
The film begins with Phil in Punxsutawney, PA to cover the groundhog festival that takes place. It is one of those common human interest stories on local news that serve as no real purpose other than to lighten the mood after stories of earthquakes, home foreclosures and violence. To Phil it is a dead end. In a perpetually irritated mood, he treats everyone shabbily with his underhanded comments, including his long suffering cameraman Larry (the under heralded Chris Elliot) and his new producer Rita (Andie MacDowell). He rushes through his groundhog story eager to leave the town full of "hicks."
Phil awakes the next morning with a sense of deja vu, feeling like everything has already happened. By the third day he realizes that time is no longer advancing for him and he is stuck in Punxsutawney. At first he reacts with bewilderment but soon turns to despair and turns his life into a game. He gets arrested, risks his life, gorges on food, steals and manipulates women into bed.
As his days run together Phil discovers a new purpose: to learn everything he can about Rita so he can pretend to be her ideal man and seduce her. Rita is the moral and spiritual opposite of Phil, happy, inquisitive and fully engaged with those around her, even Phil. We see him build his repertoire and come surprisingly close to garnering her affections, only to be rightfully rejected and never reach his "special moment" with her again. He is a false man and Rita can sense something is off.
Despair deepens for Phil and he turns to a new game, killing himself. He tries countless times and always awakes in the morning to the unbearably happy sound of Sonny and Cher singing "I Got You, Babe." In a moment of vulnerability, he describes his plight to Rita, convincingly predicting things that will happen around them as they sit in the local diner. Rita agrees to spend the day with him and see if his plight is true. She spends the night with him, platonically, only for Phil to wake up alone yet again.
But his day of intimacy with Rita, who seemed to genuinely like him for who he is, has changed his outlook on his predicament. He begins to live each day constructively, not passively letting circumstances dictate his life. He begins to change, aided by the knowledge that each new day will be the same, safe in his knowledge of what will happen next. He learns to play piano, takes up ice sculpting and slowly becomes a more generous man. However, it is his brush with death that pushes Phil into the next stage.
Phil comes across a homeless man and, in his newly acquired sense of generosity, seeks to help the man. But regardless of Phil's efforts the man always passes away by the end of the day. At first he cannot accept the man's death and tries urgently to prevent his death. When Phil stops trying to stop the death of the old man and relents in its inevitability, his final defenses slip away and his compassion turns to the living. He uses his knowledge daily to catch a young boy falling from a tree and save a man choking on his meal. He begins to empathize with others and transitions from isolation to complete immersion in the community of Punxsutawney.
When Phil gives his Chekhov speech he has reached his moment of enlightenment. He has learned the simple pleasures of life and the sense of belonging that comes from companionship with your fellow man. He has become a better Phil, not a different Phil, a man worthy of Rita's affections and she no longer resistant to his pursuit, in fact she pursues him. Phil has righted his moral compass and now when they spend the night together, once again platonically, he is rewarded with the endless possibilities of a new day. He promptly takes advantage of this gift by spending some none platonic time with Rita. When we see the couple emerging into a new day he exclaims, "It's so beautiful - let's live here!" After they kiss he adds, "We'll rent to start." While "happily ever after" is a fine notion, Phil has learned it is best to start slow.
Groundhog Day is a fabulous comedy that successfully delivers messages of self-improvement, morality and spirituality. It emphasizes the need to look inside oneself and realize that true satisfaction in life comes from turning outward and concerning oneself with other rather concentrating solely on one's own wants and desires. It reflects Buddhist themes of selflessness and rebirth while also representing Catholic ideas of Purgatory. It has even been dubbed by some religious leaders as the "most spiritual film of our time."
Monday, February 1, 2010
day 32 - Top 5 favorite car chase/race scenes
OK film fans, it's Monday night and after coming home from work I usually try to unwind from the long day. After a hot shower (jump to the 0:50 mark), a little ice for my backside (from taking it from The Man) and a drink, I'm ready to relax. But tonight I'm having a hard time relaxing. I'm tense and restless. It is precisely because of nights like this that I don't have a fast car.
As anyone who has ever driven with me can attest, I like to drive fast. Realizing this at an early age, or rather after quite a few speeding tickets, I began to drive Jeeps for the simple fact that you can't get most of them to go faster than 80mph. I did however get a '81 CJ7 with a 401 up to about 110 in a straight line going to Nebraska. My own personal best shall not be discussed here as it might give my poor mother nightmares. It is also because of this reason that I love my PS3 racing games and any film with a car chase. So tonight I present my Top 5 favorite car chase/race scenes. Don't make me explain...
5. Dirty Mary Crazy Larry I saw this film in its true element, the Ranch Drive-In (my house was due East), when I was 12. Notable for its classic 70's style car chases, I love it for having the first non-traditional Hollywood ending I ever saw. I would say spoiler alert but, this film is 36 years old and about hippie scum running from the cops, figure it out.
4. Against All Odds This may surprise those of you who saw this film and can only remember the Phil Collins songs (which girls in the 80s loved, thank you Phil!), Rachel Ward's savage tan and Jeff Bridge's beard, but there was a race scene. And it consists of the classic matchup: Ferrari vs. Porsche. As a Porsche man, I'm proud to say at least the good guy is driving the right car.
3. Bullitt This will surely disappoint Steve McQueen fans and I apologize upfront. I love this scene, but to be honest it's as old as I am and, unlike me, it's looking a bit dated. However, it is the standard bearer of the genre and as such is only eclipsed here by my own sentimental favorites.
2. Ronin I sense your eyebrows rising, but before there was Bourne there was this far more realistic car chase. There's something inherently more intense with a car chases through European cities. They're more crowded, the streets more narrow, the building seem to hang perilously over cobblestones roads, there are underground tunnels and inevitably cliffs. And if the director can't find one, they can conveniently create their own.
1. The Blues Brothers Unheralded in its scope, it held the record for the most destroyed cars and is easily the most insane, over the top slapstick-esque car chase ever filmed. Plus, it begins with an all time classic line.
As anyone who has ever driven with me can attest, I like to drive fast. Realizing this at an early age, or rather after quite a few speeding tickets, I began to drive Jeeps for the simple fact that you can't get most of them to go faster than 80mph. I did however get a '81 CJ7 with a 401 up to about 110 in a straight line going to Nebraska. My own personal best shall not be discussed here as it might give my poor mother nightmares. It is also because of this reason that I love my PS3 racing games and any film with a car chase. So tonight I present my Top 5 favorite car chase/race scenes. Don't make me explain...
5. Dirty Mary Crazy Larry I saw this film in its true element, the Ranch Drive-In (my house was due East), when I was 12. Notable for its classic 70's style car chases, I love it for having the first non-traditional Hollywood ending I ever saw. I would say spoiler alert but, this film is 36 years old and about hippie scum running from the cops, figure it out.
4. Against All Odds This may surprise those of you who saw this film and can only remember the Phil Collins songs (which girls in the 80s loved, thank you Phil!), Rachel Ward's savage tan and Jeff Bridge's beard, but there was a race scene. And it consists of the classic matchup: Ferrari vs. Porsche. As a Porsche man, I'm proud to say at least the good guy is driving the right car.
3. Bullitt This will surely disappoint Steve McQueen fans and I apologize upfront. I love this scene, but to be honest it's as old as I am and, unlike me, it's looking a bit dated. However, it is the standard bearer of the genre and as such is only eclipsed here by my own sentimental favorites.
2. Ronin I sense your eyebrows rising, but before there was Bourne there was this far more realistic car chase. There's something inherently more intense with a car chases through European cities. They're more crowded, the streets more narrow, the building seem to hang perilously over cobblestones roads, there are underground tunnels and inevitably cliffs. And if the director can't find one, they can conveniently create their own.
1. The Blues Brothers Unheralded in its scope, it held the record for the most destroyed cars and is easily the most insane, over the top slapstick-esque car chase ever filmed. Plus, it begins with an all time classic line.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)