Movie #105- "Broken City" (2013)

Rating: 5/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 99

The fact that "Broken City" stars two Oscar winners and one Oscar nominee (actually two, but Griffin Dunne's wasn't an acting category) may catch your attention.  However, this is really an unremarkable political thriller in which Crowe is the mayor, Zeta-Jones is his wife, and Wahlberg is the former cop hired to follow her.  Naturally, corruption ensues.
However (SPOILER ALERT), one plot device that gets used should be retired from film, and that would be the secretly recorded conversation, in which the bad guy reveals his entire scheme.  In this day of cell phones, the NSA scandal, etc., being recorded isn't that much of a surprise.  To the writer's credit, they try to add a twist by turning the tables on Wahlberg and play a game of who has the juiciest recording.  All in all, not a memorable entry.

Movie #104- "The Secret of NIMH" (1982)

Rating: 7/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 98

In terms of animation, the last few generations don't realize the wealth of options they have had available.  Starting in the late 1980s, Disney had a resurgence in their animation department, then Pixar came along, raising the bar and providing plenty of high quality product.  I don't know if the success of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" was responsible back in 1988, but that film appeared to be a game changer, proving a viable market for top notch animation.
I say this, because when I was growing up in the 1970s, most of the animation took place on your television, usually on a Saturday morning.  The cartoons were generally churned out by Hanna-Barbera, and while they produced the classic Scooby-Doo, there were plenty of duds in the mix.  If you watch some of these older cartoons, you'll notice the limited animation due to a small budget.  Suffice to say, most of my animation memories come from television and not the big screen.  I don't recall any classic feature length animation from my youth (I'm sure there had to be some.  Oh, how the memory goes).  Don Bluth must have realized it as well.  He didn't like the way Disney was run in the late 1970s, so he set out to form his own company and this was his first full length feature.
"The Secret of NIMH" is a surprisingly dark film.  You immediately find out that the main character, Mrs. Brisby is recently widowed, with several children.  Her home is being threatened with a field being plowed, yet finds she is unable to move her family because of a sick child.  If that's not dark enough, SPOILER ALERT, animal testing is one of the plot points.  Scary rats and owls also populate the forest.
For its time, the animation has some depth to it as Bluth was trying to bring back some of the animation of old.  It may look strange to kids weaned on computer animation, but there is a lushness to the forest and farm scenes.  Unfortunately, an absent-minded crow is used for comic relief, and really throws off the tone of the film.  Granted, a few lighter touches would ease the dark nature, however the slapstick seems really out of place.  This film is based on a book, which I have not read, so I'm not aware if the character was added.
A lot of people appear to have a special place in their heart for "The Secret of NIMH".  Given the drought of animation during that period, I understand the reason. 

Movie #103- "Atlantic City" (1980)

With a movie named "Atlantic City", one would expect the story to center around high rollers and the glitz associated with casinos. This is not that story.  Rather, the focus is on a two-bit hustler and a dreamer dwelling in the seedier side of the city.
When we first meet Burt Lancaster as Lou, he is basically collecting pocket change from people for a lottery.  Once involved in organized crime, Lou wasn't one of the big fish, yet looks back on those days with a fondness and feeling that at one time, he had been important.  The building Lou resides in is in decay and the neighborhood around him is being torn down in the name of progress.  Susan Sarandon is his neighbor Sally.  She works at a fish restaurant with dreams of becoming a croupier in hopes of dealing cards in the casinos Monaco.  Sally's husband arrives into town with a package of stolen drugs, which sets up the relationship between Lou and Sally.
The drug storyline gives the illusion of a noisy chase film.  Instead, "Atlantic City" follows the relationships that exist between the characters as well as a city that is in transition.  Very little time is given to the casinos as the camera frames a couple individuals just trying to improve their station in life.  Sally dreams of a career that will whisk her away from her current situation, while Lou seeks a return to glory and respect that he never really had.  Complications occur because Sally's husband is with her sister and Lou is taking care of the widow of a former business associate.  Of course the drug dealers want their merchandise back, forcing one character to make a life changing decision.
"Atlantic City" is a small movie about small people getting thrust into a difficult position due to one person's mistake.  It's also a well-acted character study with Lancaster excelling in the type of role he would play toward the end of his career.

Rating: 8/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 97

Movie #102- "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920)

Was this the first modern horror film?  And was this the first to use the twist ending that is so vogue in current film and television?  While those arguments may be made about "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari", one cannot dispute the forward thinking aspect of the film.  Using German Expressionism, the set pieces are filled with lines, angles, shadows, and plenty of dark corners.  In some scenes, the settings are disproportionate to the actors on the screen.  It's a circus played out as a nightmare.
Over the years, the list of silent films I've seen is fairly short.  And I know one of the elements that can serve as a stumbling block is the acting.  Obviously the times required the actors to rely on facial expressions and exaggerated hand gestures.  Yet at several points of the movie, the expressions accentuate the madness circulating around the characters.  That's especially with the good doctor because it adds an extra layer of creepiness to the character.
I do question the quality of the print that I viewed as I've read the varying degrees that others have seen.  From my view, this film is so ahead of its time, the technology actually belies it.  The flickering images do add to the horror, but a crisper picture may have given a better showcase to the vastly imaginative sets.  While it's a classic, I can't begin to image what the filmmakers would have produced if they had a few more tricks at their disposal.

Rating: 9/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 96

Movie #101- "Promised Land" (2012)

Rating: 7/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 95

I've mentioned this movie to a few people, and it's usually returned by a blank stare.  I get a little more recognition when I refer to it as the "Matt Damon fracking movie."  You could easily substitute any company dealing in natural resources and arrive at a similar message.  Yet fracking still seems to be a mystery to many as we continue to learn more about the method.
Matt Damon and Frances McDormand work for a natural gas company.  Their job is not an easy one as they canvass a rural town trying to urge the residents to lease their property for the purpose of drilling.  Some are appalled by what fracking will do to the community while others eagerly sign with thoughts of dollar signs in their heads.  Complicating matters is John Krasinski as an environmentalist, warning the people of the dangers of fracking.  This helps drive a wedge into the town, leading to the final climax of a town meeting and a big speech (no real spoiler alert as all of these movies end with speechifying).
"Promised Land" goes beyond the good versus evil of corporations, delving into an internal moral battle.  Damon is a rising star with the company, yet questions the purpose of his trip.  Meanwhile, McDormand is resigned to her position because she has a family to provide for.
This is the third time Damon has received a writing credit for a film and every time, Gus Van Sant has been in the director's chair (Krasinski is also listed as a writer).  In watching one of the extras, the familiarity between writer/actor and director aided in the flow of the film.  While this is a sound piece of work, "Good Will Hunting" was a better collaboration for the pair.  Of course, the rating may vary depending on your view of fracking.

Movie #100- "Saving Private Ryan" (1998)

For the milestone numbers, I wanted to hit some of the big movies I've missed over the years.  Out of all the movies of the first one hundred, "Saving Private Ryan" has generated the most surprise.  Given ample opportunity to see this film, I just never set aside the time to watch it.
It's interesting to note the frequency Spielberg has used war, real and fictional, as either the main focus or even the backdrop of his films over the last 20 years.  That's just looking at his filmography as a director and not taking into account several projects he served as producer.  Spielberg must be intensely fascinated by war or is still trying to make up for the fiasco that was "1941" (I did catch part of "1941" on cable one night and it's a spectacle, not necessarily a good one).
Outside of the question about my take on the movie, I was asked to recount my favorite scene.  I hate to take the obvious choice, but the opening battle scene unfolds on such a grand scale, containing some many different emotions associated with war.  Spielberg carefully executes the violence and loss, but you also feel the sense of fear, bravery, uncertainty, and trust that accompanies the platoons as they go into battle.  Beyond the opening sequence and various other battle scenes, their are several stellar quiet moments, of men bonding and trying to make peace with the activity around them.  Hell, Spielberg even made Vin Diesel seem like an actor.
Truly one of the best movies in the last 15 years.

Rating: 10/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 94

Movie #99 "The Place Beyond the Pines" (2012)

Occasionally this happens.  You get primed for a movie based on a well constructed trailer and repeated positive reviews.  To your surprise, this small movie miraculously is playing in your local theater.  After sitting in a darken theater for two plus hours, you're only thought is "did I see the same movie as everyone else?".
"The Place Beyond the Pines" lets the story unfold in three acts, exploring the dynamic between fathers and sons. The first act opens with a bang, losing substantial steam in the second act before running out of gas for the third.  Ryan Gosling is a motorcycle stuntman for a traveling carnival.  A brief fling has lead to him to fatherhood and he makes the snap decision to become a part of his son's life.  Unfortunately, this change doesn't fit into Eva Mendes' plan, as she has already moved on in life.  Money is tight, so Gosling soon discovers bank robbery as a career.  So far, so good.  When Gosling crosses paths with Bradley Cooper, act one seamlessly morphs into act two and the movie goes astray.
Act two focuses on Cooper as a cop with high ambitions, while act three jumps 15 years ahead to follow the sons of Cooper and Gosling.   Several convenient happenstances and cliches push the story forward, even to the point of casting Ray Liotta as a dirty cop (if Liotta asks you to follow him to the woods, you say "No, you're Ray Liotta and I know it doesn't end well").  And while the storyline with Cooper is long and drawn out, the third act with the two sons is even more tedious.  The kids are obnoxious, supposedly a product of their upbringing, yet it's difficult to root for two characters that are so douchey.  Through the final arc, I found myself rolling my eyes, ready to yell at the screen "will something happen."  I had no empathy for the characters on screen and apparently my wife felt the same way.  At dinner, we mercilessly picked the movie apart.
I went back to watch the trailer for the film, realizing that most of the content is pulled from the Gosling portion of the film.  I'm assuming that's intentional since that was the only part of the film that clicked with me.  As much as I liked Derek Cianfrance's previous film "Blue Valentine", this one didn't resonate.  It wasn't so much the performances, which were solid, but rather the content.  Now, as a running joke, my wife and I hide the ticket stubs around the house for the other to find, as a reminder of our dislike of "The Place Beyond the Pines".

Rating: 3/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 93

Movie #98- "Billy Jack" (1971)

Buried somewhere in the depth of "Billy Jack" is a good movie.  He's a strong central character, preaching equally (among other issues) and defending those unjustly harassed by kicking ass along the way.  However, "Billy Jack" is also a product of its time, taking long and strange detours into the free spirited, hippie culture of the 60s.
As a man, Billy Jack is somewhat an oxymoron.  He protects a group of people believing in peaceful resolution by using his anger and violence.  Billy Jack is a former Green Beret studying the ways of his Indian heritage.  The local reservation houses the Freedom School, an institution that teaches the liberal arts to wayward kids and adults, the kind of people that were outcasts to a "normal" 60s society.  Most of the local town conservatives don't take kindly to the school, mainly due to ignorance or misunderstanding.  Billy Jack steps in as a protector for these students.
The scenes in which Billy Jack serves as the focal point are the ones that are best.  And it goes beyond the martial arts aspect of the film (although there is the great line about kicking a man in the face), because when he's not dispensing street justice, he does maintain an eerie calm at the center of the film.  Billy Jack is torn by his two sides, the violent and peace loving.  But "Billy Jack" loves to venture into the teachings at the school, which provide some dated and comical moments.  A street staged improvisation and off-key folk singing are a couple key highlights. 
Tom Laughlin not only stars, but also wrote, directed, and probably did the catering.  Fun bonuses include a young Dr. Johnny Fever (Howard Hesseman) as one of the instructors and another mention of Schlitz, which apparently was the beer of the common man in the late 60s and early 70s.  About 60 minutes of a good story stretched out to nearly two hours.

Rating: 4/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 92

Movie #97- "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work" (2010)

Joan Rivers is a comedy icon.  This is a woman who has been performing since the 1960s.  Besides her stand-up work, Rivers has worked as a writer, actor, and director.  Unlike several female comics of the time, she did not rely on a gimmick for her act.  Yet, at 80 years old, Rivers will not rest on her laurels and go quietly into the night.  Rivers appears to work harder than many one third her age.  For her, one of the biggest fears in an empty calendar page.  So goes the life of Joan Rivers.
" A Piece of Work" plunges into the life of Rivers when the comic was a mere 75 years old.  She maintains a lavish lifestyle, which explains part of the work load.  No gig is apparently too small for Rivers, taking a "work is work" approach to her career.  Watching Rivers speak about her career, you get a sense that she still feels like an underdog.  However, many of her peers speak during the course of the film about her influence and their appreciation of her work.
Comedy is very subjective.  One's enjoyment of the movie rests solely on your ability to handle that style.  Rivers can be abrasive and off-putting to some.  "A Piece of Work" gave me an added respect for her, because as depicted here, Rivers is not afraid to let the cameras roll and let comments spill out of her.  She talks about her husband's suicide, the loss of communication with Carson, "Celebrity Apprentice", and one scene featuring a heckler.  I've never fully understood an audience member yelling their displeasure of a joke or humor at a performer.  If you're a paying customer, you should have some idea of the act you're seeing (granted, alcohol can be part of the equation).
Some archival footage is included, but most of the film centers on Joan in the now.  Her thoughts, her jokes, her life.  Hold on for the ride.

Rating: 8/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 91

Movie #96- "Dark Shadows" (2012)

Since I missed "Dark Shadows" in theaters, this turned into another edition of MCR (Movie Channel Roulette). I remember "Dark Shadows" when I was a kid.  One of the stations would run it during the afternoon, and I would occasionally catch an episode during summer vacation.  I don't recall the soap opera nature of the show, but like most people, can recollect the character of Barnabas Collins.
I had a passing interest in the "Dark Shadows" the movie, especially given to collaboration of Johnny Depp and Tim Burton.  Suffice to say, Depp and Burton may need a divorce... or a trial separation at the very least.  Burton has always been a mystery to me.  The man has an incredible eye for the visual, but I usually find the stories lacking.  My favorite Burton movies weren't the splashy remakes or revisions or whatever you want to call them.  "Ed Wood", "Big Fish", and "Frankenweenie" were films populated by oddball characters, yet had a heart at the center of the story.
With "Dark Shadows", there is an attempt to mix a monster movie and camp, and for me, it really doesn't work.  Depp appears to be having a good time in the role of Collins and the rest of the cast plays along.  But the story is weak and a grand opportunity is wasted.

Rating: 4/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 90

Movie #95- "24 Hour Party People" (2002)

"I'm a minor player in my own life story."  So goes one of the many marvelous quotes from "24 Hour Party People".  As I've stated before, I enjoy movies that center around music, especially if the music happens to be from the late 70s or 80s (that time in life when I was expanding my musical horizons).  The focus is Tony Wilson and the foundation, and later failure, of Factory Records.  Factory was the label that would be home to Joy Division (later New Order) along with the Happy Mondays. 
What makes this movie fun is the freewheeling spirit in which the story is presented.  It's very tongue-in-cheek, often using unsubstantiated anecdotes as part of the narrative.  One example features a claim that Howard Devoto had sex with Wilson's wife, then the next scene has the real Devoto, playing a janitor, debunking the story.  The film tosses in several brief cameos by some of the musicians and players from the era, including Mark E. Smith from the Fall, the above mentioned Devoto, as well as Wilson himself. 
But the major plus of "24 Hour Party People" is Steve Coogan as Wilson.  Coogan daftly moves from scene to scene like a merry tour guide taking your through the crazy world he has helped create.  There is such joy in his performance that you get lost in the truths and fabrications.  Not only does the film focus on Factory, but it also uses Wilson's occupation as a journalist for an added comic touch. 
However, the film loses a little steam in the later years of Factory, although personally that may be because of my musical preference (more a Joy Division fan than the Happy Mondays). And also, the carefree nature of the film doesn't really provide the right tone for the death of Ian Curtis.  With those point aside, I wish more films about rock music would adopt this attitude of anarchy.

Rating: 8/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 89

Movie #94- "Foxy Brown" (1974)

This one popped up as a suggestion from Netflix, I believe under the "Action and Adventure" heading.  I was curious since while I'm vaguely familiar with the blaxploitation genre of the 1970s, I had actually never watched one.  No Shaft... no Superfly... no Dolemite... none of these films had been part of my viewing experience.  I had a slight notion on what to expect, but thankfully I was greeted with some cheesy goodness. 
The plot and action zing all over the place as if the producers had a checklist of ideal scenarios and wanted to squeeze them all into one movie.  They start with the standard murder and drugs, then throw prostitution into the mix.  Can't have prostitution without nudity and maybe a rape scene.  Need more?  How about a fight in a lesbian bar?  I've got one... death by propeller.  Are we missing anything?  Oh, wait, we forgot castration.  One outrageous scene leads to another, with the bar being raised each time.
Pam Grier is definitely on her game as Foxy as is Antonio Fargas as her brother Link.  However, I didn't care too much for Kathryn Loder as the evil Katherine Wall .  I've read several posts praising her performance in this film, but to me, she came off as catatonic and bored with the material.  She should have had more malevolent fun with the role.
"Foxy Brown" is truly dated, but still entertaining work.  The 94 minute running time flies by, although some of the soap opera aspects weaken the film (giving one of the prostitutes a family, which leads to an odd and awkward confrontation).  Good late night viewing.


Rating: 5/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 88

Movie #93- "Waterworld" (1995)

Every decade has its bombs.  Big budget movies that failed to meet audience expectations, then becoming the punch line to jokes for years to follow.  As you can tell by the rating, "Waterworld" has not been the worst movie I've watched this year.  I can think of other big budget disasters that I've hated more ("Battleship", I'm looking at you).  Part of the fun is trying to figure out where "Waterworld" went wrong.
Conceptually, I don't find it as a horrible idea.  A world that is covered with water with the hope and search that dry land exists somewhere.  They've just taken the traditional apocalyptic genre and given it a different setting.  And you have to give that world some colorful characters, in this case marauding pirates traversing this waterscape, a kind of "Mad Max" on the open sea.  So the opportunity did exist to make a better movie.  But somehow, the filmmakers have unleashed two hours of near boredom.
I think my biggest issues is the characters that populate this work.  Unfortunately, they've framed the main character as the surly, unfriendly loner that usually populates these films.  We've seen this kind of loner so many times and there are better examples (like say, "Mad Max").  However, Kevin Costner's Mariner is the guy you wish would collect his supplies, then move on, no questions asked.  I also had problems with the relationship between Costner, Jeanne Tripplehorn and the young girl, Enola, he takes as passengers.  He tries too hard to be a bad-ass with flashes of a tender side.  I didn't buy either version.  And while Dennis Hopper adds some color as the villain, his role comes off as cartoonish, especially with the alter to Captain Joe Hazelwood (I guess it's an environmental statement).
Audiences were probably put off by the expensive price tag "Waterworld" rang up (reported $175 million), but it's really not any worse than some of the other over-hyped Hollywood films that have been tossed into the theater pits the last few summers (again, "Battleship").  Now if they had put a baseball in Costner's hand, we might have had something.

Rating: 4/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 87

May Update

Life happens.  The project was cruising along nicely in May until we arrived toward the end of the month.  Several days of severe weather kept my eye glued to the sky followed by a family situation that took me out of town.  After 151 days this year, I've watched 132 movies and posted about 92.  If I'm going to catch up, strides will have to be made in June.  A bit behind, but still possible.