The first of 20 is 1 of 2 films that are recent meaning 2 years a go. Nothing in here from 2016...but 2015 gives me space from a fim...2 years to know how good the film is.
If you follow my blog you know I am okay with corny if done right....
BROOKLYN
Directed by John Crowley
Screenplay by Nick Hornby
Based on the book by Colm Toibin
Starring Saoirse Ronan; Domhnall Gleeson; Emory Cohen; Jim Broadbent; and Julie Walters
An Irish immigrant (Ronan) lands in 1950s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a new romance. When her past catches up with her, however, she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within.
Ronan who right now is great in Lady Bird was just as great here in Brooklyn as Eilis a confident and brave, yet scared Irish girl establishing a new life in Brooklyn. Ronan says so much by just a look.....just wonderful.
I love a good dinner table scene and in this film there are many, highlighted by a great performance by Julie Walters who is hilarious as the house mother for all the girls. Remember the dangers of giddiness!!!
Note that this will be the first of two screenplays by Nick Hornby which will be in my top 20!!
Now the real stars in this film are Yves Belanger the cinematographer and Odile Dicks-Mireaux as the costume designer. This film looks beautiful, every seen is perfectly shot. The look almost steals the film away from the great acting and screenplay.
Acting....screenplay...look...altogether a wonderful film. A must see romantic, beautiful film.
My number 20 film out of 20 is Brooklyn.
From the shadows as always thanks for your time. Number 19 will be coming soon!!!
The most common question I get is ....What is your favorite film????!!!
Well sporadically in December I am posting my top 20 films, no pattern but I will post them.
I know!!!
Settle down!!
Now as you know, I am the anti-snotty movie reviewer. My top 20 will not be on the list for it being artsy. It goes back to being entertained....or I learned something that interested me.
It also has to be a film that, when channel surfing, you stop and have trouble turning it off.
So a lot of films on my 20 may be on yours, but they will probably not be on certain critics list who recommend films to either be sheep with other critics or want to show you how smart they are and how dumb you are.
Here are some films I thought about but will not make it:
FINDING NEMO (BEST PIXAR FILM)
TOY STORY (WATCH IT NOW, THE FILM LOOKS OLD AND MESSY AND I HATE SID)
TANGLED (SOOOOOO UNDER RATED)
SILVERLININGS PLAYBOOK
MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
THE BREAKFAST CLUB (SO CLOSE BUT LOVE TO SEE A MODERN VERSION ...KINDA DATED)
PLANES TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES (SADLY CELL PHONES MAKE THIS DATED, A SMALL BIT)
SOME LIKE IT HOT
EX MACHINA (BRILLIANT...MAY BE 21 OR 22)
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
GONE WITH THE WIND (TO LOOOOOOOOOOOONG, AND ALMOST COMICAL IN ALL THE SADNESS)
THE APARTMENT (UNDERRATED)
ZOOLANDER (MAY HAVE BEEN MY 21)
FERRIS BUELLERS DAY OFF (OVERRATED AND DATED)
HARRY POTTER FILMS (LOVE THEM BUT SOOOO MANY HOLES)
CINDERELLA MAN (UNDERRATED)
All really good films but left off because they were maybe too dated, or as whole I felt other films were better.
Some films in my 20, were not chosen as my top film of the year it came out, but grew on me as time went on.
Now I do cheat, I pick two series here in my 20...heck I make my own rules!!!!! I just felt as a whole the series needs to be seen together to be loved.
So settle down, my 20 is coming soon......your job is to re-watch or watch for the first time and agree with me!!! Okay you can disagree.
Happy holiday season to all who follow me ...last I checked as far away from the states to Australia.
Only two releases to mention. One really good and one not so good.
LOGAN LUCKY
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Screenplay by Rebecca Blunt
Starring by Channing Tatum; Adam Driver; Daniel Craig; Riley Keugh; and Katie Holme
This film does a lot right:
-Director Steven Soderbergh and writer Rebecca Blunt. It pretty much is a southern/blue-collar version of Soderbergh's Oceans 11. Soderbergh and Blunt do not miss a step with this version of a heist. Sadness...desperation...humor...tension...all mixed up into a wonderful film. This time, instead of a casino, this heist takes place at a NASCAR race in North Carolina. It is a
just a fun film.
-Channing Tatum as Jimmy Logan, a divorced father of one child who has been kicked around and has been ....well...unlucky. Tatum plays Logan as a guy who has the weight of the world on his back. Overweight and walks with a slight slump. He is not the Magic Mike you remember. He becomes Logan...you feel for him...he is just perfect here.
-Adam Driver as Clyde Logan. He is the quiet thinker. Life has beaten him down. Oh and he has one arm but still bartends. He as usual is spot on here. At thirty four he is becoming one of Hollywood's most dependable actors. He really does not give bad performances.
-Then you have Daniel Craig as Joe Bang. Playing so far against his Bond type...it makes just doing that funny. This could be a supporting actor nomination performance if the voters ever lighten up.
He grunts when he talks...and says so much with a look. He commands the screen and the good thing is that the other actors just let him ...take over.
Negatives? Yes....a few..
-Riley Keugh and Katie Holmes are wonderful but Sonderbergh does not give them enough to do.
-Like Oceans 11...there is a............what we see and later.... we find out what we do not see ending. The part which we do not see, seems unnecessary and it seems it realize heavily on coincidences.
So 4 out of 5 stars for Soderbergh's return to the heist films with Logan Lucky. A tense, yet funny film.
THE HITMAN'S BODYGUARD
Directed by Patrick Hughes
Screenplay by Tom O'Connor
Starring Ryan Reynolds; Sam Jackson; Gary Oldman; and Salma Hayek
Reynolds is Mike Bryce a successful bodyguard trying to revamp his reputation after a mistake he made. Now he pretty much stumbles on having to protect Darius Kincaid (Jackson), from a hit so he can make a court appearance as a goverment witness.
Well acted. In fact very well acted. Highlighted by a hilarious performance by Hayek.
Still I felt like I have seen this before.
Even with the shoot-outs and car chases, it still felt surprisingly boring and predictable. The script felt lazy.
It was just blah.
2 1/2 out of 5 stars for The Hitmans's Bodyguard. Sorry the review is short but...it is just what it is. It was an August filler at the theaters. If you want action go for it. Still......find Baby Driver!!!
From the shadows as always thanks for your time
Sunday, November 26, 2017
A second revisit in one week!!!
30 years ago this weekend....one of the best, if not the best Thanksgiving films of all time (See Pieces Of April you decide) was released to your local cinema.
So A Revisit!!!!!!!!!!! I know!!! Those Aren't Pillows!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well here we go with fun and not so fun facts!!!!
-John Hughes shot over six hundred thousand feet of film. More than double the average at the time.
There is a 3 hour version out there of this movie but Hughes said it is in the vault at Paramount. Hughes stated before he passed that the film is most likely deteriorated (Wouldn't you love to get your hands on them or see this!!!).
-Back to the length ...when Steve Martin received the script it was 155 pages. Most comedies are 90 pages. Still he was sold on two parts...1- The seat adjustment scene. 2- The scene at the rental car desk.
-Speaking of that rental car place...The famous scene was one minute long from the time he started his tirade. He used the F bomb 18 times...which caused the film to get an R rating.
-In a shocking tidbit...No Lie...The original plot was Candy being a bumbling vampire trying to get Martin to invite him home because that is the only way a vampire can enter a house. Thankfully they changed the plot to a more emotional real film.
-List of cameo's:
Ben Stein was the airport announcer
Kevin Bacon as taxi guy
Michael Mckean as a state trooper
Edie McGlurg as the car rental agent.
Charles Tyner as Gus
- The El Rancho hotel is no longer called the El Rancho...What are they thinking???!!!
-When the rental car burns, look at the sign...it says 106 miles to Chicago. That was a direct reference, tip of the cap to The Blues Brothers line.."It's one hundred six miles to Chicago....".
-The rural train station used in the movie was the same station used in one of my favorite films The Natural.
-John Candy stated this was his all time favorite movie.
-The late great Roger Ebert put this in his top all time films
Me? I think today....sadly it is dated but still makes me laugh. I give it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.
25 years ago today Aladin arrived to the theatres!!!
Lets do a revisit.
Yes part of this is a "Reblog" from 2 years ago but....it's freaking Aladdin who cares!!!!
ALADDIN
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker
Music by Alan Menken
FUN AND NOT SO FUN FACTS!!!
- There were two voices for Aladdin and two voices for Jasmine. One for singing and one for voice.
For Aladdin, Scott Weinger did the voice while Brad Kane did the singing. For Jasmine, Linda Larkin did the voice and Lea Salonga did the singing.
Here is a behind the scenes cut of the first time Brad Kane and Lea Salonga did A Whole New World. It is crazy good and Lea says..."That was good for a start". That was a start???!! At the 3:15 mark watch Brad raise an eyebrow at the camera like saying...Holy crap!!
-Lea salonga was also the singing voice of Mulan. Making her the only person to be two Disney Princesses.
-Robin Williams voiced the Genie and the peddler
-Bad blood between Disney and Robin Williams: Robin Williams provided the voice for the Genie, at union scale rate (the lowest legal pay rate a studio can give an actor), on the promise that his voice was not used for merchandising ( toys and such), and that the Genie character not take up more than 25% of the space of a poster, ad, billboard, or trailer. When these wishes were not granted, he withdrew his support for Disney and the film. As a result, his name was not included in "The Art of Aladdin" book (it makes constant references to "the voice of the Genie"), and he was not available for the direct-to-video sequel. In an attempt to get back on good terms with Williams, Walt Disney CEO Michael Eisner apologized to him with a peace offering of an original Pablo Picasso painting. Still angered and feeling betrayed by Disney, Williams would not accept the gift. It was not until Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg was fired and replaced by Joe Roth that Williams returned to Disney. Through Roth, a public apology was given. Promises to right wrongs were kept, and Williams was so touched that he came back as the Genie for the second direct-to-video sequel, Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996).
-Patrick Stewart was suppose to do the voice of Jafar but Star Trek The Next Generation got in the way so he turned it down.
-To see the movements of Aladdin's pants the animators studied MC Hammer's movements.
-Jasmine's appearance was influenced by actress Jennifer Connelly.
-In the original script Aladdin was not an orphan, he had a mother, His main goal in that script was to make his mother proud while trying to meet the beautiful princess. In fact one of the songs Proud Of Your Boy was left on the floor because Aladdin's mother was cut from the script. This song was later used for Hercules and Aladdin the Broadway Musical. Well here is what it would have looked like in the film you see how it was emotional for everyone to let the song go for Howard Ashman.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW:
Well we know Robin Williams sadly passed, but where is everyone else??!!
Scott Weinger the voice of Aladdin: He did the Voice for Aladdin in all the sequels and video games. He is also known as Steve in Full House and will be in the new Fuller House.
Brad Davis the singing voice for Aladdin: He was one of the producers for Fringe. He is a writer and producer for the show Black Sails. He also was in the film Starship Troopers.
Linda Larking the voice of Jasmine: She pretty much has made a living out of voicing Jasmine in film sequels and video games.
Lea Salonga the singing voice of Jasmine: She has a Tony for Miss Saigon. She does work on the Philippines version of The Voice and has returned to Broadway with a new show opening next month.
Jonathon Freeman as Jafar: He is right now on Broadway playing Jafar in Aladdin The Musical.
Gilbert Gottfried played Iago: He has made a living with just that annoying voice either by commercials or voicing Iago in sequels and video games.
As for the film. Shockingly I a not the biggest fan. I like it but do not love it. I love the music. I just thought the second half of the film turned into a Saturday morning cartoon. Plus, I thought Jafar was creepy like pervy creepy. Yes I know, I am the minority here, not saying I do not love it....I am saying it is not perfect.
