As always, spoilers below.
Hot Fuzz: the quintessential conglomeration of comedic, campy action movies past.
Also what I call my crotch.
Nick Frost reprises his role as "perpetual man-child" alongside hard-ass police officer (not policeman) Simon Pegg in what I believe is a very worthwhile movie and probably the best that the duo has starred in together.
Let's get started.
Soundtrack/Score:
The soundtrack in this film really didn't stand out for me, good or bad. The music definitely fit the mood of the movie, which was really just trying to over-emulate action movies like Lethal Weapon and Bad Boys. So yeah, the music worked but it doesn't shine for me. If I were thinking of this movie in a month, I don't really have any iconic piece of music to attach to it.
Fuck Tha Police.
Writing/Script:
The writing of Hot Fuzz was done very well. When examining just the story itself I think that it is interesting and fresh. While Hot Fuzz really does try to poke fun at other action movies, the plot is surprisingly refreshing and new. When we look at typical action movies, they generally all follow the same formula. Normal person reluctant to take action has his hand forced as bad guy threatens normal person's family/large amount of people/the world/etc. Normal person takes action to save their interests through feats of violence and/or dumb luck.
I personally have never seen a story quite like Hot Fuzz in any other action film. In an attempt to protect property values, the village people of Sanford create a cult to deal with unwanted nuisances like human statues, children wearing hooded sweatshirts, and people with big houses. Reasonable enough.
Officer Nick Angel (Simon Peg) is sent to Sanford for no other reason than that Bilbo Baggins doesn't like that Angel is doing his job.
What would Gandalf think of this corruption within the police force, Mr. Baggins?
Sanford seems to be a very quiet town until the Neighborhood Watch Alliance starts playing irl Clue and murdering townspeople. Angel eventually discovers that Sanford is being run by a shitty British version of the Illuminati and tries to take them down only to find that everyone who's anyone is actually just a murderous old hag. Huge gun fight ensues throughout the entire town. James Bond gets his face impaled by a mini church. Good triumphs over evil.
Tis but a flesh wound.
The plot isn't crazy different than other action films admittedly but the element of mystery does add a lot to the story. The film doesn't feel flat like a lot of other action films, even though it purposefully uses action movie tropes heavily throughout.
How Well It Holds Up:
Shot in 2007. Most of the effects were fairly simple. The jaw impaling of 007 up there doesn't look too goofy. I think it'll hold up just fine in years to come. This section will make more sense/impact when I finally get around to reviewing older films.
Something I really liked about Hot Fuzz was its camera work. Staying true to the satirical nature of the film, the cuts were very bulky and heavy handed but purposefully so. The editing made use of hard cuts throughout and I really enjoyed that. The film is choppy and bulky. I like it. It's cool. The violence in the film (there's a lot of it) is also very campy which is very appealing to look at in the least weird way possible.
Scream 5: Revenge of the Lost Ark
Acting:
Nick Frost and Simon Pegg work really well together. I can't really recall seeing anything with the two of them working together that didn't seem organic. This is, like I said, my favorite movie with the two of them in it.
The monkey represents their undying friendship.
The supporting cast also delivered a very interesting (good interesting) and quirky performance. The police force had a very British sense of humor (no shit).
What Issues It Tackles:
Responsibility. Ethics. Property values.
I don't think this is a super meaningful movie. Sure, we can learn to find meaning no matter where we are from Nick Angel's quest for justice in Sanford. We can see that anyone can make a difference from Danny's journey from the village idiot to elite crime-stopper. But I think that this movie is best looked at as a satire of all action movies.
My rating: A strong 7.5.
--Mat
(Thanks so much to Melissa for the request)
Just a 7.5? Are you fookin' kiddin' me?
As always, spoilers below.
I really, really like slice-of-life type movies. Most of them center around fairly mundane things but as a viewer I can really become invested in seeing an old man go to work or a recent college graduate try to find herself. With that in mind, I really enjoyed Lost In Translation.
Lost In Translation follows the story of tall white man Bob (Bill Murray) and depressed white lady Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) as their paths cross in Tokyo. They become friends and explore the city. They also pretty much hate their lives and see no real way of improving their situation.
Sunday, Monday, Happy Days!
It's a love story. Kind of. But it's really not a love story. It's a story about finding happiness in sadness. But at the same time it's a story about how fleeting happiness can be. It's a story about the flow time and how we as individuals have no choice but to move with it. It's a story about finding inner peace.
The entire film takes place over about a week. In that time I argue that there is no real character development and the characters' trajectories stay the same as if they had never met (granted they have the potential to improve themselves). I will discuss this further in due time.
Score/Soundtrack:
Lost in Translation doesn't rely on music to progress the story forward. That said, I do believe that the music for this film was chosen wisely though because it matches the film's attitude quite well. Tokyo is shown to be an overcast city and Lost In Translation's soundtrack was overcast. It was apathetic; it was numb. It just fit. We also got to see Bill Murray get drunk and sing karaoke, which I imagine is a weekly occurrence in the Murray household.
Grandpa please get off the kitchen counter.
Again, the soundtrack didn't really catch my attention but I think that's just fine. If the music was too distracting it would have taken away from the story so I'm glad that it was subdued to an extent.
Writing/Script:
The story of Lost In Translation is fairly simple in my opinion. A good kind of simple, though.
I'd like to go back to what I said earlier about the characters not really growing at all throughout the film. In the beginning of Lost In Translation, Bob and Charlotte are both lonely and unfulfilled. In the middle, they are still lonely and unfulfilled, but they are lonely and unfulfilled together. And in the end? Well Bob has a family to go back to and Charlotte has a husband. So they end up just as lonely and unfulfilled as they were in the beginning.
That is a very simplified description of the story and does not give insight to what was being portrayed to the viewers. And I understand that. But I think it is important to note that while Bob and Charlotte may have learned how to have fun again, that they may have realized that they can take stock in themselves at any age, and they may have had some insights to their own "meaning of life"; neither Bob nor Charlotte took direct action to improve their situation. Bob is still flying home to what seems like a dying marriage and Charlotte is still hitched to the freak who tried to steal Mark Wahlberg's teddy bear.
The hips that won ScarJo's heart.
However, I think that simple fact right there shows the true story that is trying to be told here. Two people who are living kind of shitty lives have a temporary escape from reality in a foreign world. They try to take what they can from their time together and want to apply it to themselves, but that's simply not shown.
The ending is somewhat vague. Bob runs to Charlotte at the last moment, they share one last embrace, Bob says something to Charlotte that is inaudible to the viewers and then that's it. The chances of Bob and Charlotte meeting again are slim to none. We don't know if Charlotte works with her husband to fix a marriage that is very obviously not meeting her needs. We don't know if Bob starts to value his own happiness over money. But I think that element in itself, the fact that we as viewers can only imagine what comes next, is why this movie is so great.
Lost In Translation doesn't force a message down your throat. We don't see love triumph over all. Bob isn't going back home to make more movies. Charlotte probably won't ever be satisfied with her marriage. But that's okay because that's life. What we're seeing is life on the screen. Very few films do this well and even fewer do it as well as Lost In Translation.
How Well It Holds Up:
This was a rather low budget film ($4 million) with no crazy special effects. This is another movie that will hold up really well in years to come because of its simplicity and its sincerity.
I would like to talk about director Sofia Coppola's decision to use film rather than high definition video. It wouldn't have made a huge difference to me if Lost In Translation was filmed in high definition video but in a film about all the little details in the day, I think it really adds to the viewing experience. Sofia Coppola reportedly favored film as it was more romantic and I'm inclined to agree with her.
No funny comment, I just really love the cinematography in this movie.
Acting:
I'm a big fan of Bill Murray. Apparently the role was written specifically for Bill Murray and if he declined the offer, Sofia Coppola would have scrapped the whole project. That really shows in the film because this could just be a documentary about Bill Murray taking a trip to Japan. He plays Bob so naturally that I really couldn't imagine anyone else on the screen. Scarlett Johannson doesn't wear pants in half her scenes which is pretty great too.
I tend to have all my quarter-life crises pantsless as well.
Murray and Johansson balance each other out well. Bob as the more experienced, yet just as lost and Charlotte as the hopeful one that still has a lingering fear of dissatisfaction. It's a great pairing.
What Issues It Tackles:
The crushing loneliness that reaches us all. Tokyo is the perfect setting for this movie because of how it depicts internal loneliness. Bob and Charlotte still feel isolated in a city home to 12 million people. Now again the film doesn't show anyone sustain happiness, but I think another big message of Lost In Translation is being okay with not being happy. Being comfortable by yourself.
Or I could just be missing the point entirely.
In the end, this is an outstanding film. This was the first film directed by Sofia Coppola that I've watched and I enjoyed it very much. Beautiful cinematography, a simple yet profound story, and two great actors. Not a whole lot more I can ask for.
All things considered, this is a very difficult rating to place. I went back and forth for a good 30 minutes and I still might change it later.
My rating: A solid 8. I don't like going outside of even numbers and .5's, but if I did this movie would be an 8.4.
--Mat
(Thanks so much to Minh for the request.)
Many thanks for reading and blessings to you and your kin! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *ヽ(◕ヮ◕ヽ)
I know that 10 point scales are kind of ambiguous without reference so I wanted to show what I consider a five and a ten.
A 10 is obviously a film that I consider perfect. That goes for all aspects, acting (both main actors and supporting cast -- including minor characters and cameos), what issues it portrays and how it deals with them, how well the music fits with the picture, what the actors are saying, and of course how well it has stood up to time. For this last reason many classics do not have the potential to be a 10 for me, just because of how dated they are. I again emphasize that this is only my opinion and I realize that plenty of other people are much better qualified to rate the films I make jokes about.
With that said I'll try to give some examples of ratings.
10: Apocalypse Now
9: The Godfather, Part I
8: The Dark Knight
7: Ant-Man
6: Raising Arizona
5: This Is The End
'5' being an average film. Going below 5, it gets kind of murky. Films that I believe are below average quality I will probably try to go into greater detail on why I feel that way.
--Mat
As always, spoilers below.
To mix it up from soul-crushingly depressing movies, it's time to talk about something fun, man.
That's exactly what Dazed and Confused is. A fun movie. I enjoy it every time I watch it. It's not complicated; it's just some kids trying to have a good time and that really resonates with me. Some good news is that there is supposedly a spiritual sequel coming out this spring by the same writer/director called Everybody Wants Some.
I think that it is an interesting movie because of the supporting cast. We get a look at McConaughey, Ben Affleck, and Milla Jovoich before they were huge stars. It's also kind of neat to see that the three actors mentioned were at least around high school age (McConaughey - 24, Affleck - 21, Jovoich - 18).
Also a knock off Mark Hamill on the top row, second to the left.
Let's get started, dude.
Soundtrack/Score:
For a movie that hyped up Aerosmith so much, there was surprisingly little Aerosmith in the soundtrack.
Aerosmith, two weeks. Don't forget.
The soundtrack was comprised of popular music in the mid 70's which obviously fit the movie well because it also happened to be set in the mid 70's. Songs included "Livin In The USA" by Steve Miller, "Rock n' Roll All Nite" by KISS, and "Slow Ride" by Foghat. Songs that really remind you of an all American summer. The soundtrack really puts the viewer in a good mood and helps to reinforce the positive attitude of the movie.
Writing/Script:
Overall this is a pretty funny movie. There's a lot going on but the main story is just a bunch of kids are trying to get wasted and they need a place to do it. Sounds like a typical Monday night to me. The movie is really reminiscent of a time long passed where kids (and parents for that matter) felt safe enough to move around the town at all times and in all varying states of awareness. There isn't a scene at the Moon Tower where the cops bust the party. They just run out of beer. Everyone leaves on their own terms. If this movie was set in this decade, half of it would be about cramming into someone's shitty two bedroom apartment and paying five dollars only to find out that the beer had all ran out 20 minutes ago. The other half would consist of the host telling everyone to "shut the fuck up, the cops are outside!" and then paying a surge fee for an Uber back home.
Am I bitter? Maybe.
Other than the great times depicted, the movies has a lot of very quotable lines that have entered my vernacular and have stayed there for years. I am willing to bet money that each and everyone of you has at one point in your life said "alright, alright, alright" (mainly because I only have three readers). Basically anything Wooderson (McConaughey) said I have incorporated into my life.
I'm trying Woody, I'm trying.
"It'd be a lot cooler if you diid." Jesus I love his character. I don't even care that he's a 24 year old man schmoozing on high school girls.
But other than just Woodersonisms, Dazed and Confused gave us gems like "oh, an observation, huh? Well who the hell are you, man? Isaac fucking Newton?", "you cool, man?", and "now me and my loser friends are gonna head out to buy Aerosmith tickets. Top priority."
Also something about the community that the writers create feels so American. It just makes you feel good that some insignificant story like this one could have happened; that these kids could have forgotten about adult responsibilities for one night and had some fun. Not all people on this Earth have that leisure. Makes you appreciative of where we were born.
The movie also reminds me of summer and I'm all about that. Granted, the movie is about the first day of summer but it really reminds me of my group of friends trying to find something to do and somewhere to do it every summer night. I don't have a lot of summers like that left.
10 years later, Slater realizes that an internship or two during the summer might have gotten him out of retail.
How Well It Holds Up:
The movie is set in the summer of 1976. Things were different back then. It was socially acceptable to wear overalls even if you weren't a farmer. You could buy alcohol at 18 (at least in Texas, where the film is set). Truly a glorious time to be alive. But other than that the movie doesn't have any crazy scenes that require special effects. It is a simple story and because of this I think Dazed and Confused will hold up for another 20 years (yeah, this movie came out over 20 years ago).
Make America Great Again!
Acting:
So I'm not going to say that the movie had any amazing performances because it didn't. A lot of the minor characters were very stiff in their delivery. A lot of the main characters were inexplicably cheesy. I feel like some of this is intentional though because the movie doesn't exactly take itself seriously. It's meant to be a fun movie, not a drama.
I'd like to take more time to praise how hilarious Wooderson was again. Best part of the entire movie for me.
Personal role model.
What Issues It Tackles:
Dazed and Confused is a one-part coming of age, one-part 'live for yourself' movie. It discusses things like relationships with women, the importance of fun, and again, living for yourself. Quitting the football team because you hate the person you are with the team. Going after that babe even though she's older than you. Stepping out of your comfort zone and making new friends. Plus a nerd with a mullet decks the shit out of some asshole and I'm all about that.
He may have written a check that his ass couldn't cash, but I respect him for it nonetheless.
After all is said and done, this is a great comedy and something really easy to watch. It doesn't provoke deep thought but then again it wasn't meant to. It's just trying to have a good time, man.
My rating: A soft 7.
--Mat
(Thanks so much to Julie for the request.)
"I have read and agree to the terms and conditions listed above."
As always, spoilers below.
Ah The Dahpahted. The film that provided me my only real interaction with Boston. The film that has motivated me to annoy my family with a shitty Bostonian accent since 2006.
The film follows a rat trying to find another rat somewhere in Jack Nicholson's crime syndicate. It's a wicked convoluted web that the characters weave for themselves but its a great watch.
Let's get started.
Soundtrack/Score:
I would say that the soundtrack is very interesting but nothing absolutely crazy. Many of the songs included in the film were released in the late sixties and early seventies (with a few exceptions). Scorsese proclaims his undying love for Mick Jagger by using "Gimme Shelter" for the third time in his film making career (other instances being Goodfellas (1990) and Casino (1995); two films that are similarly depressing). The selection of music fits well with the film because the generally upbeat music contrasts with the generally shitty actions the characters take. It is always fun to me to see scenes where characters commit acts of great violence while happy-ish music plays in the background. The Departed does this very well. One wouldn't exactly expect The Beach Boys to be in a movie where like 99% of the characters are brutally murdered. It is an exceptional pairing however and I think the movie benefits greatly from it.
Everybody was surfin, surfin USA!
Writing/Script:
So I can't exactly give the writing a shining review just because the movie is actually a remake of 2002 Hong Kong produced film Internal Affairs, directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. So the idea isn't completely original.
That's about the only negative thing that I can see about the writing. The entire film feels very fluid and natural. The writers put a lot of thought into the dialogue of this film and I really appreciate that.
I said before that the plot is convoluted but I don't really mean that. The plot is definitely complex but this is just due to the nature of the story. It's about one informer trying to find another informer while informer B simultaneously tries to find informer A. Something else about this movie that puts it ahead of others is that it doesn't have a contrived "happy ending". It has a gritty, nasty ending. An ending that makes you sit and stare at the screen once it's done and think about your life.
The film also says "fuck" a lot. I like the word fuck. I fucking love this movie.
Fun fact: The Departed uses the word "fuck" 237 times in the 151 minutes of run time. That amounts to twice every three minutes.
Am I writing this review just to avoid doing homework?
How Well It Holds Up:
This is another fairly recent movie so there's not really been a huge jump in technology that makes this film obsolete. Therefore it holds up just fine. Talk to me in twenty years. The special effects are fine.
I have a confession to make. I have never seen anyone get shot in the head. In person. Or anyone shot anywhere, really. That said, many characters in The Departed end up being shot. In the head. And the back. And the knees. And really anywhere and everywhere throughout the course of the film. A lot of people get shot is what I'm trying to get across here. They all look realistic (as far as I can tell) though. I can believe it. Martin Sheen also takes a dive off of the roof of a building.
Scorsese missed a golden opportunity to plug Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" here.
There is one scene in the movie where Matt Damon needs to text a group of criminals that they are being monitored by their cell phone signals. This entire plot point relies on Damon texting his associate while his phone is in his pockets, feeling out his words using the physical keyboard on his flip phone. If this movie was filmed last year instead of 2006, Matt Damon would have texted "bocroophibes" rather than "no cellphones" (because that's what my phone ended up with when I tried texting blind).
Acting:
The cast of this film is packed with A-list actors. Jack Nicholson portrays his usual character of "bat-shit crazy old man" except this time his billing is 'Frank Costello'. Nicholson reportedly improvised a lot of scenes, like pulling a gun on DiCaprio, or pulling a dildo on Damon. Oh Jack *cue laugh track*.
But more seriously, Jack Nicholson's character Frank is one of the most terrifying roles he's had in his career in my opinion. He plays a believable and well fleshed out crime boss turned FBI informant. And to be frank (sorry), Nicholson's improvisation added a lot to the film. While watching The Departed, many of the scenes that include Frank can make viewers uncomfortable because he's so fucking creepy.
Marky Mark is on the right side of the law for once in his life. DiCaprio and Damon both play one side of the same coin. While DiCaprio tries to stay morally in the right while surrounding himself with murderers and crooks and trying to maintain his sanity in the process; Damon tries to preserve his relationship with Vera Farmiga's character 'Madolyn' and his career with the police force but at the same time retain his ties with Frank Costello and the underworld.
Maybe this year, Leo. Edit Feb. 28th, 2016 -- This year indeed, Leo.
What Issues It Tackles:
Infidelity, honor, greed, morality, the value of life and death; all of these are covered in The Departed. The film really does give a look at how violent and self-centered man can be which isn't something many people like to admit to themselves exists. I've said it already but I'll say it again, this is a gritty movie that makes you think about the nature of man. And for that reason I love it.
My rating: A hard 8.5. ;)
--Mat
Actual paparazzi footage of Jack Nicholson circa 2011.
As always, spoilers below.
Disclaimer: I'm super biased towards liking anything in the McConaissance. Even the Lincoln commercials. But I'm trying really hard to be impartial here.
This film follows True Detective's Rust Cohle's journey to outer space to find out who murdered all the crops on earth. Or something.
Death created farmers to grow corn instead of go to college. Wait, I think I'm on the wrong set.
Overall I really liked this movie. Its got a lot of rewatch potential. I would even be so bold to say that Interstellar is the best movie filmed in 2014 (yes, even better than The Babadook).
Let's get started.
Soundtrack/Score:
Oh Jesus. The soundtrack. I've listened to this soundtrack by itself and it still gives me chills.
Fun fact: Hans Zimmer wrote all of this film's soundtrack without seeing the fucking movie. Sure, you could say "Oh well this is just another space epic, there's a certain feel you just need to replicate and it will fit the movie fine." And you would be right. But the score to this movie fits better than just fine. It fits like a glove made out of spandex. The score really communicates to the viewer "this is literally humanity's last hope for survival" and adds that weight to the film at every turn. Hell, Cooper could be riding his bicycle to the corner store for milk and this soundtrack would make you feel like that milk is going to cure his daughter's terminal cancer (but also the bike is in space).
Something that is also great addition from the soundtrack is the lack of sound in space (looking at you, Gravity). There are certain moments within the film juxtaposed with complete silence that smack the viewer right in their slack-jawed face. The best example of this in my opinion is when Matt Damon's character "Dr. Mann" attempts to dock with the Endurance and ends up blowing his own ship and part of the Endurance up in the process. It is so refreshing to see an explosion in space and not hear it for once, to see the destruction of Dr. Mann and his plans in a magnificent fireball millions of light years away from earth. Another great example of the power of silence is when Cooper is watching videos sent from his rapidly aging son on Earth. Coop sees his son become a man, find a wife, have a child, have that child die, and eventually, his son decides (during the video) that its time to leave old Coop behind. All throughout the scene Zimmer's score is continually building as Matthew McConaughey makes us all remember how depressing it is to see a grown man cry. And then, right as his son leaves him.......nothing. And I've never been hit so hard by nothing in my entire life. This is perhaps the best scene in the entire two hour and forty-nine minute long film and it is all because of that juxtaposition between emotion and complete silence.
Relativity in a nutshell, folks.
Writing/Script:
Interstellar is a very well written film. It has a great driving story that the viewer can invest themself in. Something that I personally really appreciate is the attention to the laws of physics throughout the film. Sure, some things are stretched a bit, but for the most part, the film is backed up by the power of science.
You can actually read the book The Science of Interstellar written by Kip Thorne, scientific consultant to the film. Thorne insisted on keeping the film as physically correct as possible. The illustration of zero gravity is accurate, the lack of sound in space is accurate (I really love the lack of sound in space), the definition and visualization of a wormhole is accurate. Dialogue in the film feels natural. These are conversations that could have actually happened; someone didn't just pull them out of their ass.
That being said, I have some gripe with the ending. The 4th dimensional space that is constructed for Coop to communicate with Murph? Nah that was bullshit, I didn't like that at all. I like to imagine that that is all just a hallucination of a dying father as he is crushed to death by a massive black hole.
Probably not a place you'd want to ever, ever leave your spaceship. Or be in general, I guess.
You might ask, "why don't you like that ending?" Well the answer is simple; I love depressing movies. I think often times films that end without a happy ending that ties everything up are the most poignant and important films. China Town and The Departed come to mind. Interstellar is a story about making ultimate sacrifices for the good of mankind. Coop should have never been able to reunite with his daughter. The humans on earth should have slowly suffocated and starved to death while Dr. Brand's colony takes its first steps towards life. It was a massive moral dilemma throughout the film whether or not to abandon earth in order to save humanity. Interstellar uses a very obvious deus ex machina to give the viewers a nice, happy ending that they don't deserve.
How Well it Holds Up:
It's a new movie so I'm not going to write much about this. Overall the special effects were great; it truly looked like the cast was in space and not in front of a green screen in your grandma's basement. It used technology that is close to reality. Interstellar looks like it could happen in the near future (assuming, ya know, magic time lords from the future create a wormhole near Saturn).
Acting:
I'm not going to write a whole lot in this section either in an attempt to refrain from fawning over Matthew McConaughey.
The cast of Interstellar was spectacular. Matthew McConaughey performance really sold an "every man" who gives up a simple life of farming to save the world. A story as old as time. Michael Caine portrayed Michael Caine as a NASA researcher. As wise as ever, Caine reminds us that a mentor is very important to human personal growth. Matt Damon's appearance worked to move the interest of mankind forward instead of Cooper's insistence in maintaining his humanity. McKenzie Foy, who played a young Murph, had a surprisingly great and touching performance which isn't something you see often from a child actor. I could go on, but Interstellar was very well cast and it shows.
Fun Fact #2: Good Will Hunting is really just a prequel to Interstellar.
What Issues It Tackles:
Humanity vs. the good of mankind. Sacrifice vs. those we hold dear. Parents losing children. Estranged lovers. All of these issues hold great weight and were well fleshed out in the film. I will say again that Cooper's sacrifice should have been a real sacrifice where you don't end up getting what you want afterwards. That isn't a sacrifice; that's delayed gratification.
IN THE END, Interstellar is one of my favorite movies and is a very entertaining watch. If you haven't seen it yet I urge you to do so. For me. Please.
My Rating: A hard 8.5.
--Mat
Aren't we all?
Hi.
I'm writing this blog mainly for myself because I have a lot of free time this semester. I also like watching movies but I realize that not everyone wants to listen to me talk about them for hours at a time. Maybe I'll promote this, maybe not. Depends on whether or not my writing here is shit.
So I feel like in order to truly analyze and pick apart a movie, you have to split it into multiple categories. In all my reviews I'll be reviewing the following.
Soundtrack/Score:
Music is so important to the success of a movie. It tell the viewer how to feel at parts of the film when words simply can't be used. It also can royally fuck a movie up. Imagine if John Williams had decided to not score the Star Wars trilogy and George Lucas had opted to put in a disco soundtrack instead. Sure, it might have held up back in the 70's, but there is a reason that disco is dead.
Writing/Script:
A script can make or break a movie regardless of how many stars are recruited. Using Star Wars as an example again, look at the prequel trilogy. Big name actors (Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, Ewen McGregor, all the hot, vaguely British chicks that were Padme's doubles) that we've loved in plenty of other movies, and yet the prequels are written off as disasters. Why is that? Lines like this, "I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere"
How Well It Holds Up:
I promise I've seen more than just Star Wars but here I am using it as an example again. A New Hope has been praised for its use of special effects as groundbreaking for the time. Which is true and I couldn't agree more. However, we've since seen 30+ years of improvement to where if someone had never seen A New Hope, it may seem clunky and goofy compared to movies in recent circulation. In other words, the Model T was a revolutionary development that has shaped an entire industry that remains today. That being said, I wouldn't group the Model T with top performing vehicles today. This will be the least empirical and most opinion based category so bear with me.
Acting:
Let's be honest, all of the above could be amazing and beautiful but a piece of cardboard actor can ruin the entire film due to lack of skill. Imagine Vin Diesel as Don Corleone. It just doesn't fit. On that same note, this will be looking at the casting choices as well as quality of acting (Gerald Butler as Set in the upcoming Gods of Egypt comes to mind.)
What Issues the Film Tackles:
Film has historically critiqued many aspects of society that make many people downright uncomfortable. This is a great power that film holds; the power to induce awareness and change in common viewers. While China Town tackled issues like incest, rape, allocation of natural resources, etc. while Dude, Where's My Car? tackled.....giant alien babes? I can't really remember what that movie was about. While I enjoy both of these films, there is obviously a huge difference in subject matter and effect on viewers.
And that's it. At the end of each review I'll give a rating out of 10, probably. I'm looking forward to rewatching all the movies I plan to write about. Well most of them at least.
--Mat
