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
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