One Movie A Day Remix

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Day 30: May 30th, 2010

Speed



Pop Quiz Hot Shot!!!

In light of recent events, I decided to watch a film in Dennis Hopper's honour. I decided on Speed, because it has one of his more entertaining roles, he plays an over the top villain somewhere in between the likes of Frank Booth from Blue Velvet and the bald guy with an eye patch from Waterworld.

"I saw this movie about a bus that had to speed around a city, keeping its speed over fifty, and if its speed dropped, it would explode! I think it was called 'The Bus That Couldn't Slow Down'." - Homer Simpson

That pretty much sums up this film, but to go a bit more in depth...

A disgruntled ex cop takes his issues out on other people with the creative use of bombs. Keanu Reeves saves the day by stopping an elevator bombing scare. This pisses Dennis Hopper off so much that he devises a new plan of putting a bomb on a bus. If the bus goes below 50, the bomb will go off. Can Keanu save the day?

And will we ever see a movie like this again? There is something about this film that makes it special. The action blockbuster that ignited the careers of both Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. The film does not require a strong leading man, just someone who is able to pull off these stunts. Reeves is able to make it look legit and even though people complain about his acting, he is in no way irritating. Bullock spends most of the film behind the wheel of the bus, so of course she falls in love with the guy. Wait, what? Ah, who cares, right? This kind of stuff always happened in the 90's. Girl falls in love with the good looking guy who saves the day. But those relationships never last (evidence in the lame sequel)

Dennis Hopper is one bad ass guy. He plays crazy so well, his role here is not Blue Velvet Frank Booth crazy, but cray nonetheless. He does the villain role so well that it's hard to imagine him as any other than that. The film is even more enjoyable due to the supporting cast of characters that are on the bus with the two stars. Jeff Daniels plays the buddy cop part, but due to the events in the opening of the film, has to stay at home for the exciting parts on the bus.

With the exception of the bus jumping the gap in the highway scene, which makes me roll my eyes every single time, the film is entertaining and will keep your interest. For a film to take place on a bus for 80% of the film, they did a really good job of not letting that annoy the audience. The film is the perfect formula for action junkies. It has a lot of those adrenaline rush scenes. For me it kind of looses it's steam when the film goes to the subway, but that doesn't ruin the overall excitement and feel of the film.

Speed is one of the best action films of the 90's. There, I said it. I can probably sit down and watch it and never really feel bored. Kudos for making the film watchable many times and still have that rush. A lot of action films on repeat viewings loose that.

R.I.P Dennis Hopper

[rating]4[/rating]
 
Yesterday, I watched Easy Rider, Easy Rider: Shaking the Cage and Speed. I gave them each [rating]4[/rating], so I agree with you. The only thing you didb't mention was Jeff Daniels who contributed plenty to the movie. I'm also starting to think that whether it was subliminal or not, Easy Rider may have influenced my outlook on life as much as any film ever made.
 
I've thought long and hard (insert joke) about this and want to give it another shot. The reasoning for the failure of the last one was that I had way too much work on my plate. With being in my final year of college and all, the film projects demanded way too much from me to be able to watch one film a day.

Well, that is over and done with. We had our films premiere and it was a success. I've only got 2 more weeks left of school, and then I apparently have to move on with this thing I call a life. Work? More Films? Girlfriend? All the above.

I still have the list of the films that were recommended last time and they will be watched this time around. And I am hoping to stay on track with the dates and not have an update from a month ago. It makes things more complicated than it has to be.

So, with more time to dedicate 2 some odd hours to a film, I am ready to give this another shot. That and I don't like to start something and not finish it.

By the time this is done, I hope to have a new a remastered top 100 list, which I will post. It's changed a bit and while I still have a lot of personal films on it, it shows more growth and taste as I got older. All lists still need to be personal though.

As always, more recommendations are welcomed. If I fall back a day, I expect someone to get my ass back in gear.

To make it worth your while, and mine, I won't review any film that I reviewed in my last attempt and as the months go on, there will be special genres (October - horror, December - Christmas/Family).

I know you all care and only some of you are rolling your eyes but this will begin May 1st, 2010. Like I said in the original thread, it would have to be in May. I've got a few films all ready to go and sitting beside the TV for the start. I currently have 34 films off to the side, all of them I have not seen. Some might surprise you. So for the first month or so, it will all be fresh new viewings. I'm trying to watch new films, but seeing a new film each day is even harder.

See you there,

Matt.
 
I was really sure that this was going to suck but I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not really sure what you wanted or expected, but this film was way better than I wanted and expected, and I love the original. The point is that this isn't really a remake but it's a "reimagining' which is probably a lot closer to the source material than my beloved original. I give this and the original a whole popcorn box higher than you do, so, although I respect your opinion, I respect mine more in this case. (HA! ) I thought both actors were quite good and I'm sorry you gave away a late plot twist which was not in the original movie. Robert Shaw was all icy business in the original, but Travolta gets all chummy here and turns the movie into something more personal between the two men even if the actual plot is quite similar to the earlier flick in most regards. I thouight there was plenty of suspense here, and I liked the additions of the Internet being involved in what's happening, but I did think that the scene on the bridge could have been handled a lot better. I wouldn't exactly call it getting "really out of hand" though.
 
I need to get my hands on them first.

I actually own Raging Bull, but have never seen it. Consider that one to come up soon now, thanks Mark.
 
I deleted one of them but then decided to have a little fun... sadly, it left too soon...
 
Day 39: June 8th, 2010

Funny Games



Takes Hostel & Saw And Turns It Into An Art Form.

A family head up to their vacation home when they are interrupted by two young polite boys who want to play vicious and dangerous games with them. The games result in the cost of people lives, as the family is taken hostage.

This is of course the American remake of the same film from the same director. Not only is it a remake, but it takes the Gus Van Sant route and makes the film a shot for shot remake. The film stars reservoir dog Mr. Orange himself, Tom Roth. The blonde and beautiful Naomi Watts and the always memorable Michael Pitt. Funny Games manages to take the act of violence and make us want to turn our heads. We go see the films like Saw and Hostel wanting to see the disgusting depravity of it all and Michael Haneke uses this to his advantage and play off that notion in the film. We as the audience expect one thing and are given another.

Another film I recently reviewed was Martyrs, which showed us the lead characters and how they had no hope at all of ever surviving. I didn't like that and how it was represented in the film, I had a hard time trying to connect to the characters knowing they were stuck in such a horrible place. I gave the film kudos for making me squirm. Funny Games didn't make me squirm but it did have the same feel for the characters. The moment you know everything is going to end badly is when Paul (Michael Pitt) turns to the camera and talks directly to the audience. This is further proved when the odd yet fascinating scene in which he literally rewinds the film to change the outcome of some events. This tells us that these two characters are in control of everything. Everything they choose to do to the family and everything they choose to let us see. The last shot of the film is very striking.

Michael Haneke knew exactly what he wanted to do with the film and when he first released the original back in 1997 he was quoted as saying "if the film was a success, it would be because audiences had misunderstood the meaning behind it." I can see traces of that in the film. He knows we as a society are desensitized to violence, so he made the film come off as such. But instead of the film being violent, it's merely about violence itself. Every death takes place off screen and when we finally see the image of blood, it's more striking because of the restrain used earlier. Long still camera shots are used to let the audience sit uncomfortably, waiting to cut away to another shot. We are stuck with the images of the characters in their most humiliating moments.

The two antagonists, are young boys dressed in white. Another play on societies conventions of good versus evil, black versus white. They are extremely polite, instead of rude and abrasive. The small things these characters say have such a sinister feel to them, even if they are the most harmless words. Suddenly a line like "I'm sorry, I've been so clumsy, I do apologize" feels as if he is threatening and about to do harm. They are always calm, cool and collective.

Funny Games is something of an experiment and Haneke is the one who is either laughing or disappointed. He knew what he wanted and he got it, whether or not we know of it. I won't bother seeing the original, as reviews state they are identical aside from the obvious (Language and Actors). Funny Games as a film is directed with precision and acted strongly from the entire cast. Even the young boy surprised me. At times I was reminded of Mr. Orange screaming on the floor in agony because Roth uses that same high pitch voice. I know there are people out there who detest the film, which is why it works. If you love it, you're sick, if you hate it, you missed the message. If you think you got the message, you probably didn't. Me? I don't know exactly how I feel about it, I do know I didn't hate or love it. I guess I'm that anomaly in the equation.

[rating]3.5[/rating]
 
Nice review, but I'd say that both versions deserve a [rating]2.5[/rating]. I tend to find Haneke overrated in general and I hate to use the word overrated even more than you hate the word "reimagining'. He is interesting though.
 
Day 31: May 31st, 2010

SpongeBob SquarePants



Views From Someone Who Never Watches Show

King Neptune's crown is stolen and it is up to Spongebob to get it back.

Before I go on with this review, which will probably be a short one, let me say this. I never got the appeal of the show. I didn't understand why so many kids loved this show nor did I ever watch an episode. It grew bigger and bigger and spawned a film. Going into the film not expecting much from a television animated show to a feature film, I can tell you this. I loved it. I never expected to laugh so much during this film, yet it struck all the right cords for me.

The comedy is hard to pin down because a lot of it makes kids laugh, yet there is so much engraved in this film that it will have the adults laughing too. I was in stitches when David Hasselhoff shows up in Baywatch gear in one of the most random cameos of all time. The two animated characters ride him across the water to get back home. Random? Weird? Hilarious? All three of those rolled into one. That is the style of humour, don't think it's funny? Skip this film.

The film has many recognizable actors supplying their voices, such as Alec Baldwin, Scarlett Johansson, ,Jeffrey Tambor and a favourite of mine who is also a regular cast members, Clancy Brown. The film is really goofy and the animation supports this. At times it changes a bit and you get a Ren and Stimpy style shot, no complaints, just random for a kids show.

I don't really know how to recommend this film. I for one never watched the show and loved the film. People who are fans of the show also seemed to enjoy the flick. I guess if you are into sophisticated humour, you'd have to skip this one. This is really a silly, goofy and immature movie...and I loved it.

[rating]3.5[/rating]
 
Damn, was about to rip into that cover art myself before I got to the last paragraph.
 
Three Kings is one of my favourite movies and Academy-Award-Winner Mark Wahlberg actually delievers a good performance here.
 
Day 8: May 8th, 2010

Barb Wire



I Would Have Loved This When It First Came Out

A sort of remake of Casablanca set in the future and in a strip club? Pam Anderson is Barb Wire and she must help someone get on a plane to Canada, with contact lenses. Whatever else the plot is, do people really care?

This film was made, marketing and watched because of one thing and one thing only, Pamela Anderson. This was her naked sci/fi Hollywood film, the opening of the movie shows her stripping, showing her breasts and getting hit with water. Ooooh, so sexy. This was probably the one scene many kids watched over and over. The film itself is regarded as one of those, it's so bad it's good. I can totally see that and once I got pass Anderson's wooden acting, I actually enjoyed myself. Guilty as charged.

I said I would have loved this when it first came out. I say that because I was around 10 years old and a film like this, that is drenched in so called "sexiness" would have been imprinted on my mind. Seeing it for the first time in full when I'm 22, went to film school and have been on the internet since I was whatever age, the film doesn't strike me as sexy. Anderson does look good though and seeing her prance around in tight leather doesn't hurt either. Much better than what Halle Berry tried to do with Catwoman.

Anderson became famous for her breasts and that was the focus of the film. Every other shot is of her massive cleavage. Am I complaining? Not really. But we have porno for that, the catch is that Anderson is someone "somewhat" famous. There is a special feature on the DVD called SEXY OUTTAKES. This is ten minutes long and it is of her stripping with the water. Basically the entire opening, but for ten minutes.

Jango Fett from the Star Wars prequels is in this film, I found myself saying "Hey it's that guy" a lot every time a character came on screen. The film is campy, what else do I need to say? The acting is campy, the script is god-awful and taken from Casablanca, the nudity isn't even that good. I expected more, the film feels like a tease.

Barb Wire is like Showgirls. Made to appeal to the perverted crowd, only this one has explosions. I'm giving this one a high rating, for it's campiness feel. It's trash, but golden trash.

[rating]2.5[/rating]
 
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