I've known about this movie for years. My parents (especially my mom) are fans. I generally watch movies my parents enjoy, but I never watched this one for one reason: I didn't need to. It's called Green Card and the picture on the case is a man carrying a woman over his shoulder and them both smiling. The plot is all right there: two people get married so one of them can stay in the country and they end up falling in love. Done and done.
When I sat down to watch this film, I remembered that isn't always the point of movies. So what if the plot is recycled and predictable? It's a romantic comedy - it's the same basic plot in every one. Now, romcoms aren't my favorite genre, but I like mindless entertainment on occasion. It's the details you are there to enjoy. How do they know each other? Why did the resident decide to marry the non-resident? What happens towards the end that makes it look like they're going to fall out? What happens to bring them back together? Details.
With a positive attitude, I was ready to enjoy this movie. It was hit and miss, but still - I probably liked it better than I would have had I not gone in with a positive attitude.
I'll give you the plot on this one since I imagine fewer people have seen it than Titanic. The film begins with Gerard Depardieu (Georges) and Andie MacDowell (Bronte - like Charlotte and Emily) getting married at the courthouse. Another French man who we never really find out how he knows either of them arranged it, meaning Georges and Bronte didn't know each other. I actually was a little surprised by that. I figured it would be a little more like The Proposal where the couple in question at least knew each other. Anyway, they walk out of the courthouse (or wherever it is people get married) and go their separate ways thinking they'll never have to see each other again.
"But wait!" I thought. "Don't they realize the INS will want to talk to them?" Sometimes my willful suspension of disbelief only goes so far in more realistic movies (if you call falling in love in 3 days realistic) and this was definitely pushing it.
As we follow Bronte to an interview with the board of an apartment building I decide to drop it for the time being. It's there you realize she married Georges for the apartment. The board wanted a married couple and she was married with a husband in Africa (aka somewhere in the city of New York). She gets the place and we see why she wanted it so badly. Bronte is a horticulturist and the apartment comes with a greenhouse and a rooftop garden. For a split second I thought, "that makes more sense," but it wasn't even long enough to complete that sentence in my head. I started thinking about what I would want in a living space enough to marry a complete stranger and possibly face the wrath of the INS. It took me at least half the movie to come up with something. It would be if Joss Whedon lived next to me. Or maybe Felicia Day... yeah, I'd probably do it for either one of those.
Anyway, the doorbell rings and of course it's the INS wanting to talk to Georges and Bronte together. I assume she tells them to come back later when her husband is back in the country because the next time we see her she's trying to find Georges. They actually bumped into each other at a restaurant (we assume a few days after they're married). He's the waiter and of course they have to pretend they've never seen each other since Bronte is out with her boyfriend and other friends. Georges asks Mademoiselle what she would like and follows up with, "or is it Madame?" I actually did like that line a lot. Point being, she goes to the restaurant to track him down. He goes to her apartment to meet with the two INS officials and of course completely screws up the interview, leaving the INS no choice but to have them come in for a more in-depth interview a few days later.
Panic ensues. Georges moves in for the weekend so they can get to know each other and get their story straight. They of course clash in the beginning. Bronte with her vegetarian ways and Georges with his French food.
They get to know each other a little better, take polaroids of the two of them doing things like dancing and skiing with no background but the sky so it looks legit. They go to Central Park to the giant fountain that is featured in every romcom that takes place in New York. He plants tomatoes for her, she compliments his incessant humming. They bond.
Then the night before the INS interview, Bronte's boyfriend comes back into town early. They go out and Georges is alone on her sofa when the two of them walk into the apartment. You know how it goes, they're making out, she's saying he has to go, he doesn't want to. Georges is clearly not enjoying their weird banter and gets up and yells at the boyfriend saying to get his hands of his wife. Now, this kind of comes out of nowhere. Yes, they had been bonding, but it didn't seem like they had gotten to the point where Georges would react all possessive and jealous like that. But, the movie is almost over and things need to move along. Bronte kicks him out for ruining her relationship and he spends the night in the hallway. She lets him in in the morning, they argue, realize they're late for the appointment, and run to generic government building with a long wait.
They're both interviewed separately and this is where they both realize how madly in love they are with each other. They talk about how wonderful the other one is, little quirks they have grown to love, etc. Then the questions get more specific (what color is her toothbrush type of thing) and these are things they have each written down and studied. Georges is asked what facial cream Bronte uses and he can't remember it exactly. After giving it a couple shots that would have been close enough he says, "that's the only answer I can't remember." Cover blown, he asks the INS agent to leave Bronte alone. Bronte and Georges walk out, say their goodbyes with Bronte thinking all is well, and part ways.
I can't remember if this happened a couple days later or the same day, but Bronte goes to the cafe where they first met right before their wedding and sits down apparently hoping he'll show up. He does and they look and each other through the window. For a long time. Really, it's maybe 30 seconds or so that the camera is just going back and forth between the two of them and they're just staring at each other. It's weird. She gets up and they meet each other at the door and kiss for the first time. It looks awkward with his gargantuan nose, but I've never actually kissed anyone with a nose that big so maybe it isn't as awkward as I'm thinking it is. But it looks like it is. She sees the INS agent behind Georges and freaks out a little. He says he'll write and that she should go to France as soon as she can. And it ends.
Sorry if that synopsis sucked because it's so long. Maybe as this project progresses I'll get better at getting to the point quicker. It might be alright though, cause there's not a lot I want to say about this movie. I did end up getting a bit bored somewhere in the middle (there were a few moments I found humorous) and the ending as I said was just kind of weird.
My biggest problem with this, and any other movie like it, is the fact that we're watching two adults fall madly in love with each other over a matter of days. 48 hours. What adult fantasizes about that? There's not a cell in my body that looks at that kind of situation and says, yeah, I get why that happened. Or maybe I'm just a little too focused on details when I date someone. Thoughts periodically pop up like, what are they like when they're stressed out? Are they a secret bigot? How do they feel about pickles? Will they be okay if I spend an entire day watching Buffy? Things you can't really figure out in two days.
This is something that's pushed on to women (and men) starting at a very young age. It's love at first sight for Ariel and Eric, Aurora and Phillip, Snow White and... Charming (?), and it keeps going. Christmas in Connecticut, The Silmarillion (yep, I'm that kind of nerd), Sense and Sensibility, Twilight (more issues with that franchise than any one blog could write about), Vertigo, Somewhere in Time, Romeo and Juliet... I could go on. Even Angel when we see the first time he saw Buffy in Angel we find out she had him smitten from the very beginning (no one is perfect, not even Joss Whedon). It makes zero sense and creates an unrealistic ideal for everyone who buys into it. I get that a film needs to move things along quickly, but you can still have just a little more time pass.
So yes, it was your generic romcom. One that I didn't like all that much. Not because it was a romcom, but because it was a generic romcom.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Titanic, 1997
The menu begins to play. My speakers are not yet on so I only see Leo and Kate moving in slow motion, their hair blowing in the wind. I sigh. Let's get this over with.
Let me begin by giving you my background with this movie. It came out in 1997 when I was 10. I desperately wanted to see it because everyone desperately wanted to see it. I memorized the song by listening to it over and over - I may have even written down the words (this was before the ease of looking up lyrics on the Internet. My mom wouldn't let me see it because of its rating (and probably because of the boobs) and by the time I was 13 and was allowed to watch it, I didn't want to because I had grown out of my I-want-to-do-this-thing-because-my-friends-want-to-do-this-thing phase (at least when it came to watching Titanic). Then when I was 16 or 17 I figured I should watch it purely for the impact it had on pop culture. I put my cousin's VHS into my 12" TV/VCR combo and watched the film. I was unimpressed to say the least. It was long, predictable (not just because I knew the story of the Titanic, but that did have a lot to do with it), and often flat out ridiculous. I seriously considered stopping after the first tape (yes, tape), but I kept going. Since then I have spend the last 8 or 9 years really hating this film.
Alright. Let's get on with it. I won't give a synopsis of this since I'm assuming that if you haven't seen it, you have a fairly thorough knowledge of the film. After all, it did have a huge impact on pop culture.
First, the stuff I found humorous:
1. The opening shot on Bill Paxton. Remember when hoop earrings on men were cool? That year sucked.
2. BILLY ZANE WITH HAIR!
3. I forgot King Theoden was in this.
4. Ah, the old "Picasso will never amount to anything" line so we know to not like Billy's character while simultaneously endearing us to Rose for being a forward thinker.
5. I literally laughed out loud when Rose took the comb out of her hair and shook her head - in slow motion. Just in case we didn't know that the scene where Jack paints her like one of his French girls was going to be a big deal.
6. PG-13 BOOBS! The scandal of 1997 in Orem, Utah
7. The best acting Leo did in the movie - you can almost see his boner through his facial expressions when Rose removes her robe.
8. In the back seat of the car, Rose tells Jack to put his hands on her (they're both fully clothed at this point). I begin to think about how boring second base would be with a corset. Also, who says that? I have a feeling James Cameron is living out some awkward fantasy here.
9. The iconic hand on the window during uncomfortable car sex. The moment Simon Pegg/Edgar Wright decided to spoof in the first episode of Spaced and the only reason I watched this movie a second time.
10. Pre sex, PG-13 boobs are fine. Post sex, they're covered up by a nondescript black cloth. Heterosexual teenage boys across America leave the theater.
11. While freezing to death, Jack talks about writing "a strongly worded letter" to the cruise liner. I think of Gob and smile.
Things I didn't like and/or found confusing:
1. Seriously, what is the point of the storyteller format? Any and all necessary exposition could have easily been done in 1912 (as we see with Rose persistently overhearing King Theoden). No annoying thirty second breaks from the actual film to go back to random exposition, no random sub-plot with the diamond (I'm sure there's some significance to Rose throwing the necklace into the ocean at the end, but I didn't pick up on it), and the movie itself would be a good 40 minutes shorter. All very good things.
2. "I'm the king of the world!" I don't know what I thought of that line when the movie first came out or when I actually saw it, but it has spawned a generation of douche baggery on boats, and for that I will forever hate that line.
3. Jack saves Rose from committing suicide when they first meet. The ship's personnel hear her screaming (as Jack is saving her) and find them in a somewhat awkward position (right after Jack saves her). However, it's only after Jack is handcuffed and about to be beaten that Rose thinks, "Hey! I should probably tell these guys he wasn't trying to rape me!" Good timing.
4. I will be the first to sing the praises of both Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. I adore everything Kate is and does and Leo is a great actor. But they were not great here. I would go so far as to say they were TERRIBLE. Seriously, horrendously bad acting. I'm willing to blame James Cameron for a lot of that because I liked them both before this movie (What's Eating Gilbert Grape and Sense and Sensibility specifically). I'm willing to give them both the benefit of the doubt and say their dialogue was written poorly and were told again and again to over-act.
5. "I always win, Jack. One way or another." Billy Zane's character says this to Jack after they put Rose on the lifeboat. Does that mean he'd rather die and make sure Jack and Rose don't end up together? Cause he did give up his spot on a life boat only moments before to find Rose. It wasn't out of love so... I don't know. I could be totally reading that wrong, because it makes no sense.
6. That was Rose dying at the end, right?
Generally, I still hate this movie. It really wouldn't be bad if you took out Rose and Jack's story. Cause really, the Titanic stuff is good enough story in and of itself (and I always find Kathy Bates to be a delight). The story is a fascinating study in class, sociology, psychology... Make a movie about the class system, about the decision to put so few lifeboats on the ship, about how the tragedy of the third class passengers sparked a societal change, about the musicians, about the captain, about the couple who really did decide to stay in their room to die together... I'd enjoy that movie because the moments focusing on the disaster and not the love story were pretty powerful to me. It made me wonder what I would do in a situation like that. Would I do all that I could to survive as long as possible, or would I decide to end my life on my own terms?
One thing I did appreciate was the end where the camera pans over the pictures of Rose having a good life. Granted, we're made to believe that she only did it because Jack told her to, but I'm willing to ignore that part because it still goes to show you that the world DOESN'T end when your boyfriend leaves and/or dies (I'm looking at you, Bella!)
Now that that's over, I need to go drown out that insufferable song.
Let me begin by giving you my background with this movie. It came out in 1997 when I was 10. I desperately wanted to see it because everyone desperately wanted to see it. I memorized the song by listening to it over and over - I may have even written down the words (this was before the ease of looking up lyrics on the Internet. My mom wouldn't let me see it because of its rating (and probably because of the boobs) and by the time I was 13 and was allowed to watch it, I didn't want to because I had grown out of my I-want-to-do-this-thing-because-my-friends-want-to-do-this-thing phase (at least when it came to watching Titanic). Then when I was 16 or 17 I figured I should watch it purely for the impact it had on pop culture. I put my cousin's VHS into my 12" TV/VCR combo and watched the film. I was unimpressed to say the least. It was long, predictable (not just because I knew the story of the Titanic, but that did have a lot to do with it), and often flat out ridiculous. I seriously considered stopping after the first tape (yes, tape), but I kept going. Since then I have spend the last 8 or 9 years really hating this film.
Alright. Let's get on with it. I won't give a synopsis of this since I'm assuming that if you haven't seen it, you have a fairly thorough knowledge of the film. After all, it did have a huge impact on pop culture.
First, the stuff I found humorous:
1. The opening shot on Bill Paxton. Remember when hoop earrings on men were cool? That year sucked.
2. BILLY ZANE WITH HAIR!
3. I forgot King Theoden was in this.
4. Ah, the old "Picasso will never amount to anything" line so we know to not like Billy's character while simultaneously endearing us to Rose for being a forward thinker.
5. I literally laughed out loud when Rose took the comb out of her hair and shook her head - in slow motion. Just in case we didn't know that the scene where Jack paints her like one of his French girls was going to be a big deal.
6. PG-13 BOOBS! The scandal of 1997 in Orem, Utah
7. The best acting Leo did in the movie - you can almost see his boner through his facial expressions when Rose removes her robe.
8. In the back seat of the car, Rose tells Jack to put his hands on her (they're both fully clothed at this point). I begin to think about how boring second base would be with a corset. Also, who says that? I have a feeling James Cameron is living out some awkward fantasy here.
9. The iconic hand on the window during uncomfortable car sex. The moment Simon Pegg/Edgar Wright decided to spoof in the first episode of Spaced and the only reason I watched this movie a second time.
10. Pre sex, PG-13 boobs are fine. Post sex, they're covered up by a nondescript black cloth. Heterosexual teenage boys across America leave the theater.
11. While freezing to death, Jack talks about writing "a strongly worded letter" to the cruise liner. I think of Gob and smile.
Things I didn't like and/or found confusing:
1. Seriously, what is the point of the storyteller format? Any and all necessary exposition could have easily been done in 1912 (as we see with Rose persistently overhearing King Theoden). No annoying thirty second breaks from the actual film to go back to random exposition, no random sub-plot with the diamond (I'm sure there's some significance to Rose throwing the necklace into the ocean at the end, but I didn't pick up on it), and the movie itself would be a good 40 minutes shorter. All very good things.
2. "I'm the king of the world!" I don't know what I thought of that line when the movie first came out or when I actually saw it, but it has spawned a generation of douche baggery on boats, and for that I will forever hate that line.
3. Jack saves Rose from committing suicide when they first meet. The ship's personnel hear her screaming (as Jack is saving her) and find them in a somewhat awkward position (right after Jack saves her). However, it's only after Jack is handcuffed and about to be beaten that Rose thinks, "Hey! I should probably tell these guys he wasn't trying to rape me!" Good timing.
4. I will be the first to sing the praises of both Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. I adore everything Kate is and does and Leo is a great actor. But they were not great here. I would go so far as to say they were TERRIBLE. Seriously, horrendously bad acting. I'm willing to blame James Cameron for a lot of that because I liked them both before this movie (What's Eating Gilbert Grape and Sense and Sensibility specifically). I'm willing to give them both the benefit of the doubt and say their dialogue was written poorly and were told again and again to over-act.
5. "I always win, Jack. One way or another." Billy Zane's character says this to Jack after they put Rose on the lifeboat. Does that mean he'd rather die and make sure Jack and Rose don't end up together? Cause he did give up his spot on a life boat only moments before to find Rose. It wasn't out of love so... I don't know. I could be totally reading that wrong, because it makes no sense.
6. That was Rose dying at the end, right?
Generally, I still hate this movie. It really wouldn't be bad if you took out Rose and Jack's story. Cause really, the Titanic stuff is good enough story in and of itself (and I always find Kathy Bates to be a delight). The story is a fascinating study in class, sociology, psychology... Make a movie about the class system, about the decision to put so few lifeboats on the ship, about how the tragedy of the third class passengers sparked a societal change, about the musicians, about the captain, about the couple who really did decide to stay in their room to die together... I'd enjoy that movie because the moments focusing on the disaster and not the love story were pretty powerful to me. It made me wonder what I would do in a situation like that. Would I do all that I could to survive as long as possible, or would I decide to end my life on my own terms?
One thing I did appreciate was the end where the camera pans over the pictures of Rose having a good life. Granted, we're made to believe that she only did it because Jack told her to, but I'm willing to ignore that part because it still goes to show you that the world DOESN'T end when your boyfriend leaves and/or dies (I'm looking at you, Bella!)
Now that that's over, I need to go drown out that insufferable song.
Less than a Triumphant Return
Turns out graduate school took up much more of my time than I had anticipated. But I'm finished which means I have a rather large amount of free time on my hands so I'm going to start this up again. Today after work I'm going to watch Titanic no matter how much my brain may kick and scream. So just hold tight all four of you who visited my site five days ago!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi, 1983
I'm going to need to clarify about the different versions I'll be talking about here and whenever I watch the other two: original theatrical versions, special editions released in 1997, and the DVD versions released in 2004 (aka the bastard children of the original movies). I watched the original theatrical version for this, but I'll probably talk about all three.
I've been watching Star Wars since before I can remember. My first real memory of Star Wars was when the special editions came out in 1997 when I was 10 but I had seen it countless times before then. My parents saw A New Hope on their honeymoon and love all three of them so Star Wars has been in our family as long as our family has been our family.
It was fantastic watching the original theatrical version. After the special editions came out, that's what we owned and that's what I watched. I then saw the DVD editions when they came out and was heartily disappointed and flat out mad when Hayden Christensen showed up at the end of Jedi. Then unfortunately, several years ago I bought the DVDs with two versions thinking they were the special editions only to find out that it was the bastard children tagging along with the original theatricals. And for some strange reason, I watched the bastard children. I thought the remastered look was worth the jumbled, distracting, and downright awful additions that Lucas thought necessary. Oh how wrong I was. It was amazing to watch the original theatrical version of Return of the Jedi. Not seeing Hayden Christensen at the end alone was enough to make me oh so happy (not to mention no horrible music number at Jabba's, no galactic celebrations and no "wesa free!"). I don't know why I kept watching the 2004 versions but I can promise you that I never will again.
One more thing on this subject, is anyone else pissed that Lucas isn't releasing the 1997 versions on DVD? Apparently he says it's too expensive. I'm calling BS on that. If he can afford to change all 6 movies into 3D and release them in theaters (2012-2015) he can afford to put the remastered versions on DVD. I think it's just his way of sticking it to us because people like those better than the bastard children.
Now specifically to Return of the Jedi. I don't have a lot to say because I love this movie and I think it speaks for itself. This one actually used to be my favorite when I was little, probably because of the Ewoks. However, as soon as I developed abstract thought I saw the clear superiority of Empire Strikes Back. Since I've been there, I can understand why children like Return of the Jedi best, but once you reach about 12, there is no excuse. However, I can't be sympathetic at all to kids who like Phantom Menace because of Jar Jar.
Now that I'm older I see Ewoks as kind of a cheap trick to sell toys and appeal to children (not unlike Jar Jar). It seems a bit far fetched that The Empire could be "brought to its knees by small, furry creatures" (another Spaced reference, but not the first one). It's not a horrible idea, since the storm troopers had been living with the Ewoks for some time and didn't consider them a threat. It makes the surprise aspect seem realistic, jut not the logistics of everything that goes down. In all honesty that's probably my only real beef with Return of the Jedi. Oh, that and when Chewie yells like Tarzan when he and two Ewoks swing from a vine to an imperial walker. I sigh every time I hear that. I feel like that's the first big indication of what Lucas will eventually become. But who knows, maybe it was Richard Marquand's idea (I'm guessing not though).
Hands down my favorite part in this film is Vader's speech to Luke while he's hiding:
"Give yourself to the dark side. It is the only way you can save your friends. [Here you see Luke's struggle to repress his thoughts and feelings in the hope that Vader won't read them.] Yes, your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong. Especially for...sister! So, you have a twin sister! [Luke's face is filled with dismay and fear.] Your feelings have betrayed her too. Obi-wan was wise to hide her from me, and now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the dark side, then perhaps she will."
I get chills every time I hear this, most notably when Vader learns of Leia. This moment (and the one directly following) is one of my favorites out of the entire trilogy. It might even be my flat out favorite. It's written beautifully, James Earl Jones executes the lines flawlessly, and you can read everything you need to in Mark Hamill's expressions to all but read his mind.
Another awesome moment is not long after when the Emperor says, "So be it, Jedi." Based on this scene alone, the Emperor my favorite villain of any movie. He's just pure unadulterated evil. He's not even sinisterly enjoying the act of torturing and killing Luke. He doesn't even have that.
One more random observation before I go: Darth Vader always reminded me of Humpty Dumpty with his helmet off. It's supposed to be a tender moment, but because I made that association when I was little and never let it go, I will forever think of that. I'm trying to kick the habit though.
Next on the list is Titanic. I'm still trying to decide if I will actually watch that one again because there are just some things you won't subject yourself to twice.
I've been watching Star Wars since before I can remember. My first real memory of Star Wars was when the special editions came out in 1997 when I was 10 but I had seen it countless times before then. My parents saw A New Hope on their honeymoon and love all three of them so Star Wars has been in our family as long as our family has been our family.
It was fantastic watching the original theatrical version. After the special editions came out, that's what we owned and that's what I watched. I then saw the DVD editions when they came out and was heartily disappointed and flat out mad when Hayden Christensen showed up at the end of Jedi. Then unfortunately, several years ago I bought the DVDs with two versions thinking they were the special editions only to find out that it was the bastard children tagging along with the original theatricals. And for some strange reason, I watched the bastard children. I thought the remastered look was worth the jumbled, distracting, and downright awful additions that Lucas thought necessary. Oh how wrong I was. It was amazing to watch the original theatrical version of Return of the Jedi. Not seeing Hayden Christensen at the end alone was enough to make me oh so happy (not to mention no horrible music number at Jabba's, no galactic celebrations and no "wesa free!"). I don't know why I kept watching the 2004 versions but I can promise you that I never will again.
One more thing on this subject, is anyone else pissed that Lucas isn't releasing the 1997 versions on DVD? Apparently he says it's too expensive. I'm calling BS on that. If he can afford to change all 6 movies into 3D and release them in theaters (2012-2015) he can afford to put the remastered versions on DVD. I think it's just his way of sticking it to us because people like those better than the bastard children.
Now specifically to Return of the Jedi. I don't have a lot to say because I love this movie and I think it speaks for itself. This one actually used to be my favorite when I was little, probably because of the Ewoks. However, as soon as I developed abstract thought I saw the clear superiority of Empire Strikes Back. Since I've been there, I can understand why children like Return of the Jedi best, but once you reach about 12, there is no excuse. However, I can't be sympathetic at all to kids who like Phantom Menace because of Jar Jar.
Now that I'm older I see Ewoks as kind of a cheap trick to sell toys and appeal to children (not unlike Jar Jar). It seems a bit far fetched that The Empire could be "brought to its knees by small, furry creatures" (another Spaced reference, but not the first one). It's not a horrible idea, since the storm troopers had been living with the Ewoks for some time and didn't consider them a threat. It makes the surprise aspect seem realistic, jut not the logistics of everything that goes down. In all honesty that's probably my only real beef with Return of the Jedi. Oh, that and when Chewie yells like Tarzan when he and two Ewoks swing from a vine to an imperial walker. I sigh every time I hear that. I feel like that's the first big indication of what Lucas will eventually become. But who knows, maybe it was Richard Marquand's idea (I'm guessing not though).
Hands down my favorite part in this film is Vader's speech to Luke while he's hiding:
"Give yourself to the dark side. It is the only way you can save your friends. [Here you see Luke's struggle to repress his thoughts and feelings in the hope that Vader won't read them.] Yes, your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong. Especially for...sister! So, you have a twin sister! [Luke's face is filled with dismay and fear.] Your feelings have betrayed her too. Obi-wan was wise to hide her from me, and now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the dark side, then perhaps she will."
I get chills every time I hear this, most notably when Vader learns of Leia. This moment (and the one directly following) is one of my favorites out of the entire trilogy. It might even be my flat out favorite. It's written beautifully, James Earl Jones executes the lines flawlessly, and you can read everything you need to in Mark Hamill's expressions to all but read his mind.
Another awesome moment is not long after when the Emperor says, "So be it, Jedi." Based on this scene alone, the Emperor my favorite villain of any movie. He's just pure unadulterated evil. He's not even sinisterly enjoying the act of torturing and killing Luke. He doesn't even have that.
One more random observation before I go: Darth Vader always reminded me of Humpty Dumpty with his helmet off. It's supposed to be a tender moment, but because I made that association when I was little and never let it go, I will forever think of that. I'm trying to kick the habit though.
Next on the list is Titanic. I'm still trying to decide if I will actually watch that one again because there are just some things you won't subject yourself to twice.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Terminator 2: Judgment Day, 1991
Disclaimer: I read and watched a lot of feminist material today so my mind is a little more geared that way right now and that's kind of what I focus on here.
Let me begin this post by saying that I haven't seen Terminator. I read the synopsis online. I saw part of one of the movies once at a friend's house in college, but the plot sounded too confusing to jump into the middle. It might have been The Sarah Connor Chronicles now that I think about it... Anyway, I know the plot line way better now and I was not a bit confused when I watched the second movie (although Arnold playing the good guy TOTALLY threw me like it was supposed to. Good job, James Cameron).
Here are some random observations I made about this film:
1. The lasers and blasts in the beginning are way too quiet for what the scene looks like. Granted my speakers aren't great and there isn't any surround sound, but still. After Star Wars I expect louder lasers than "pew" and "zoink."
2. As John was running from the T-1000 in the hallway towards the beginning, I FINALLY got the part in Wayne's World where Robert Patrick pulls over Wayne and says in a stern voice, "have you seen this boy?" while holding up a picture, causing Wayne to scream in his face and into the camera and go speeding off. I saw that movie in the theater when I was 5 and I've seen it countless times since then and I've never understood that part. That realization and understanding was accompanied by a fantastic feeling. It made me happy.
3. It's a shame it was the token black person who had to die.
4. The helicopter chase scene was freaking awesome. I love not being distracted by CGI.
5. The reference made in Spaced is Tim saying that he "cried like a baby at the end of Terminator 2." I got a little teary when Terminator said, "I understand now why you cry," but it was hard to get sad about a robot with no personality sacrificing himself.
Now I'll talk about something that really impressed me: Sarah Connor. She was probably a stereotype in the first movie (I'll find out later - Terminator is on the list), but she sure wasn't in this one. I'll admit, I was totally expecting her to play the role of the helpless but oh so nurturing mother overcoming trials and sacrificing all for her child. Ok, so the last part's kind of true, but nothing else was. Her opening scene totally took me by surprise and the phrase "bad-ass" passed through my mind more than once.
Let me tell you what is so fantastic about Sarah Connor's character in this movie: she's real. She's not a sexist stereotype like just about every woman is in almost every movie (ESPECIALLY action movies). She's not a sex object. She's not very nurturing. Her mind set and long term mental state have been altered because of trauma and emotional stress. She doesn't even hug John when they break out of the hospital. She checks for wounds and scolds him for coming after her. Think of almost any woman in almost any action film (especially more recent ones) and she'll defy every stereotype save one:
Her sole existence is to build John Connor into the leader he will become (and this is what is not fantastic about her character). This stereotype has been done and redone and is cliche and sexist. Female characters being there just to help the male protagonist through something. It's been done time and again and I'm finding it more and more distracting. The most recent example from what I've seen is the woman in Captain America. Her character was so forgettable I can't even remember her name. She wouldn't have been there in the first place in real life (but then again neither would the black or Asian guys) and she has no purpose but to be an empty love interest for the male lead. Either give these women some character or don't write them at all. Anyway, I'm willing to let it slide when it comes to Sarah Connor since she's freaking awesome otherwise and we clearly see her motivations and emotional struggles. She's an interesting character without the male lead and that doesn't happen very often for women.
Another awesome thing about Sarah Conner is it was really Linda Hamilton doing those pull ups! She beefed up a TON for this movie and she looks like she could really kick butt. I honestly can't think of any other actress that has done that recently. I'm looking forward to Alien cause I have a feeling Sigourney Weaver is buff too, but other than my hunch on that one, I've got nothing. Sarah Michelle Gellar was toned in Buffy cause she did Tae Kwon Do and kickboxing throughout the 7 years, but she wasn't anything to Linda. Let's think about this though. Uma Thurman, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu... none of them look the part of an action hero. They're fit, but they're mostly just super skinny and toned. Contrast that to people like Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Chris Evans, and Robert Downey Jr. It's not a huge issue, cause who wants to see a Bane sized Uma, but it would be awesome to see more really buff women on screen. It might even help body image for girls to see more than two body types (super skinny and obese) every now and then.
Anyway, overall I really enjoyed Terminator 2. I'd totally watch it again.
I told you this blog would be random :)
Let me begin this post by saying that I haven't seen Terminator. I read the synopsis online. I saw part of one of the movies once at a friend's house in college, but the plot sounded too confusing to jump into the middle. It might have been The Sarah Connor Chronicles now that I think about it... Anyway, I know the plot line way better now and I was not a bit confused when I watched the second movie (although Arnold playing the good guy TOTALLY threw me like it was supposed to. Good job, James Cameron).
Here are some random observations I made about this film:
1. The lasers and blasts in the beginning are way too quiet for what the scene looks like. Granted my speakers aren't great and there isn't any surround sound, but still. After Star Wars I expect louder lasers than "pew" and "zoink."
2. As John was running from the T-1000 in the hallway towards the beginning, I FINALLY got the part in Wayne's World where Robert Patrick pulls over Wayne and says in a stern voice, "have you seen this boy?" while holding up a picture, causing Wayne to scream in his face and into the camera and go speeding off. I saw that movie in the theater when I was 5 and I've seen it countless times since then and I've never understood that part. That realization and understanding was accompanied by a fantastic feeling. It made me happy.
3. It's a shame it was the token black person who had to die.
4. The helicopter chase scene was freaking awesome. I love not being distracted by CGI.
5. The reference made in Spaced is Tim saying that he "cried like a baby at the end of Terminator 2." I got a little teary when Terminator said, "I understand now why you cry," but it was hard to get sad about a robot with no personality sacrificing himself.
Now I'll talk about something that really impressed me: Sarah Connor. She was probably a stereotype in the first movie (I'll find out later - Terminator is on the list), but she sure wasn't in this one. I'll admit, I was totally expecting her to play the role of the helpless but oh so nurturing mother overcoming trials and sacrificing all for her child. Ok, so the last part's kind of true, but nothing else was. Her opening scene totally took me by surprise and the phrase "bad-ass" passed through my mind more than once.
Let me tell you what is so fantastic about Sarah Connor's character in this movie: she's real. She's not a sexist stereotype like just about every woman is in almost every movie (ESPECIALLY action movies). She's not a sex object. She's not very nurturing. Her mind set and long term mental state have been altered because of trauma and emotional stress. She doesn't even hug John when they break out of the hospital. She checks for wounds and scolds him for coming after her. Think of almost any woman in almost any action film (especially more recent ones) and she'll defy every stereotype save one:
Her sole existence is to build John Connor into the leader he will become (and this is what is not fantastic about her character). This stereotype has been done and redone and is cliche and sexist. Female characters being there just to help the male protagonist through something. It's been done time and again and I'm finding it more and more distracting. The most recent example from what I've seen is the woman in Captain America. Her character was so forgettable I can't even remember her name. She wouldn't have been there in the first place in real life (but then again neither would the black or Asian guys) and she has no purpose but to be an empty love interest for the male lead. Either give these women some character or don't write them at all. Anyway, I'm willing to let it slide when it comes to Sarah Connor since she's freaking awesome otherwise and we clearly see her motivations and emotional struggles. She's an interesting character without the male lead and that doesn't happen very often for women.
Another awesome thing about Sarah Conner is it was really Linda Hamilton doing those pull ups! She beefed up a TON for this movie and she looks like she could really kick butt. I honestly can't think of any other actress that has done that recently. I'm looking forward to Alien cause I have a feeling Sigourney Weaver is buff too, but other than my hunch on that one, I've got nothing. Sarah Michelle Gellar was toned in Buffy cause she did Tae Kwon Do and kickboxing throughout the 7 years, but she wasn't anything to Linda. Let's think about this though. Uma Thurman, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu... none of them look the part of an action hero. They're fit, but they're mostly just super skinny and toned. Contrast that to people like Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Chris Evans, and Robert Downey Jr. It's not a huge issue, cause who wants to see a Bane sized Uma, but it would be awesome to see more really buff women on screen. It might even help body image for girls to see more than two body types (super skinny and obese) every now and then.
Anyway, overall I really enjoyed Terminator 2. I'd totally watch it again.
I told you this blog would be random :)
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Project Begins
Welcome to this blog. If you haven't already, read the pages about this blog first cause I'm not going to explain anything here.
I finally have all of the film references made in Spaced. Here they are in order of episode:
I finally have all of the film references made in Spaced. Here they are in order of episode:
1.1
Terminator 2, 1991
Return of the Jedi, 1983
Titanic, 1997
Green Card, 1990
The Shining, 1980
2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968
1.2
Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1977
Night Shift, 1982
Misery, 1990
Fantasia, 1940
Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981
9 and a Half Weeks, 1996
When We Were Kings, 1996
Field of Dreams, 1981
Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1977
2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968
The Magnificent Seven, 1960
The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1975
The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1975
Betty Blue, 1986
The Blues Brothers, 1980
The Big Blue, 1988
Blue Velvet, 1986
Reservoir Dogs, 1992
The Evil Dead, 1982
Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1977
1.3
The Evil Dead, 1982
Dawn of the Dead, 1978
Army of Darkness, 1993
The Conversation, 1974
Psycho, 1960
Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn 1987
Taxi Driver, 1976
Showgirls, 1995
Fatal Attraction, 1987
Shaun of the Dead, 2004 (future film reference)
Army of Darkness, 1993
Wild at Heart, 1990
Showgirls, 1995
1.4
Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn, 1987
First Blood, 1982
Rambo: First Blood Part II, 1985
Rambo III, 1988
Taxi Driver, 1976
Commando, 1985
Predator, 1987
Aliens, 1986
Raw Deal, 1986
Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn, 1987
Phantom Menace, 1999 (teaser trailer)
Psycho, 1960
Lethal Weapon 2, 1989
Platoon, 1986
The Killer, 1989
Hard Boiled, 1992
Every war film ever
The Terminator, 1984
1.5
2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968
Odd numbered Star Trek movies (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: Insurrection, 1979-1998)
Jurassic Park 2, 1997
The Shining, 1980
Return of the Jedi, 1983
A New Hope, 1977
Cujo, 1983
Don't Look Now, 1973
A New Hope, 1977
Star Wars Trilogy, 1977-1983
Saving Private Ryan, 1998
Desperado, 1995
An American Werewolf in London, 1981
1.6
Apocalypse Now, 1979
The Village of the Damned, 1960
1.7
A New Hope, 1977
The Shining, 1980
An Officer and a Gentleman, 1982
The Fifth Element, 1997
The Shining, 1980
The Shining, 1980
2.1
Manhattan, 1979
Goodfellas, 1990
Platoon, 1986
Manhattan, 1979
Pulp Fiction, 1994
Pocahontas, 1995
Casper, 1995
Return of the Jedi, 1983
The Phantom Menace, 1999
Apocalypse Now, 1979
Midnight Express, 1978
The Matrix, 1999
Scarface, 1983
The Karate Kid, 1984
Empire Strikes Back, 1980
2.2
E.T., 1982
Back to the Future, 1985
Mulan, 1998
Phantom Menace, 1999
Hawk the Slayer, 1980
Krull, 1983
Phantom Menace, 1999
Shaft, 1979
Phantom Menace, 1999
Phantom Menace, 1999
Silent Running, 1971
Phantom Menace, 1999
Phantom Menace, 1999
A New Hope, 1977
Hawk the Slayer, 1980
2.3
Robocop, 1987
Saving Private Ryan, 1998
Grease, 1978
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, 1975
Waterworld, 1995
Bottle Rocket, 1996
Fight Club, 1999
Blue Thunder, 1983
2.4
The Sixth Sense, 1999
The Matrix, 1999
Taxi Driver, 1976
Terminator 2, 1991
2.5
Phantom Menace, 1999
Jurassic Park, 1993
The Shining, 1980
2.6
The Omen, 1976
Logan's Run, 1976
The Blair Witch Project, 1999
Bugsy Malone, 1976
Empire Strikes Back, 1980
The Shining, 1980
Fatal Attraction, 1987
Jurassic Park, 1993
Say Anything, 1989
The Thing, 1982
2.7
Obviously there are duplicates and I won't be watching any of the movies more than once, but other than that I will be watching them in this order. That's a total of 95 movies not including every war film ever. I'll probably skip over that one. As for season 2 episode 7, there were no film references. This threw me off so I'll check again sometime.
If any of you see corrections to be made or know of a movie referenced in the homage-o-meter that I missed, please let me know and I'll take care of it.
Let the great time-wasting project begin!
Next post: Terminator 2
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