IMDb has The Shawshank Redemption rated as the #1 movie of all time and it comes up repeatedly on lists of the best movies ever made. Naturally, I was excited to see it. I already knew I would like it too. That's because I saw the short, Family Guy version of it on its episode "Three Kings" where they acted out 3 Stephen King stories. I liked the story and thought it was very funny. Unfortunately I knew pretty much how it ended and what happened.
Nevertheless, I loved this movie. Morgan Freeman? Epic, so was Andy's actor. How this movie didn't beat out Forest Gump...I don't know.
This movie was still as potent to me as I believe it was years ago. I love movies about redemption. I love prison break movies. I loved this movie.
I was slightly frightened by some of it. I'm still new to R rated movies and butt rape was a little awkward to see.
But the movie tied together very well. And the little "Sherlock Holmes" explanation at the end about how he escaped was great. The characters were rounded and I honestly was very upset when Brooks died. And the very end made me very happy, with the reunion and all. The music when the warden discovered the hole was awesome. There were so many great things in this movie (like how he exposed the warden and wore his shoes after he escaped :) and it definitely made my top movies list.
I give it an A.
BTW you should check out the Family Guy version of The Shawshank Redemption. It's hilarious and it captures some of the greatest moments of the movie.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Rocky
I was bored last night so I decided I would watch another movie. After rummaging through my box of DVDs, I found the Best Picture winner from 1976, Rocky. I thought I had seen it but I hadn't; I had seen Rocky IV and Rocky Balboa. So I thought it was time to finally see the often referenced movie.
I was born in Philly and I am a frequent visitor there so I am a little biased. I have run up the stairs of the museum with my hands in the air. I have eaten at Pat's many, many times. So I wanted to love Rocky.
I liked it I usually like sports movies and I do like boxing and boxing movies. I even took it up for a week after reading The Power of One this summer. But I didn't LOVE it. I know the whole thing in the end was that he lost the fight but still got the girl, but I was wishing for the win and came away a little disappointed that he lost after working so much harder than Apollo Creed (btw the whole time I watched the movie, all I could think of was Happy Gilmore's Chubs when I saw him). There was barely any boxing in it, and it was relatively slow the first hour of the movie.
1976: Russia, Olympics, a time where the underdog was very relateable. It was a low budget film about an underdog and it was an underdog at the Oscars. I'm not sure it was the Best Picture that year, but I'm glad it won; everyone loves an underdog.
But I'm not sure I love it enough to give it an A. I'll give it a B- and a 3/5
I was born in Philly and I am a frequent visitor there so I am a little biased. I have run up the stairs of the museum with my hands in the air. I have eaten at Pat's many, many times. So I wanted to love Rocky.
I liked it I usually like sports movies and I do like boxing and boxing movies. I even took it up for a week after reading The Power of One this summer. But I didn't LOVE it. I know the whole thing in the end was that he lost the fight but still got the girl, but I was wishing for the win and came away a little disappointed that he lost after working so much harder than Apollo Creed (btw the whole time I watched the movie, all I could think of was Happy Gilmore's Chubs when I saw him). There was barely any boxing in it, and it was relatively slow the first hour of the movie.
Me as Rocky
But I'm not sure I love it enough to give it an A. I'll give it a B- and a 3/5
Saturday, March 5, 2011
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is certainly a movie that is reflective of the time it came out. War. Oppression. Control. If I'm not mistaken, the Vietnam war was going on, there was the Watergate scandal, and there was communist activity. The audience was fearful of these things. These things were reflected in this movie. The book the movie is based off of is an allegory of society and government. It has themes of control and oppression. And the audience could relate to these things in 1975.
I read the book for school. And I watched the movie in school. Most of the viewing was to look a differences between the book and the novel by Ken Kesey, but I took it as an opportunity to see a great movie that I knew had won the big 5 at the Oscars in 1975. I loved the book, by the way.
And I liked the movie. Jack Nicholson was amazing, absolutely, without a doubt the Best Actor of the year. But was Nurse Ratchet really #1? Debatable. Her evil was subtle and it had to be played that way, so points for her. Part of my bias is that the character is depicted slightly different in the novel and I think I was expecting that. Thinking it over and separating myself, she was very good. Some of the other Acutes were excellent actors as well. Props to whoever played Martini and Billy Bibbit as well as the Chief.
But as I was watching it...I didn't get hit with that "Oh my god this is gonna win so many oscars" feeling that I so often get. Like when I saw The King's Speech and The Social Network and even The Dark Knight I knew for a fact there was some gold there. I already knew One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest won awards but I'm not sure I would've guessed it had won the big 5 if I hadn't.
I didn't have that same effect on me as it did on the people of 1975. Yet I still appreciate it as a great film. It will forever change my view of Jack Nicholson.
I give it an A- or a 3.5/5
I read the book for school. And I watched the movie in school. Most of the viewing was to look a differences between the book and the novel by Ken Kesey, but I took it as an opportunity to see a great movie that I knew had won the big 5 at the Oscars in 1975. I loved the book, by the way.
And I liked the movie. Jack Nicholson was amazing, absolutely, without a doubt the Best Actor of the year. But was Nurse Ratchet really #1? Debatable. Her evil was subtle and it had to be played that way, so points for her. Part of my bias is that the character is depicted slightly different in the novel and I think I was expecting that. Thinking it over and separating myself, she was very good. Some of the other Acutes were excellent actors as well. Props to whoever played Martini and Billy Bibbit as well as the Chief.
But as I was watching it...I didn't get hit with that "Oh my god this is gonna win so many oscars" feeling that I so often get. Like when I saw The King's Speech and The Social Network and even The Dark Knight I knew for a fact there was some gold there. I already knew One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest won awards but I'm not sure I would've guessed it had won the big 5 if I hadn't.
I didn't have that same effect on me as it did on the people of 1975. Yet I still appreciate it as a great film. It will forever change my view of Jack Nicholson.
I give it an A- or a 3.5/5
Toy Story 3
Starting off fresh and new. I know this isn't exactly the "old classics" I was talking about but it is a critically acclaimed movie coming hot off a "Best Animated Film" oscar and it's already showing up on top movie lists. I also was watching it today so I might as well do it now.
I have a biased skew towards Toy Story 3: it has nostalgic value for me. I grew up with Toy Story, so it hits home more than it would for a 45 year old film critic. So I am part of the target audience for the most part on this one.
However, I didn't love Toy Story 3. Not nearly as much as 1 or 2. Not as much as The Incredibles, Wall-E, Up, or Finding Nemo. I did love it, like I love all Pixar movies, but it wasn't my fave. I still love the characters whom I grew up with and their adventures, but still not as much as its predecessors.
I'll admit: I was scared of Toy Story 3. That freaking monkey, oh my god. I do suffer from primateaphobia (or whatever), but how does a little kid not cry from that thing? And big baby? Holy god! Scary as hell! And even lotso is villainous to me. I can't imagine enjoying that movie as a kid.
I'll admit: I cried. Not only after the scary monkey, but at the end. It was a beautiful, full circle ending and blissfully happy. My mom cried. My sister cried. Everyone in the theatre was crying.
I'll admit: I liked it better the second time (today). I knew when to look away from the monkey, which helped. But it was still dark and sinister at times.
I liked it... I guess. It was scary, sad, funny, and a good ending to an amazing trilogy. It deserved best animated picture without a doubt. But I didn't get that satisfactory, fuzzy feeling after I saw it. The song in the credits that won best original score deserves a nod because it was fantastic. It just seemed to dark for a children's movie.
I'll give it a B or a 3/5 stars.
I have a biased skew towards Toy Story 3: it has nostalgic value for me. I grew up with Toy Story, so it hits home more than it would for a 45 year old film critic. So I am part of the target audience for the most part on this one.
However, I didn't love Toy Story 3. Not nearly as much as 1 or 2. Not as much as The Incredibles, Wall-E, Up, or Finding Nemo. I did love it, like I love all Pixar movies, but it wasn't my fave. I still love the characters whom I grew up with and their adventures, but still not as much as its predecessors.
I'll admit: I was scared of Toy Story 3. That freaking monkey, oh my god. I do suffer from primateaphobia (or whatever), but how does a little kid not cry from that thing? And big baby? Holy god! Scary as hell! And even lotso is villainous to me. I can't imagine enjoying that movie as a kid.
I'll admit: I cried. Not only after the scary monkey, but at the end. It was a beautiful, full circle ending and blissfully happy. My mom cried. My sister cried. Everyone in the theatre was crying.
I'll admit: I liked it better the second time (today). I knew when to look away from the monkey, which helped. But it was still dark and sinister at times.
I liked it... I guess. It was scary, sad, funny, and a good ending to an amazing trilogy. It deserved best animated picture without a doubt. But I didn't get that satisfactory, fuzzy feeling after I saw it. The song in the credits that won best original score deserves a nod because it was fantastic. It just seemed to dark for a children's movie.
I'll give it a B or a 3/5 stars.
My POV
Movies are all about the audience. A lot of movies that are successful have central themes that the audience can relate to. Films that win best picture often are reflective in the issues of that time, and some best picture winners win because they are "Timeless Classics". Many acclaimed films appeal to a wide audience with different ages and demographics. But are movies that are reflective of their time frame out of context in today's world? Are timeless classics really timeless? And are great movies recieved as great movies even to...say...a 16 year old female in 2011?
That's what I'm looking to see. If I asked my peers what their favortie movies are, I'd probably get a lot of The Hangover, Mean Girls, Avatar responses and unfortunately a few Twilight, Transformers, The Last Song answers. I doubt they've even heard of The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, or Casablanca, which are all critically acclaimed movies. I have seen or at least heard of all of these and I am very up to date with Oscar knowledge. But recently I've been watching some old movies (no offense but "old" means 70's and earlier...) and I haven't been feeling the same warmth as some of the critics. I still find them good movies but...not exceptional.
I think its because I don't feel the same issues as the audience who saw it when it was released. But that's the project: Do great movies stand up, even when out of context and away from its target demographic? We'll see.
I'll be viewing, commenting, and critiquing some great movies of the last decade and now then compiling my own "Best Movies Ever Made" list by the end of it.
Let's see how it goes.
That's what I'm looking to see. If I asked my peers what their favortie movies are, I'd probably get a lot of The Hangover, Mean Girls, Avatar responses and unfortunately a few Twilight, Transformers, The Last Song answers. I doubt they've even heard of The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, or Casablanca, which are all critically acclaimed movies. I have seen or at least heard of all of these and I am very up to date with Oscar knowledge. But recently I've been watching some old movies (no offense but "old" means 70's and earlier...) and I haven't been feeling the same warmth as some of the critics. I still find them good movies but...not exceptional.
I think its because I don't feel the same issues as the audience who saw it when it was released. But that's the project: Do great movies stand up, even when out of context and away from its target demographic? We'll see.
I'll be viewing, commenting, and critiquing some great movies of the last decade and now then compiling my own "Best Movies Ever Made" list by the end of it.
Let's see how it goes.
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