Tag Archives: 1990’s

#59- The Thin Red Line

Quick recap: War is hell, you guys. Especially during World War II. The focus of this story is on the battle at Guadalcanal against the Japanese.

Guadalcanal_grave

 

Fun (?) Fact:  The original cut of the film was just under 6 hours in length. In getting the film ready for release, many stars like John Travolta and George Clooney were almost completely cut out of the film. Adrian Brody in particular had a major role during filming, but by the time the movie had been shortened, he was left with about 5 lines.

300px-Marines_rest_in_the_field_on_Guadalcanal

 

My thoughts:  Before I get to my review, first a little background: when I finish watching a movie for the blog, the very first thing I do is go to random.org, which gives me the next number to watch. I then go to a list and find the movie that corresponds to the number chosen. So, this movie was chosen several weeks ago and actually I had planned on watching something else, until a friend suggested this one. All that to say that it was completely unintentional to watch a movie about war so close to Veteran’s Day. And since it happened that way, I would feel like a jerk if I turned this into a lighthearted post. I’ll lay off the memes for now (no Hitler cats this time), but there will be a double dose the next time around (Hitler cats for all!)

Seeing as this was my first Terrence Malick movie, I knew nothing of his director trademarks. Which I suppose is a good thing because it makes everything seem fresh. There are a billion war movies out there, but this one has its own perspective and to me, stands out above many others. One of the more brilliant parts of the film, and now I know, a trademark, is the focus on nature. At first, the long shots of the forest and ocean seemed to slow everything down, but later became poignant once the battle started. In a way, it made the war seem even more real, rather than just watching people’s heads being blown off. I’m still not sure the entire meaning, but in focusing on the birds after watching mass casualties, it was as if to say that war is hell, but life will continue. This island is being torn up from both sides, and yet, life continues. And after everyone has left, the earth will repair itself,albeit with scars, and then life continues.

url

 

The movie did seem to drag on from time to time. I’m not a big fan of war movies to begin with, so I admit to some bias against the genre. The first battle scene just seemed to continue forever, and it was frustrating to keep up with everyone. I would see someone die on screen and then try to remember if they were a main character or not. Which I guess is another point of the film? The characters were ultimately not as important as the themes, such as nature. Once I gave up trying to find everyone, I enjoyed the movie much more. And in looking back, I imagine that the many battle scenes are much closer to how it really was- no one knowing who all was alive or dead, everyone on their own, trying to survive. That’s not to say that anyone was selfish, but in that situation, I wouldn’t be thinking about America, just about keeping myself alive.

It’s hard to say, but I feel like Malick did a wonderful job capturing how frightening war really is. I know about World War II and the sacrifices made, but seeing it through the eyes of these young men made me stop and think. Many were just kids, with about as much experience as the next guy. They were forced into something they knew next to nothing about and were told to fight. And through all the terror and pain, they did their job and they did it will. It might not be the message of the film, but it’s the one I’m taking home.

iguadan001p1

 

Final review: 4/5. The movie went over my head many times, especially during the voice-overs. It was all very philosophical and confusing, for the most part. This isn’t your typical shoot ’em up war movie and not everyone will appreciate it. But I think it’s an important film, and it’s refreshing to see a different story being told.

Up Next: The Lady Eve

1 Comment

#58- Fargo

Quick recap: Based on a true story (not at all), the movie opens with Jerry Lundegaard in a lot of financial trouble. His solution is what most of us would think of in times of crisis: he hires a couple of criminals to kidnap his wealthy wife so that her father will put up ransom money of which he will get a share. Sounds fool proof, right? So, in the course of the kidnapping, 3 people are murdered. Marge, a small town cop, who also happens to be pregnant, takes the case.Much heartier than what she appears to be , Marge is determined to solve the mystery and save the day. url

Fun (?) Fact:  I’m sure that I could scrounge up an interesting fact or two, but instead I’m going to pass on what kept flooding my mind during the movie last night-Steve Buscemi’s eyes. There’s even a Tumblr devoted to photoshopping his eyes onto other people, which I say as if it were a surprise but really, there’s a Tumblr for everything.

For those of you who had already not planned on sleeping much tonight

For those of you who had already not planned on sleeping much tonight

My thoughts: I’m just going to get straight to the point here and say that I loved this movie. I’ve seen it before, many years ago, loved it then and I love it now. The only question that remains: Is it the best Coen brothers film?

url

I’ve always had an affinity for Raising Arizona because it was the first Coen brothers film I ever watched. That’s not to say that it isn’t enjoyable, but it has been my favorite by default. After rewatching Fargo,I don’t know what to think anymore. In the category of capturing a group of people perfectly, Fargo wins by a landslide. I could’ve watched two hours of various actors saying random things in a Minnesota accent and been just as satisfied. Especially since William H. Macy is involved. I have no idea if he is from the area, but I don’t care because he was spot on. Also, the scenes with Marge investigating the crime were some of my favorites. On the surface, she seems like she would be a pushover and so sweet, but that’s actually her advantage when it comes to getting information out of people. Even when she knows she is being lied to, she manages to keep her cool and continues the charade of being clueless. It just seems so…..Minnesotoan. 

One of the trademarks I love about the Coen brothers is their attention to detail when it comes to telling a story. It might be something as simple as when Marge and Norm are in her office eating Arby’s or at the end of the movie when Gaear is eating his tv dinner and watching a soap opera. It all adds up to paint a picture of North Dakota that, if I ever visited, would most likely be disappointed that it isn’t like the movie.

I need this

I need this

So, back to the original question of ‘is it the best Coen brothers film’? The verdict is still out, sadly. I think it edges out my (now) former favorite, but I don’t think it would be fair to compare Fargo to a movie like No Country For Old Men. The point, I think, is that when you watch a Coen brothers film, you will be transported into a different world and so there is no point in comparing.

Final review: 5/5. A must see, most definitely. I would even go so far as to say that this is the movie you should start out with if you have never watched a Coen brothers film.

Up next: the Thin Red Line or Woman in the Dunes

 

Leave a comment

#56- Scream

Quick recap: Teenager Sidney Prescott, whose mother was raped and murdered a year before, is now being stalked by a sadistic serial killer (is there any other kind?)

 

Fun (?) Fact: In the scene depicting football player Steve’s death, a chair was used with no back so that the actor’s head could be seen, but with a fake torso.

My thoughts: Since this movie came out at around the time I was in middle school, it was shown at practically every sleepover I attended for the next couple of years. Although I don’t remember specific scenes, I do remember the sheer terror I felt while watching that movie. It would be several years before I would answer a phone when I was home alone, and to this day I still get anxiety looking out at my patio, just in case there is a gutted dead body. Besides all of the psychological torture, it was a movie that I couldn’t turn away from. Although I knew I would be scared and probably not be able to sleep that night, there was that accomplishment of having sat through the entire film without a complete break down.

Cellular phones are more trouble than they are worth

Cellular phones are more trouble than they are worth

Flash forward to today where I am an adult and thus beyond the average age of murdered victim in a horror movie. It’s not that I can’t relate anymore, but I suppose I now prioritize my fears. And on my list, a creepy mask just doesn’t cut it. Or at least, that’s what I thought before starting the movie. Director Wes craven is a master at building suspense and dread. Even though I knew what Casey would see when she turned on the porch light, a part of me was hoping that this time it might be different. I had apparently completely blocked out the scene where Casey herself had been gutted and left to hang from a tree because when that image showed up, I jumped so hard that I nearly threw the laptop off of my lap. And for some reason, that reaction also made me happy because I knew that for the next two hours, I would be entertained. Scream is the perfect blend of horror and comedy- with lines that are insightful, said alongside disgusting images of teens being murdered. I think one of the scariest scenes for me was the one where Sidney was in the bathroom and could overhear a couple of girls talking about her mom being a slut. Sidney walks out of the stall after the girls have left and then hears someone calling her name. She frantically looks under the stalls, but sees no one. She is beginning to get more panicked and then a pair of boots hit the floor and she can see the black robe being pulled over the pants. It frightened me completely that there was no way out, even though I knew what was going to happen.

Watching this movie also gave me a strong sense of nostalgia that I wasn’t expecting. Seeing all of the outfits really brought back my own memories of middle school and high school. Although I haven’t thought about it before, Scream and Clueless are great symbols for the ’90s. I mean, even Courtney Cox is in the movie! I especially loved the scene where everyone is in the movie rental store, taking all of the horror films. It has been forever since I have been in a Blockbuster and for a split second I realized how sad it is that my child will never get to experience that. But then I remembered that I was watching this movie on my laptop and that I have literally thousands of titles at my fingerprints.

So '90s!

So ’90s!

Final review: A solid 4/5. The ending,although I know it was a joke on the horror genre, grated on my nerves as everyone kept popping up from the dead. Also, in looking back from having seen this movie when it originally came out, how could I ever have thought Billy WASN’T the killer?

Scream-Billy-Loomis

 

Nightmares? Thankfully, no. I did however, run like hell upstairs after the movie was over. I also won’t be looking at the porch during the night time any time soon.

Up next: Alas, Horrorfest has come to an end. Next movie up should be Amélie, where I’m sure my two months of learning French will surely come in hand!

1 Comment

#50- Funny Games

Quick recap:  Two psychotic men hold a wealthy family hostage and then torture them for several hours until they are all dead. In retrospect, watching this movie late at night wasn’t one of my smarter ideas but you live and learn, right? WRONG.

just about the only scene in the film that doesn't make me want to curl up into a ball.

just about the only scene in the film that doesn’t make me want to curl up into a ball.

Fun (?) Fact: Director Michael Haneke has stated that ‘Funny Games’ was not meant to be a horror film, but instead a message about violence in media. Message received, thank you very much. I’m curling back into my ball now.

My thoughts: It’s not often that a movie makes me really reflect on my life choices and what has lead me to this point to have to sit through something as awful as ‘Funny Games’. Before I begin my (I predict) rambling observation, I’ll preface by saying that I have no qualms spoiling the movie because I believe in sharing misery.

grumpy-cat-8141_preview_zps9177ab07

 

From the moment Peter enters Anna’s house, a knot in my stomach grew. I had already read the synopsis of the film beforehand and I knew the ending but I think waiting for it to happen made it so much worse. I found myself relieved once it was revealed that Paul, the other psycho, had murdered the family dog. Not a normal thing to be relieved about, but I was grateful that I didn’t have to watch the death. That turned out to be the absolute worse thing because I don’t think I’ll ever get the image of the young boy crumpled up in the corner after being shot to death, his blood splattered everywhere. Somehow, not watching the murder but seeing the aftermath made the situation so much worse and more horrifying. Looking back, very little of the torture scenes were shown. Most of the horror came from discovering what evil thing would be next. An example of this was when the young boy, George, discovers that Peter and Paul have also murdered a family living next to his. No bodies are shown, but as George looks down a staircase, he can see a little girl’s sock covered foot.

I think it was at that scene that I really had to stop and question if i should continue watching the movie or not. I knew the young son would be murdered as well as the rest of the family eventually and I had already had enough suspense for one night. I made the decision to keep watching because I knew that if I didn’t, it might haunt me forever. I found myself hoping that the family would be murdered quickly so I wouldn’t have to sit through anymore sadistic games, and that brings me to another example of psychological torture for the audience: Paul talks directly to the audience watching the movie. In the beginning of the end, he bets the family that they won’t survive past 9 in the morning and then turns to the camera and says that he thinks we will be rooting for the family to survive. In another scene, Anna escapes right before she is about to be murdered and manages to shoot Peter. Paul screams and looks for the tv remote to rewind the scene and bring Peter back to life. It works and both men continue their games. Paul also turns around and winks at the camera a few times, like he is letting us in on a secret and after awhile, I felt personally involved. It wasn’t like I felt like I was committing the murders, but I somehow felt responsible for what was happening and yet helpless to do anything.

The movie ends with Peter and Paul throwing Anna into the water and I once again felt relief that it was finally over. But then they docked the boat and showed up at a neighbor’s house, presumably to continue their spree. Thankfully, the audience is set free and we don’t have to witness anything else.

Final Review: 1/5. The director supposedly said that if this movie was successful in any way, it was because the audience didn’t understand his message. Just in case Haneke is reading this blog, I’d like to let him know that I’d give this a negative score if I could.

Nightmares?: Oh,yes. It wasn’t the fear that someone would break into the house, but just nightmares about death in general and STILL being unable of getting that image of the dead boy out of my head.

One of those times I really wish 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind' had been real

One of those times I really wish ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind’ had been real

Up Next: this movie broke me. I may need to watch something lighthearted and abandon HorrorFest for now. Way to go, Haneke. This is why we can’t have nice things.

11 Comments