365+ movies in 365 days: Day 31 - Saving Private Ryan

In honor of memorial day today I watched the Blu-Ray edition of Saving Private Ryan. Along with Schindler's List, it is the triumph of Steven Spielberg's career. It is one of the best movies ever made, and without a doubt the greatest war film.

The first 27 minutes depicting the Allied Forces invasion of Normandy are the most harrowing ever put on film. They say that "war is hell" and Spielberg made sure the audience fully understood that. There is an authenticity to the way the soldier's talk and react to the violent acts they commit. Every time I watch this film I am left emotionally drained from the experience.

The film belongs to Tom Hanks, the emotional core of the film. He is in almost every scene, and plays the everyman soldier who finds himself far away from everything he knows, doing things he never thought he had in him. The rest of the cast is in fine form, though sometimes during the fast edited battle sequences, it is hard to tell who is who. Jeffrey Davies stands out as Corporal Upman, the squad's interpreter. He also acts as the audiences interpreter seeing the the war from a civilian viewpoint.

The film is a technical masterpiece and this was recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences with several Oscars, including the Best Director award for Spielberg.
At The Movie House rating****stars

35 years of Summer Blockbusters - May 30

May 30 2008 - Two years ago the girls from Sex In The City stepped on to the big screen and were a hit. based on the hit HBO TV series that went off the air in 2004, the film had the biggest opening of an R rated film. When it completed it's theatrical run it has $415 million dollars. With numbers like that you know they'll be a sequel, which opened last Friday. At The Movie House rating - not rated

May 30, 2003 - Seven years ago Pixar had it's biggest hit with Finding Nemo. This unique tail of a father fish searching for his lost son was so unique in the telling and a visual wonder that audiences ate it up. It had universal appeal to kids and adults. It made $70 million in it's first three days of release and grossed over $866 million in worldwide ticket sales. At the Movie House rating **** stars.

Also opening the same day was The Italian Job. This remake of the 1969 British caper film starred Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron and Edward Norton as the gangsters who pull of a heist using Mini-Coopers. A modest hit when it opened, Paramount re-released the film in August and the film found an audience. It made over $100 million in sales and was Paramount's highest grossing film of 2003.
At the Movie House rating *** stars.

May 30, 1997 - Thirteen years ago two comedies opened. Trial And Error, a knock-off of My Cousin Vinny. The film starred  Jeff Daniels and Michael Richards. The pair had good comic timing but the plot was lame. At the Movie House rating *1/2stars

Also opening was Gone Fishin' with Joe Pesci and Danny Glover. It was just lame.
At the Movie House rating 0 stars

May 30, 1986 - Twenty four years ago the action comedy Jake Speed opened. The film was hoping to cash in on the action picture craze of the 80's but was a failure at the box office. It is mostly forgotten but has developed a small cult following on home video. At the Movie House rating - not rated

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 30 - Sands Of Iwo Jima

Today I watched the classic war film the Sands Of Iwo Jima. This type of Hollywood film making has gone out of style. Modern war movies either feature an anti-hero or commentary on the futility or immorality of war. Many of the war films turned out by Hollywood during and directly after the WWII were almost propaganda films for the U.S. Armed Forces. The Sands Of Iwo Jima is definitely a pro-American film, but it has something else that sets it above the rest.

That something else is John Wayne. People forget that he was one of the biggest stars of the 20th century. Remembered more for his larger than life personality, he became almost a caricature towards the end of his career. He fell out of favor with later generations because of his pro-Vietnam views of the 60's and the fact that his style of movie making was considered old-fashioned. People have forgotten what a great actor he was. He is remembered for his style of speech and walk, but few people remember that he could communicate so much with just a look. In the middle of the film there is a scene where one of his men is crying for help and he can't go rescue him. The camera is on Wayne in a full close-up for 30 seconds (a life time in film) and everything going on with the character is portrayed without a word.
He is not just and American icon, but also a great actor and future generations will rediscover him someday.

The movie itself is exceptionally well made. Republic Pictures had the full cooperation of the Department of Defense and the U.S. Marine Corps, so the director was able to authentically recreate battle scenes splicing in actual footage from the war in the Pacific. Each cast member makes his character their own so when some fall in battle you recognize who they are. Actual Marines who fought on Iwo Jima made cameo appearance in the film just before the recreation of the flag raising.
At The Movie House rating **** stars

35 years of Summer Blockbusters - May 29

 Historically the studios stand clear of releasing films the weekend after Memorial Day, but two pictures have been released and they were both box office hits.

May 29, 2009 - One year ago Pixar released Up to unanimous critical praise and box office success. The film won the Oscar for Best Animated movie and took in $727 million in worldwide box office receipts. It also created the unlikely hero of senior citizen Carl Fredricksen, played by Ed Asner. The film is Pixar's second most successful movie after Finding Nemo. At The Movie House rating ****stars

May 29, 1992 - Eighteen years ago Whoopi Goldberg hit it big with Sister Act. This fish out of water comedy stars Goldberg as a Las Vegas showgirl hiding from the mob in a convent in San Francisco.
After many run-ins with the Mother Superior, played pitch perfect by Maggie Smith, Goldberg organizes the nuns in the church choir into a pop singing gospel group. The music in the film supplies an infectious amount of glee that spreads throughout this otherwise ordinary comedy. One of Goldberg's best films and was followed by a sequel. At The Movie House rating *** stars

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 29 - The Americanization Of Emily

It wouldn't be Memorial Day weekend without a war movie or two. Tonight I watched The Americanization Of Emily. This black romantic comedy takes a look at all sorts of military maneuvers during the weeks leading up to D-Day.

James Garner stars as Charlie, a brazen American navy officer who falls in love with the very proper and priggish Emily, played by Julie Andrews. Through a chance of fate, and an Admiral who's cracking under pressure, Charlie ends up being one of the first men on Omaha beach on during the invasion of Europe.

The film is a scathing military satire that only Paddy Chayefsky could write. Without directly criticizing the armed forces, he condemns the nobility and valour of war, in an excellent screenplay that crackles with wit and smart dialogue.

The film also stars Melyvn Douglas and James Coburn and was directed by Arthur Hiller. Made in black and white and released in 1964, it is based on the book by William Bradford Huie.
At The Movie House rating ****

 

35 years of Summer Blockbusters - May 28

May 28, 2004 - Six years ago global warming became a Hollywood disaster movie with The Day After Tomorrow. This special effects laden apocalyptic drama featured an all-star cast trying to survive a modern ice age. Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal are stand-outs amongst the cast. Directed by Roland Emmerich the film was a huge hit for 20th Century Fox, but opened #2 at the box office behind the second weekend for Shrek 2. At The Movie House rating *** stars

May 28, 1999 - Eleven years ago the charming Julia Roberts/ Hugh Grant romantic comedy Notting Hill opened. This was the first film I walked out on in years, not because the movie was bad, but because I got sick. I had to wait for home video to see the ending. This whimsical comedy was a written by the author of Four Weddings and A Funeral and the comedy and romance is just as fresh.
At The Movie House rating **** stars.

May 28, 1998 - Twelve years ago Sandra Bullock starred in the romantic melodrama Hope Floats about a woman who returns home to forget about one love, and hopefully find another. Directed by actor Forest Whitaker the film was a hit for Bullock, who produced it. At The Movie House rating - not rated.

May 28 1993 - Seventeen years ago four movies opened for Memorial Day:

First up was a terrible knock-off of Walt Disney's Snow White called Happily Ever After. This film picks up the story after Snow White is rescued by the prince. Terrible animation, songs and writing, the film only made $3 million and went straight to home video. At The Movie House rating - not rated

Next up was the big budget production of the Nintendo video game Super Mario Bros. Dennis Hopper chewed up every scene it was in this big budget film cost $42 million to make, but only collected $20 million at the box office. At The Movie House rating - not rated

Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson starred in Made In America, an opposites attract comedy. The interaction between the stars is great, but they could use better material. Audiences turned out and the film made $44 million. At The Movie House rating  ** stars.

And Sylvester Stallone gave his career a huge boost with the preposterous Cliffhanger. John Lithgow stood out as the villain, but everything else sucked in this mountain climbing action movie. At least I thought so, movie goers didn't with ticket sales of $84 million. At The Movie House rating ** stars

May 28, 1982 - Twenty-eight years ago Sylvester Stallone returned as Rocky in Rocky III. The best thing about this film was new-comer Mr. T as the brutal Clubber Lang. The script worked to make Rocky the underdog again and gave the world a new #1 pop tune, Eye Of The Tiger. It was a big enough hit to spawn three more sequels. At The Movie House rating ***stars.

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 28 - The Natural

To start off Memorial day weekend I went with one of my all time favorite films "The Natural". Barry Levinson' baseball fable is a stunningly beautiful film to look at. The story is about baseball told as myth, with the rise, fall and ultimate redemption of an American dream.

Robert Redford stars as Roy Hobbs a baseball player who has great promise, but gets sidetracked in his youth. He returns to the game for one last great season. Redford, looking a little to old for the part in some scenes, is excellent. His work at preparing for the role shows in his portrayl of a baseball player. He is supported by a great all-star cast including Wilford Brimley, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Robert Prosky, Darren McGavin, Richard Farnsworth and Kim Basinger.

Also notable is the outstanding score by Randy Newman. It is one of the best film scores ever written and has been used over the years for many movie trailers. At The Movie House rating **** stars

35 years of Summer Blockbusters - May 27

May 27, 2005 - Five years ago two films opened in the wake of the final chapter of the Star Wars saga:

First up was Dreamworks animated comedy Madagascar. This unlikely story of animals that escape from the Central park Zoo and end up in the wilds of Madagascar was huge hit. Mostly because the stars Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, Chris Rock and Jada Pinkett Smith stay true to the characters as they deliver the comedic lines of this band of misfit outcasts. The movie was also helped by a bunch of psychotic penguins and slightly more insane lemurs.The film was a huge hit and spawned a sequel and some TV specials. At The Movie House rating *** stars

Also opening was Adam Sandler's remake of the 1974 dark comedy The Longest Yard. Sandler's version replaced the grit and dark humor of the original, with juvenile gags more suited to his talents. The film was a hit and Sandler's biggest opening to date. Burt Reynolds returned, but rather than playing the lead, this time he plays the coach. To give you an idea how things have changed, look at the poster for the original film starring Burt Reynolds. At The Movie House rating ** stars

May 27, 1994 - Sixteen years ago, arriving in a storm of media hype, the live action version of 

The Flintstone's opened. The film was perfectly cast with John Goodman in the lead as Fred Flintstone, Elizabeth Perkins as Wilma, Rosie O'Donnell as Betty and Rick Moranis as Barney Rubble. It took 32 writers to assemble the convoluted plot, but the story doesn't matter, what matter's is the authentic recreation of the world of Bedrock. The film was a hit and the cast returned for a sequel.

May 27, 1977 - Thirty-three years ago Smokey And The Bandit opened. This film starred Burt Reynolds in his most successful role, as the bandit and Jackie Gleason as Smokey. made at the height of the CB-radio craze the movie tells the story of bootleggers running beer from Texas to Georgia. The movie is essentially one long car chase with Jerry Reed and Sally Field along for the ride. The film is great fun and hugely popular. It was the second highest grossing film of 1977. Star Wars was #1.

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 27 - Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World

Today was Paul Bettany's birthday so I chose to watch one of his films. I selected Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World, because the last time I saw it was seven years ago in the movies. And also because Russel Crowe has been on my mind lately, and my recollection was that they really worked well together in this movie.

The film is a stunning high seas adventure that really gives a sense of what it must have been like on a sailing ship in the 1800's. Russell Crowe commands the movie as Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey and Paul Bettany is Dr. Stephen Maturin, the ship's doctor and the Captain's best friend. Both men play off each other exceedingly well, especially in the films quiet dramatic moments.

The plot involves the Captain chasing a french privateer half way around the world, but it is really about the relationship of these two men. The film is based on the Aubrey-Maturin novels by Patrick O'Brien and was directed by peter Wier

The production quality is excellent. It is impossible to tell where the real ships end and the CGI and miniatures take over. The all male cast is uniformly excellent. The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards including Best Picture. Produced by three studios, Fox, Universal and Miramax, the film did well at the box office but not as well to spawn a franchise based on the other 17 books in the series.
At The Movie House rating ****stars.

35 years of Summer Blockbusters - May 26

May 26, 2006 - Three years ago X-Men III: The Last Stand opened. This was the final chapter in the X-Men series of films. Picking up right where the second movie left off, our heroic mutants do battle with The Brotherhood, evil mutants united against mankind and serum that can make them all "normal". Everyone from the original film returns and Kelsey Grammar joins the cast as the blue mutant The Beast.
The film was a huge hit, opening #1 for Memorial Day Weekend. At The Movie House rating ***stars

May 26, 2008 - Eight years ago Owen Wilson and Jackie Chan starred in Shanghai Noon. This unlikely duo worked well together in this action comedy western. The film was successful enough to spawn a sequel, Shanghai Knights. At The Movie House rating ***stars

May 26, 1995 - Fifteen years ago three films opened on Memorial Day weekend:

First up was Mad Love a dreadful teenage melodrama starring Drew Barrymore and Chris O'Donnell.
At The Movie House rating **stars

Keanu Reeves starred in the unexciting sci-fi thriller Johnny Mnemonic. It was not very thrilling.
At The Movie House rating **stars

And for the kids the big screen adventures of Casper The Friendly Ghost. Both mad Love and Johnny Mnemonic failed to find an audience and neither film hit the $20 million dollar mark. Casper, on the other hand, was a big hit and made $100 million and spawned a sequel.
At The Movie House rating **1/2stars

May 26, 1993 - Seventeen years ago New Line Pictures introduced a new pair of film makers with Menace II Society, directed by Albert and Allen Hughes. These two brothers received wide critical praise with their graphic look at urban gang life. At The Movie House rating ***stars

May 26, 1989 - Twenty-one Clint Eastwood starred in Pink Cadillac. Also starring Bernadette peters the film was a mixed bag and not one of Clint's better efforts. At The Movie House rating **1/2stars

May 26, 1976 - Thirty four years ago the all star picture Won Ton Ton: The Dog That Saved Hollywood opened. This forgotten gem is a look back at Hollywood during it's golden age and the gimmick of the film was featuring many of the starts of yesteryear in cameo bits. The film brags at having over 100 stars. A fun movie that gives you a warm feeling! At The Movie House rating - not rated

Also opening was the unlikely trio of Bill Cosby, Raquel Welch and Harvey Keitel in Mother, Juggs & Speed a black comedy, directed by Peter Yates, about ambulance drivers in L.A.
At The Movie House rating - not rated.

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 26 - Mulan

Today I watched Mulan the 36th Disney animated classic and part of the Disney renaissance of the 1990's. the film is visually stunning, especially in key battle scenes with the Huns and when Mulan is in the great city. The film tells the story of a Chinese daughter, Mulan, who takes her ill father's place to fight for China against the invading Huns. Eddie Murphy, who has most of the comedic lines, plays  Mushu the guardian dragon sent along to protect her. Much darker than the usual Disney films, which make the songs and traditional comedic sidekicks feel like they belong to another movie.
At The Movie Rating ***1/2 stars

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 25 - Alien

To coincide with it's release 31 years ago I watched Alien. This was the first time in a long while that I sat down to watch this movie beginning to end, lights off and no interruptions. It still packs a wallop. The beginning slowly builds the tension, until fifty-five minutes into the film, pure terror takes over. Like the shower scene in Psycho the "big moment" in Alien is well known by many, and I wonder if first time viewers have the film spoiled for them by knowing what happens. In case you've never seen it I won't reveal it here.

The rest of the film has you sitting in a state of claustrophobic anxiety as the crew of the cargo hauling ship Nostromo struggle to deal with the Alien that has invaded their ship. There are only six members in the cast and they are excellent at portraying the fear and terror of the doomed crew. Even though I know when the scary things happen I still cringed and jumped. At least I didn't scream out like a little girl.
Just a note, the end credits for this movie are only 2 minutes and 46 seconds. Times have changed.
At The Movie House rating **** stars.

35 years of Summer Blockbusters - May 25

May 25, 2007 - Three years ago Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End opened. This film picked up where the cliff hanger ending of the second left off. More action and better pacing than the first, it still paled when compared to the original. The film broke records opening weekend, but did not surpass part two in total ticket sales. At The Movie House rating *** stars

May 25, 2001 - Nine years ago Michael Bay released Pearl Harbor. This big budget romantic spectacle attempted to recreate the fateful day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. It bombed at the box office.

At The Movie House rating ** stars

May 25, 1988 - Twenty two years ago Sylvester Stallone returned in Rambo III. This film took the 80's action star to Afghanistan to rescue his former mentor, played by Richard Crenna. At the time of it's release Rambo III was the most expensive movie ever made with a cost of $58 million. The 1990 Guinness Book Of World Records also called it the most violent movie ever made. It was a big hit with it's target audience, but critics hated it and it did not make as much money as Rambo II.
At The Movie House rating ** stars

Also opening the same day was Crocodile Dundee II. this sequel was a retread of the original without the heart or the charm. Hit was the #1 movie for the weekend. At The Movie House rating -not rated.

May 25, 1983 - Twenty seven years ago and six years after the original, Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi, the final chapter of the Star Wars saga opened. Their was a media frenzy before the opening and fans lined up days in advance for the first screenings. After the cliff hanger ending of The Empire Strikes Back fans were ready for the final conflict between the Force and the Dark Side. The film introduced the furry Ewoks of Endor and the evil Emperor Palpatine, played by Ian McDiarmid finally made an appearance. The film received mostly positive reviews and was a hit at the box office. It was the highest grossing film of 1983. At The Movie House rating ***1/2 stars

May 25, 1979 - Thirty one years ago Alien opened with the great tag line "In space no one can hear you scream". Directed by Ridley Scott this film set a new standard for terror and visual effects. After the gentleness of Spielberg's extra terrestrials in Close Encounters, the creature created by H.R. Geiger was truly monstrous. The film was a huge hit and spawned multiple sequels including the exceptional Aliens. At The Movie House rating **** stars

Also released was a remake of The prisoner Of Zenda. Peter Sellers starred, once again playing multiple roles. The comedy was flat and it quickly vanished from theatres. Last film directed by Richard Quine

At The Movie House rating -  not rated

May 25, 1977 -  Thirty three years ago movie history was made when Star Wars opened in 43 theatres. It was an instant hit and started a phenomenon that still goes on today. Afraid the movie would be beat out during the summer months by popular films like Smokey and The Bandit, 20th Century Fox moved the film to the Wednesday before Memorial Day and a new tradition of opening big pictures in May was born. The movie was box office gold and played in some theatres for a year.
At The Movie House rating **** stars

35 years of Summer Blockbusters - May 24

May 24, 2002 - Eight years ago the studios did not have one big event picture for Memorial Day weekend. Star Wars: Attack of The clones had opened 10 days earlier leaving the weekend free for some other films to break out.

First up was Jennifer Lopez's Enough. This rehash of Sleeping With the Enemy and Double Jeopardy. The film opened poorly and received mostly negative reviews. At The Movie House rating *1/2 stars

Also opening was the excellent thriller Insomnia. Al Pacino plays an cop hunting a serial killer played by Robin Williams, in Alaska. Based on a Norwegian film of the same name Insomnia was directed by Christopher Nolan and was his follow up to Memento. The cast is excellent, including Hillary Swank as an Alaskan police officer. The moody atmosphere of Alaska nicely replaces the frigid fjords of Norway. The film was highly praised, but also struggled to find an audience.
At The Movie House rating ***1/2 stars

And for the kids Dreamworks SKG opened the film Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron. This animated horse soap opera was the best performing film of the three, even though most critics panned it.
At The Movie House rating - not rated.

May 24, 2000 - Ten years ago Tom Cruise returned to the role of Ethan Hunt is Mission:Impossible:2.
This time he worked with director John Woo, who created a visually dynamic film. But again the story was weak on plotting and relied on the tired gimmick of internal traitor to drive the action.
At The Movie House rating **1/2 stars

May 24, 1996 - Fourteen years ago, opening just two days after the original Mission:Impossible, Leslie Nielsen starred in Spy Hard a spoof of the James Bond and Die Hard type movies. By now these take-offs of tired Hollywood genres were getting just as tired. At The Movie House rating *1/2 stars

May 24, 1995 - Fifteen years ago Braveheart opened. Most people don't remember but Braveheart was a failure when released. It opened in 2,035 theatres, but only ranked #3 at the box office. After 7 weeks it was playing in only 1,000 theatres and had only made $50 million dollars. The film did not find an audience and was a flop for both Mel Gibson and Paramount. Especially for Gibson since he was star, director and producer. On September 15, 1995 Paramount re-issued the film to 1,700 theatres with anew advertising campaign. The re-release did not help it's box office, but it did add to it's Oscar buzz. In February the film was nominated for Best Picture and released for a third time. By the time it won the Oscar in March it's total box office was $75 million on a production budget of $72 million. The film went on to become a fan favorite on home video. At The Movie House rating ***1/2 stars

May 24, 1994 - Sixteen years ago Edie Murphy returned in Beverly Hills Cop III. He should have stayed in Detroit. the movie was terrible. At The Movie House rating *1/2 stars

May 24, 1991 - Nineteen years ago four big films were released:

Bruce Willis starred in his big budget vanity project Hudson Hawk. the movie was widely panned and failed to find an audience. This all picture cost Sony $65 million and only made $17 mil. Talk about a flop. At The Movie House rating *1/2 stars.

John Candy was an unlikely romantic comedy lead in the pleasant Only the Lonely. Another movie based on a Roy Orbison song, this film had the benefit of a great performance by Maureen O'Hara returning to the screen after a long absence. made a modest $21 million in ticket sales.
At The Movie House rating **1/2 stars

Ron Howard and Universal released the all star big budget picture Backdraft. Some strong performances and great stunt work held this picture together. It was a big hit for both with $77 million in sales and positive reviews all around. At The Movie House rating *** stars

The female buddy genre was invented with the opening of Thelma And Louise. Directed by Ridley Scott this road picture told the story of two women on the lam from the law after murdering a rapist. Brad Pitt appears in one of his earliest roles and screenwriter Callie Khouri won an Oscar for her script. A financial and critical success, some called it the best movie of 1991, the film made $45 million at the box office. At The Movie House rating ***1/2 stars

May 24, 1989 - Twenty one years ago Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Harrison Ford teamed up for Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade. This time the trio were able to capture lightning in a bottle again, by giving the audience a rousing story that featured Sean Connery as Indy's father. Indy also returned to doing battle with Nazis as he went on a quest for the Holy Grail. The film received almost unanimous praise and made $197 million at the box office. At The Movie House rating ***1/2 stars

May 24, 1985 - twenty five years ago Roger Moore played James Bond 007 for the final time in A View To A Kill. This is considered the worst of all the Bond films. By now Roger Moore was too old for the role and his age was showing. Tanya Roberts had the thankless job of screeching "James" every ten minutes. the plot was feeble and Christopher Walken as the villain a non-starter. You knew the movie was off to a bad start when a Beach Boys song played during the opening action scene.The only interesting thing about the film was Grace Jones as Mayday and the title song by Duran Duran.
At The Movie House rating *1/2 stars