Where To Now?

So it has been far too long since I had a post on this suckah. Which is too bad because I've been up to a lot of interesting stuff. BUT I guess the time has past to write about it. Tough luck for you, dear reader!

The biggest thing that's been plaguing my mind, and caused me to go back on here and write something, is that I didn't get the 480 directing position for the second time. Which, to be completely honest, is NOT that big a deal at all. The vast majority of 480s turn out really shitty, even WHEN (and this is rare anyway) the faculty picks the best directors. Everyone keeps telling me that not getting the position has been a blessing in disguise.

But is it? Sure, maybe the 480 process is so convoluted and overbearing that I wouldn't have pulled off that great a movie (they really ought to call the class, "The Studio Experience" because the faculty pigeonholes you so much), but it would have still been an interesting, meaningful experience. And it's a shame that I didn't at least get to try.

It's just weird. Since freshman year, directing a senior thesis of SOME kind has been what I've wanted to do...my ultimate goal. And I missed the bus. So where do I go from here? Should I start my own Indy project (no, not the archaeologist smartass)? Do I have the money? Should I get a job? What kind of job? Should I start writing stuff? Who knows...it's just weird to not have a sense of direction right now. But I guess it's better for this to hit me NOW rather than the moment I graduate.

Anyways, I'm more-or-less over this little failure of mine, and trying to figure out what the next step is. If life has taught me anything, it's that you can't keep Fish (me) down for long.

So...quick movie reviews...and a LOT of 'em:

1) Superbad--I think this has been my favorite movie of the year, and certainly one of the best comedies in the last several years (maybe the best teen comedy ever?). Apatow and his crew again prove to be gold when dealing with the high school years ("Freaks and Geeks", anyone?). This, more than any other high school movie, feels genuine, and reminds me of that time in my life with my close friends and fears of moving on. And it has one funky bitchin' soundtrack!

2) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof--"Classic" movie with Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor. Sure, the two stars are gorgeous and great, but it was a pretty damn boring movie. Sorry.

3) Key Largo--Humphrey Bogart film noir (yes, it is redundant) where he gets stuck in a Florida hotel with a bunch of gangsters. Not one of the best Bogart movies I've ever seen (it's no "African Queen"), but the guy sells a movie, and it's well done enough to keep me entertained. I can pretty much watch anything in black-and-white with Humphrey Bogart and I'll wind up liking it (except, oddly enough, "The Maltese Falcon," which bored me to tears). And no, I'm not gay on Humphrey Bogart, thanks for asking.

4) The Omen--NOT the remake. The old 1976 classic with Gregory Peck. Gregory Peck is the MAN. I REALLY had fun with this movie. The film is mostly held together by the sheer seriousness Peck manages to convey amidst all the silliness, but it's a great classic horror movie with some TOP NOTCH kills and an awesome ending. Check it out when you're in a gothic mood (for the music).

5) Invasion of the Body Snatchers--I've seen the black-and-white version, and it is by far superior to this 1978 version. But this one is still pretty good too. For one thing, Donald Sutherland looks a lot like ME in the movie, with his curly hair. Leonard Nimoy, Jeff Goldblum, and Veronica Cartwright (in her typical terrified woman mode) also deliver strong performances. What is nice is that they also make this a semi-sequel to the old one (similar to what John Carpenter later does in his version of "The Thing"). When people first start turning into "pod people" a man runs up to the window screaming "You're next! You're next!" which, as you may remember, is the same way the old one ENDS. But this guy gets killed. It's like the guy from the original is trying to warn the characters in the remake--cool stuff!

6) Catch and Release--No, I don't remember how I got roped into seeing this one. But it's by far one of the WORST movies I've seen recently. I like Jennifer Garner, but there is nothing for her to do in this movie. There is nothing for ANYONE to do in this movie. And Timothy Olyphant, who almost ruined "Die Hard 4," is just as terrible here. Some of my friends seem to like this guy, but I can't STAND him in the stuff I've seen him in (OK, "Girl Next Door" was all right, but whatever). Kevin Smith does a surprisingly good job with what he's given, and actually proves he is a pretty good actor. It's interesting to see a movie where Kevin Smith is actually ABOVE the material being presented. The reassuring thing about this awful little movie is that I'm pretty sure myself, and the majority of my friends at film school, could easily write a better screenplay than this one. Please, avoid this movie at all costs. It's the sort of thing your ditsy junior high crush would have forced you to go see when you would really rather go see "Transformers" at the multiplex.

7) Hot Fuzz--I was really bummed that I wound up hating this movie. It starts out OK enough, but degenerates more and more rapidly into such a mish-mash of genres that it doesn't make any sense. I wasn't as huge a fan of "Shaun of the Dead" as everyone else was, but I liked it enough, and this movie got such stellar reviews I figured it had to be good. Right? WRONG!!! Sure, I understand they are spoofing American action movies, but they don't do a very good job, and I can't tell if they are making fun of us or honoring us. This would be fine, but the story is pretty lame and convoluted, and the entire movie just isn't that interesting, and it's uselessly bloody for all the wrong reasons. The one thing the movie does have going for it is that TIMOTHY FREAKING DALTON makes an awesome classy villain, but other than that I hated this movie. And my viewing experience was made even worse by watching it with my violence-loathing parents, who made me even more uncomfortable.

8) Final Destination 3--Yeah, I saw this on TV. And, oddly enough, LOVED it. Great kills, biting humor, and that Mary Elizabeth Winstead chick from "Die Hard 4" and "Grindhouse," whom I've come to like more and more as an actress we're seeing in movies recently. The movie is built with a sick, twisted, yet witty amusement that caught me totally off guard. I am actually recommending this movie a lot more than I expected I would be. And no, I haven't seen either of the other two "Final Destinations."

9) Shoot 'Em Up--I'll be honest. I just thought "Crank" was OK. And while I'm sure many will disagree, I thought this kicked "Crank's" ass. First, they SHOOT the New Line Cinema Logo before the movie even starts. Then, the movie OPENS with Clive Owen delivering a baby ("Children of Men" style) WHILE shooting at dozens of bad guys who come to kill him. After the baby is delivered, he SHOOTS off the umbilical cord! BADASS!!! Hardly ANY of the movie has a moment where Clive Owen isn't shooting people, and Paul Giamatti is a fun villain. One of my FAVORITE scenes involves a SLOW moment where Clive Owen is having sex with Monica Bellucci (yes, sex with Monica Bellucci is considered a LULL here). Suddenly bad guys bust in. Rather than stop having sex, Clive Owen CONTINUES TO BANG MONICA BELLUCCI WHILE SHOOTING BAD GUYS!!! It brings a whole new meaning to, "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang." Also, in a time when so many people in our country are nervous and conservative about offending anyone, it's nice to see a movie that shamelessly shoots a U.S. senator in cold blood. Yeah, this movie rocks ass. Check it out.

10) Michael Clayton--This was a slow, pensive, but surprisingly good movie where George Clooney plays a coverup lawyer for an environmental firm. Clooney is excellent with his reserved performance, but it's Tom Wilkinson who deserves the supporting Oscar nomination for this one. The film is steadily-paced, but ultimately very rewarding, with one of the best endings I've seen in a movie recently. Check it out, and please ignore the terrible title. I only wish the film had centered a bit on the environmental science of the drinking water stuff Clooney was dealing with, since essentially three of my classes this semester focus on some issues that could have been raised in this film. At least I would have found it interesting.

11) Blade Runner: The Final Edit--As you may have read in a past post of mine, this had me very nervous because I already felt "Blade Runner" had been perfected in Ridley Scott's last version. Fortunately (and thank GOD) Scott hardly changed anything in this so-called "final edit." A more accurate translation would be "Blade Runner: The Final Restoration." Scott's only tweaked the tiniest things here and there, and the movie instead just LOOKS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. It's a mighty testament to the special effects of the time, since Scott has only brushed and cleaned them up (no CGI rontos here!). You ARE in dank futuristic Los Angeles for the duration of the movie, and the crispness and beauty of every single frame and moment (perhaps "Blade Runner's greatest strength) shines more than ever. Seeing this, one of my all-time favorite movies, on the big screen was one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had watching a movie. Thank you, Ridley Scott, for not screwing with your movies like Lucas and Spielberg, and for knowing when you've got a masterwork where it needs to be. You...rule!!!

12) Little Shop of Horrors--This was a REALLY fun movie I'd never seen before, and I highly recommend it. It's a remake of a musical of an old Roger Corman movie, if you didn't know. The songs are somewhat unmemorable, but you fall in love with the performances of Rick Moranis, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, and the girl who played Audrey (she's a cutie!). But the real star of the movie is the effect work on Audrey II, the carnivorous plant. Watching this movie, I wondered why we EVER need to use computer effects these days. The puppeteering on the plant is jaw-droppingly good, and it's fascinating how much character they put into a boogieing plant. When my friends and I first saw the plant in action, our jaws literally dropped. After seeing this movie I'm convinced puppets can do a hell of a lot more in movies than they've been doing recently. Bring back practical effects!

13) Forgetting Sarah Marshall--This is the next Apatow movie that hasn't hit theaters yet, but I liked it quite a bit (even if I did see just a rough cut). It's written by Jason Segal, and is clearly based on his break-up with Linda Cardinelli (hey, if Linda Cardinelli broke up with ME, I'd be crushed too). The version I saw could use a bit of trimming, but it's very funny, and it has the whole Apatow crew together again (Paul Rudd and especially Jonah Hill steal every scene they are in). Jason Segal is very funny as well as the hopelessly crushed loser of an ex-boyfriend. However, the real star of the movie is Mila Kunis (yes, the girl from that 70's show!), who is absolutely adorable and easy to fall in love with. Also, the Hawaii locations are beautiful, and make me want to go back there again. I really hope that when this movie hits, it does well. Because good romantic comedies are few and far between, and when they are done right they deserve to be rewarded.

14) Suspiria--I saw this in Norris at a special screening. Not a great movie by any means, and for all intents and purposes I should have hated it, but I actually had a pretty good time. The weird intensity of the music and bizarre color schemes reminded me of those terrifying nightmares I used to have whenever I got a fever as a kid--where there were constant scary loud noises that would continuously grow louder and louder, and there were landscapes bathed in bloody red colors (somebody else had these dreams too right?). If you like off-beat horror movies, check it out. It's different enough that you might find it interesting.

15) No Country For Old Men--Oscar buzz surrounds this latest movie by the Coen Brothers. Every second of this movie is expertly planned out to the best precision, and it has got Oscar-worthy performances all around (especially by Javier Bardem, who might just get it). The Coens go back to their film noir "Blood Simple" roots, and nail the tension and suspense every second they can. Still, to be honest, I didn't like this movie as much as I was hoping too. It has a weird ending that left me wanting a bit more, and I honestly am not sure what Tommy Lee Jones was DOING the entire time, or where he fit in. Still, expect this movie to pop up around Oscar time. Maybe Joel and Ethan will finally get their directing award (it's about damn time for them to get one!).

16) 3:10 to Yuma--After seeing this, I'm curious to see the original. One of my issues with westerns is that, for some reason, these days there are very few actors I can actually BUY living in the Old West. Hollywood is too full of pretty boys. We don't have any rough-and-ready Charles Bronsons or Clint Eastwoods these days. So westerns rarely get made anymore (which is too bad because they ROCK).
However this movie stars Cristian Bale and Russell Crowe, both of whom are AWESOME and totally believable in the Old West. I think Bale at least deserves an Oscar nom for his performance here, since he hasn't got one yet, and since he is possibly my favorite working actor these days (mayyybe...tough call). Other standouts in the movie are Ben Foster as Crowe's second in command, and Alan Tudyk as the doctor (yes, the guy who was also Sonny the robot, the pilot in "Serenity," Steve the pirate in "Dodgeball," and Anne's father in "Arrested Development...this guy is great). It's also very cool to see Peter Fonda in a western, since his dad Henry played such a great baddie in MY fav western of all time, "Once Upon a Time in the West." It's a pretty darn good movie too, although perhaps a bit too Hollywood to snag the Oscar. But, what can I say...westerns rule.

What I'm happy about lately with the "Oscar-worthy" movies I've been seeing is that they tend to (finally) be about characters and stories rather than the political agendas we've seen in past years. "Crash," "Brokeback Mountain," "Babel," and "Hotel Rwanda" might have been decent movies (in some cases), but there's no denying the main reason they were up on the pedestal was because they STOOD for some sort of political agenda. I don't see movies for politics. I see them to connect with people, to be entertained, and to reflect on my own life. It's nice that, thus far this year, that's what we've been seeing...really good stories and characters. Keep it up!

Anyway, there's a shitload of reviews to make up for my absence. I'm going to try to be a big more regular on this blog thing now. I miss doing it.