Movies, movies, movies…
Note: The new site won’t be like this, but I thought I would offer my opinion of movies I consider to be good since I always gripe about how most of them resemble fecal matter.
Adventure – Lord of the Rings
Was watching the extended edition of Lord of the Rings with actors commentary today.
(Shut Up!)
It’s hilarious…two of the characters were talking about how their testicles had to be coaxed out after sitting in an uncomfortable position for a few hours…
I love, Love, LOVE this trilogy.
When it was being developed/came out, I was absolutely OBSESSED with it. I mean I read the books, had an unhealthy “intense interest” in the person who played Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and even collected things from the movie (like the Leaf of Lothlórien
that the fellowship wears to keep their capes together and authentic autographed movie stills, one from Mr. Bloom/Legolas). I mean…for about 5 years you could ask me ANYTHING about the Hobbit/Lord of the Rings and I could answer every question.
It’s one of the greatest stories ever told. (Aside from the Bible.)
As I was watching, I wondered why these movies were so popular. It’s a couple of things:
I think a lot of it was fan girls/boys. There is not small amount of Caucasian Persuasion eye candy as many of the characters are ruggedly handsome.
And of course this movie was spawned from a wildly popular book series by JRR Tolkein that has been around for a while. Many of the fans had previously read them and were intrigued that not only didn’t the movie stray too far, but it seemed as if the imagination Mr. Tolkein himself was completely realized from the characters (Frodo aside) to locations the movie was filmed in. Pretty much every frame could be framed at put on your wall…it was that beautiful.
Alright, alright let me move on. I could go on about this movie forever…
Other Notables: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (the 1979 version and recent Disney version)…I also read the Chronicles of Narnia series. Good Stuff. CS Lewis was the man.
Comedy – Sideways
I think when it comes to comedies I’m more drawn to ones that aren’t marketed to a group of people. (Ie. The reason why I will never willingly see Soul Plane, Wayans Brother Movies, Stomp the Yard, etc.)
I like movies that depict real life. Sideways is about two college friends who take a trip to the wine country in California for a kind of “bachelor party” trip. I think I like this movie because I’m incredibly narcissistic…one of the characters remind me of myself (lol). Here’s a snippet from the script. You can guess which one is me:
Jack: Speak for yourself. I get chicks lookin’ at me all the time. All ages. Dudes too.
Miles Raymond: Well, it’s not worth it. You pay too big a price. It’s never free.
Jack: You need to get laid, Miles. You know what? That’s going to be my best man gift to you this week. I’m gonna get you laid.
Miles Raymond: Wonderful.
Jack: I’m not gonna get you a gift certificate or a pen knife or any of that other horse sh*t.
Miles Raymond: I’d rather have a knife.
Other Notable: Benny & Joon, Monty Python & the Holy Grail
Drama – Closer
This movie is SO smart and SO realistic. It has a small main cast of four people and describes different types of relationships. The thing that I like most about this movie is that it doesn’t have a “and they lived happily ever after” ending. It’s more like a, “and they settled like people usually do” ending. I can’t rightly say that it’s a romance movie because of that, but I guess I’ll say it’s MY kind of romantic movie.
If you’re annoyed by sarcasm and talking around the actual issue, you might be annoyed by this movie. Most of it is just witty banter. It is a bit complicated to explain in a plot summary so I’ll just reference some dialog:
Larry: I know who you are. I love you. I love everything about you that hurts.
(While confronting his wife about the particulars of a person she had an affair with):
Larry: What does it taste like?
Anna: It tastes like you but sweeter!
(After discovering her lover is leaving her for another woman.)
Alice: No one will ever love you as much as I do. Why isn’t love enough?
Dan: I fell in love.
Alice: Oh, as if you had no choice? There’s a moment, there’s always a moment, “I can do this, I can give into this, or I can resist it”, and I don’t know when your moment was, but I bet you there was one.
Alice: I don’t love you anymore. Goodbye.
Love, Love, Love…the story of the phenomena told in a realistic way.
Other Notables: Blow, City of God
Musicals: Rent
I actually haven’t seen a wide range of musical films. Especially ones that weren’t first on Broadway. I chose Rent over say The Wiz because honestly, The Wiz is boring at times. Knowing the background of the mind Rent came from (Jonathan Larsen’s), I just feel like it’s a phenomenal work worthy of every sort or recognition it gets.
The story is about some artisans in the Alphabet City section of New York. They must deal with rampant AIDS, poverty, drugs and more as they learn to live each day to the fullest as their days are somewhat limited.
Other Notables: The Wiz, School Daze (does that count?)
Is it strange that none of my favorite movies had a Black cast? It’s not that I don’t see black movies or enjoy them (I liked Love Jones and the Best Man) but a lot are exploitative. I think our race is unique in culture but we’re not so different that we require a totally different kind of movie. Take these dance/band/stepping/madea movies…it seems as if they separate us as people who are only interested in money and materialistic things…I dislike movies that perpetuate stereotypes.
Love Jones is a good mix of the influences. Yes it speaks to some of our traditions, but the story isn’t specific to a race or centered on that tradition. We know who we are and other people won’t necessarily understand or accept us better because there’s a movie about what we’re about, especially if they had their mind made up already.
I saw Coffee for the first time yesterday on Turner Classic Movies. I swear, Pam Grier’s breasts should have been listed as cast members…
And this movie depicted black women as highly sexual headstrong woman who will stop at nothing to get what they want, even if method is questionable.
Who where these movies written by? And who went to see them?
Exactly.
I know Blaxpoitation movies are in a class entirely on their own, but that genre is not dead yet…
