I watch movies every week and then write down my thoughts. Read my previous reviews!
My rating is simple, Watch It, It Depends, Skip it.
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| Top Gun - A slice of pure '80s cheese. |
Buy Top Gun
Watch Top Gun on Netflix
Written by: Jim Cash & Jack Epps Jr. (written by), Ehud Yonay (magazine article "Top Guns")
Directed by: Tony Scott
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Tim Robbins, Kelly McGillis, Anthony Edwards. Tom Skerritt, Michael Ironside
Rated: PG
Plot:
A reckless fighter pilot trains in an elite Navy program.
Verdict:
This is a pure eighties film, but it's a lot of fun and put fighter pilots at the forefront of cool once again. It can be a bit cheesy, and Cruise plays his standard cocky character who must overcome tragedy, but you still root for Cruise. The jet sequences and stock video of jets is great.
Watch it.
Review:
The real top gun school fines anyone who quotes this movie. This movie is the reason for record Naval applications in 1986, with the Navy setting up recruiting booths in cinemas.
While I couldn't imagine anyone but Tom Cruise as Maverick, Matthew Modine, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Matthew Broderick, Sean Penn, Michael J. Fox, Scott Baio, and Tom Hanks all turned the role of Maverick down.
Charlie Sheen, Jim Carrey, Rob Lowe, Kevin Bacon, Eric Stoltz, John Travolta, and Robert Downey Jr. were considered for the role of Maverick.
Despite all of the possibilities Tom Cruise was the first choice. He just kept turning the role down. He finally agreed after producer Jerry Bruckheimer arranged a fly along with the Blue Angels.
Cruise's wheelhouse character in the '80s was the cocky newcomer who had to overcome his demons to succeed. Cruise's success extends from Top Gun to The Color of Money (1986), Cocktail (1988), and Days of Thunder (1990).
As the production company logo is still on screen we get the first introduction to the sound track. It's great, provided you like '80s sound tracks. The first images are clips of jets sitting on an aircraft carrier and the crew performing routine duties, before we cut to Maverick (Tom Cruise) in the cockpit with co-pilot Goose (Anthony Edwards). In the Navy, you're only known by your call sign.
Maverick squares off against Russian MiG-28 jets. He flies parallel and inverted to give the Russian the finger, it's the height of the Cold War after all. He then defies orders to land by helping a fellow pilot. It's a Tom Cruise film through and through.
Cruise and Edwards have great chemistry, and it's fun to watch Val Kilmer chew the scenery as Iceman. Kilmer didn't want to do the film, but he was contractually obligated.
A little known fact of flight school, is that pilots have to practice singing an ensemble version of The Righteous Brothers hit, You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin'. Maverick calls upon his brothers in a time of need at the bar when he has to woo the hot blonde, Charlie (Kelly McGillis). This starts his movie trope of trying to woo women that are his superior or otherwise should be off limits. Charlie is an instructor at the flight school.
Cruise wore lift shoes for his scenes with McGillis as she is three inches taller. Tom Cruise also plays beach volleyball in blue jeans. Why? He's Tom Cruise, that's why.
Tom Cruise manages to be arrogant, but charismatic. He defies orders, but for selfless reasons... sometimes. He suffers a setback, and then we root for him to win. He's on the verge of quitting, but has to perform his duty. He may not win or get the gold medal, but he proves he's the best. It's the log line for a slew of Cruise's movies, and he makes it work every time.
The movie does a neat trick of having the good guys' distinct helmets visible and their visors up so we can see their eyes. The Russian pilots have their dark visors down on non-descript helmets. It makes them robotic and avoids humanizing before they get killed.
The final battle is intense, though there is a lot of expository dialog. Maverick learned from his training to become the best. This is one of the best examples of 80s indulgence. "You can be my wing man any time."
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| Demolition - Amazing movie exploring grief and showcasing Gyllenhall's talent. |
Buy Demolition
Written by: Bryan Sipe
Directed by: Jean-Marc Vallée
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper
Rated: R
Plot:
A customer service rep and her son help a banker rebuild his life after the death of his wife.
Verdict:
Amazing writing, directing, and acting. It's an amazing look at how one deals with grief. It's quite a journey with more than a few truly amazing scenes. I was engrossed from start to finish. I wasn't sure where this could go, but it's an amazing ride with a fitting conclusion. This movie is small in scope, but completely engrossing we see grief manifested.
Watch it.
Review:
This grabs you from the very first scene. What an opening, wow.
I love the premise of how someone deals with grief. Davis's (Jake Gyllenhaal) grief manifests as a letter to a vending machine company about a faulty machine.
Everyone reacts differently. While this focuses on Davis, we see how others react too.
Hence the title, Davis begins dismantling appliances at first trying to fix them and then just wanting to see how it works. Davis even mentions the metaphor. He's in essence dismantling his life to see how it works. The death of his wife made him see the world differently. He awoke from the stupor that was his daily grind and began to take stock of his life. He got his nice job because of his father in law. He wasn't even sure why he was married. He wonders if he loved his wife, but throughout the movie he thinks about her. The movie doesn't give us a clear cut answer on that. I think Davis definitely loved his wife. It's why his thoughts continually drift back to her. He's just remorseful that he didn't pay more attention to her. He was always preoccupied and neglectful. His grief his guilt, and that feeling displaces his love.
Now he's taking the time to see how thins work, to really see the world. This movie really captures something about grief and life. This movie absolutely nails so many small moments, like his small recollections of his childhood. The scene where he steps on a nail is masterful.
This takes a strange turn when he develops a platonic relationship with the customer service representative from the vending machine company, but in the context of this movie it works.
This movie is full of amazing scenes. It's really incredible. We see another scene where Davis takes joy in pain. He just wants to feel something, anything. Only in immense pain does he feel any amount of life. Every time I think I've seen the best scene in the movie, another scene trumps it. Davis's extended dance is free and unrestrained by the bounds of society. Nothing he's done in this movie would be considered normal, but that's part of grief. There isn't one way to manifest it.
Gyllenhaal is incredible. He typically picks really neat roles and delivers. I wondered if the end had any hope of living up to this movie, but then I wasn't even sure how to end it. I reached a point where it had provided so many amazing scenes that it didn't matter. This movie delivers more than one twist that changes the tone.
In the final scene we're left to wonder if he's okay. Will he return to being normal? He's obviously dealt with his grief, but now he has to start over.
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| Blood Simple - The Coen's first that showcases their style. |
Buy Blood Simple
Written by: Joel Coen , Ethan Coen
Directed by: Joel Coen , Ethan Coen (uncredited)
Starring: John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya
Rated: R
Plot:
A rich man hires a private investigator to kill his cheating wife, but nothing is simple when blood is involved.
Verdict:
This is a very good movie, and to think it was the Coen brother's first film. It's twisting tale of deceit that's beautifully shot and unfolds perfectly.
Watch it.
Review:
This was the Coen brothers' first film. On advice from Sam Raimi, they went door to door for over a year to raise seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars, showing investors a trailer that included Bruce Campbell as Marty.
Blood Simple. is part film noir and part thriller. It picks a great starting point. Where most movies want to provide a big introduction that provides a why, this ignores the why and provides the triggering event. This movie isn't about the why, it's about what happens after.
The pacing is measured in this tightly wound story of an affair, murder, and double crossing. The mood is deliberate and intense. The wronged husband is brooding while the investigator is pompous. We don't like the husband even though he's the one that's been wronged.
This is a movie where many of the characters are reluctant to kill. This draws out those scenes, giving them maximum impact while also drawing us into the minds of the characters.
Shots are framed really well, the Coen brothers style is apparent. They were great filmmakers from the start and just kept honing their craft. The Coens stretch the low budget far. Ideas and good stories can overcome funding. This movie exudes confidence as it deliberately defies typical tropes.
This is an underrated movie. I only found it looking through the Coen brothers catalog. I should have heard of it before then. It's a solid movie. The final song is "It's the Same Old Song" by The Four Tops. We've heard it throughout the movie a few times, but it reaches full impact after the final scene.
This is a rare movie that surprises you. The death scenes are slow and brutal. You're never quite sure who is going to triumph. The final showdown is something else. To say more would spoil it. Find this movie and watch it.
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| The Witch - This movie perfectly executes the genre. |
aka The Witch: A New-England Folktale
Buy The Witch
Written by: Robert Eggers
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie
Rated: R
Plot:
A witch preys on a family in seventeenth century New England.
Verdict:
This movie excels at creating a mood. This is understated to be sure, and while it's filled with small moments, it maintains an intensity. It goes to great length to recreate the 1600's very well which adds to the folk tale feel. This is a good movie, and great horror movie.
Watch it.
Review:
Based on America's first witch hysteria sixty two years before the Salem witch trials. This movie doesn't care that it lacks the big set pieces. It doesn't care that it uses outdated yet period appropriate language that sounds strange to viewers. This movie has a purpose and it executes it.
The soundtrack is incredibly unsettling. With nothing remotely scary on screen, the music has you ready to jump out of your seat. We know there is something in the woods, and the movie shows us a glimpse of that early on. This early glimpse creates a scenario where you're waiting for that jump scare. The movie lets you scare yourself. It makes a point to not so too much.
The movie centers on a family relocated to America from England. The parents are tough on their oldest daughter. I get why emotions are running high, and I won't spoil that, but it creates the a situation where we want the daughter to rebel against the oppression. Maybe that was the plan the witch had the entire time. Black Phillip is a great surprise character.
One of the best scenes is when the oldest son is in the woods. We know he's walking into a terrible situation, we know why he does it because the movie set it up, and the climax of the scene is subtle but perfect. This is underscored by the music.
This provides a glimpse of the mass hysteria that was the Salem Witch trials. Once you implant that idea, you can even turn on your children. This is understated, reserved, and perfect. The mood is intense. This has a singular focus unlike many movie. The creator had a single purpose and executed it.
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| Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made - An inspiring story of kids that achieved. |
Buy Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made
Watch Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made on Netflix
Written by: Tim Skousen & Jeremy Coon (written by), Alan Eisenstock (book)
Directed by: Jeremy Coon, Tim Skousen
Starring: Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala, Jayson Lamb
Rated: --
Plot:
A documentary about the fan film The Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation, where three teens recreated the Indiana Jones movie scene for scene over seven years.
Verdict:
I love the drive and determination of these teens. They really did create something out of nothing. You would benefit to have watched Raiders!, but you can still appreciate the accomplishment. Unfortunately this is spread thin between filming the new scene in 2014, how they created this in the '80s, and what happened to the creators in between.
It depends.
Review:
While this documentary is framed around them finally filming the airplane scene twenty five years later after a successful Kickstarter campaign, the real story is that sometimes through sheer force of will you can achieve a moderate level of stardom. They worked on this during every break and vacation. Pooling their money and resource to get props. They were local celebrities at the time, but it would be nearly fifteen years before this movie reached a wider audience.
After a certain point it doesn't matter if it's good. They made a feature length film. There are those that want to do and those that actually do. Plenty of people have ideas, but very few mold those ideas into something. Their love of Indiana Jones is apparent, and that's what attract people.
These kids grew up making this film and even drift apart. They get a chance to fulfill a wish. Many of us grew up pretending to be Dr. Jones, but few of us ever thought to actually become him.
Director Eli Roth finds this film and gets it screened. It's a hit. The critics viewing it complain when the theater cuts it short to show an advanced screening of Lord of the Rings. Due to this renewed interest they can finally complete the one scene they couldn't make.
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