7.16.2014

"It's just something from a film that I like"


   THE MOVIES from this post arrrrrrrrre:
  1. Veronica Mars (14)
  2. Somewhere (10)
  3. Prometheus (12)
  4. Psycho (60)
  5. Rebel Without a Cause (55)
   All of which I recommend, with the slight exception of Veronica Mars if you haven't seen the series because you probably wouldn't enjoy it. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, because I did, but it is almost entirely inside jokes and call-backs to the show. Well-written/shot/acted inside jokes and call-backs, but inside jokes and call-backs nonetheless. And while there ain't nuthin' wrong with that, it might not be a recipe for amazing entertainment for those who never watched the TV show. The clear solution is to watch the three seasons of the show and then watch the movie, but that doesn't guarantee your enjoyment of it either: turns out people have different tastes and preferences when it comes to media! I know, what kind of nonsense is coming out of my mouth/keyboard.

   All that aside: I really like Veronica Mars and I even paid ten dollars for it on iTunes. The characters made some decisions that made no sense but it was still satisfying on the whole. That's life, isn't it? Moving on.

   Somewhere is one of the slowest movies I have ever seen, and that's saying something. That isn't a negative thing, mind. I love slow movies. Basically: an actor has to take care of his daughter and it helps redeem him from an empty life. That may sound sappy but fear not: a manipulative tearjerker this is not. I will add a caveat to my recommendation though: the movie is largely about how a decadent/indulgent lifestyle isn't all it's cracked up to be, and therefore shows "decadence" and "indulgence" of a variety of natures. It does this in a non-salacious manner; it doesn't want to arouse you, it wants to make you uncomfortable and wants to make a point. It's rated R, use your discernment.

    One of the few scary movies I've seen in theaters is Prometheus and I made some of my pals watch it and I still love it, even though it has gross parts. This is another movie I would label "Not For Everyone". There are aliens! There's a robot! There are references to Lawrence of Arabia! Yes, yes, and yes. Apparently there are many who find this film extremely confusing, to which I say "watch it again with your thinking cap on and you'll be fine." One of the writers for Lost was also a writer for Prometheus, let the madness that is Lost be your guide. As an added bonus: I barely need to suspend my disbelief to buy Iceland as an alien planet (or as the prehistory earth of Noah, for that matter). This movie is technically an Alien prequel, but it basically just says "look, a Xenomorph" at one point, so not really. Also: today I learned the word "endoparasitoid". 

   Psycho hardly needs explaining. Hitchcock was a genius, watch this film. Anthony Perkins is simply splendid. There are two scenes from Psycho that have become iconic, one was a bit of a let-down and one gave us all major chills and I will leave it to you to figure out which was which. 

   And finally: Rebel Without a Cause. I have a feeling that this is one of those movies that has become a part of our cultural canon but not many people have actually seen. Well: let me say that you ought to see it. I'd never actually seen James Dean in anything before this, or Natalie Wood in anything besides West Side Story (which you also ought to consider watching). This and Psycho fall into the "classic for a reason" category, and while I won't say that films like this never get made anymore, I will say that films like this are fewer and further between these days. Some have argued that Footloose is essentially a remake/hash of RWAC, and while I have nothing against the Kevin Bacon Footloose I will say that it is far less intelligent than this one. So! watch old movies. You just might like them. They didn't have splashy special effects to make up for shoddy dialogue! Awesome. (I'm not saying that all old movies have amazing dialogue and all new ones have bad dialogue, that would be stupid.)

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