Movie Quotes Mondays

Today's Quote comes to us Courtesy of Ethel Merman as Mrs. Marcus from 1963's It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World : 

"Now what kind of an attitude is that, "these things happen"? They only happen because this whole country is just full of people, who when these things happen, they just say "these things happen," and that's why they happen!"

Movie Quotes Mondays

Today's quote is a phrase to live by, and comes to us courtesy of 1986's Ferris Bueller's Day Off:

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." 

Six Degrees Saturday

You Know the drill. Connect the actor to Kevin Bacon. Every movie in-between is one degree. Today is:

Cary Elwes- 3 moves

Movie Quotes Mondays

Today's quote comes from Harrison Ford playing the second best cinematic president ever, in 1997's Air Force One.

"Get off my plane!"

Movie Quotes Monday

Today's quote comes to us from Eddie Murphy, from 1988's hilarious Coming to America:

"Good morning my neighbors!" 

Six Degrees Saturday

You know the drill: Connect Kevin Bacon to the selected actor in six degrees or less. Each movie in-between is one degree. Today is:



Chris Pine-3 moves



Last week's solution: Mathew McConaughey- A Time to Kill- Kiefer Sutherland- The Lost Boys- Dianne Weist- Footloose- Kevin Bacon

Remember The Phantom?

     A few weeks ago, I was reading an article about forgotten superhero movies, among them was 1996's The Phantom, and I was reminded of a rare gem. It's not one of those spectacular films, and when we consider the high bar that has been set in place for superhero movies, it might not clear it. But there is something about The Phantom that truly makes it worth watching. When I first saw it, I was nine, and I have to admit I was a little disappointed, as I was expecting the future Phantom like I had always seen in the animated series. But a couple of years later, I watched it again, and it has plenty of redeeming attributes. For starters, it is a movie about magic and super powers, but it never suspends realism to the point that you think it's something grandiose like The Avengers. It gives us spectacular for the time period it is set in, but runs more like Indiana Jones, than Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, and in that, gave us more than a superhero movie, but an action adventure that can be enjoyed regardless of whether or not you like cartoons turned into movies. It never feels like an animated feature, yet it never takes itself too seriously. It's a fun film to watch, and while the graphics might be dated even for 1996, it doesn't make the film any less enjoyable. I think that the only complaint one can have about the film was its low budget. I feel that if they had spent just a tad more on the writing, that it might have endured throughout the years. We must remember that this was a time ripe with cheesy action films and it would not be for another four years that we would see a solid script in a superhero movie in the form of X-Men.

     The casting was not particularly bad either. This movie introduced the world to Catherine Zeta-Jones, and therefore, deserves more attention if for no other reason than the gift of having her in Hollywood, even if it was just a supporting role. Billy Zane does a more than decent job as Kit Walker/The Phantom, and Treat Williams provides the perfect blend of intellect and ambitious psychotic to the character of Xander Drax. Given the material they were given to work with, I believe everyone in the movie did a good job in terms of acting. While it is cheesier than you would like it to be, it's an entertaining kind of cheesy, and you're willing to overlook it, especially since it has a rather creative and engaging story.

     In the hands of a director with a larger budget and more ambition, The Phantom would have had the potential to be a game-changer in 1996. The following year would bring us the infamous Batman and Robin (that's another post in and of itself), and that film practically put superhero films to sleep until Bryan Singer's fantastic X-men adaptation nearly four years later. The Phantom is some people's guilty pleasure of a film, and as far as guilty pleasures go, it's not that bad. Sure, had they made it a grand film it would have been awesome, but alas, I think the studios lacked faith in the picture, so we are stuck with a movie that is a product of the nineties, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Phantom may be Billy Zane's only leading role of worth, but it was very worthy, and I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel set in a more modern world with Zane taking on the role of a now deceased Phantom counseling a younger one, as he was counseled by his own father, played by Patrick McGoohan, just after playing king Edward I in Braveheart. With the right director and budget, I think it's a recipe for success. Given the amount of sequels and reboots out there, this isn't that far-fetched, so I can hope, right? It would hardly be the worst idea for a sequel/reboot and since Hollywood is in the habit of scraping the bottom of the barrel these days anyway, what's the worst that could happen?

Movie Quotes Monday

today's quote comes to us from Robert Downey Jr and is from 2011's Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows:

"Lie down with me, Watson."

Six Degree Saturday

You know the drill: Connect Kevin Bacon to the selected actor in six degrees or less. Each movie in-between is one degree. Today is:


Mathew McConaughey- 3 moves



Last week's solution: Sylvester Stallone- Rocky IV- Dolph Lundgren- Masters of the Universe- Frank Langella- Frost/Nixon- Kevin Bacon

Best Non R-Rated "f" Bombs

The infamous "f" word. A word so horrible, that if used more then once in a movie, it is an automatic R rating. F bombs are used for various reasons in movies, but the best ones are ones that are essential, the ones used for effect and that when you watch these movies on TV, it makes a huge difference when they edit it out. Take the following for instance. If you watch these scenes, you will find a big difference in the effect of the dialogue and story. These are very essential "f" bombs that when cut, their respective scenes just don't work quite as well. What's more, these are in movies that you don't need parental guidance to watch. When it comes to f bombs in non r-rated films, they are like a bee sting: you only get one, so make it count, and these five films (in no particular order) take full advantage of their one f bomb. Note how these are all used for comedic purposes, so have a laugh!

Spaceballs

"Out of order?! F***! Even in the future nothing works!"

Catch Me If You Can

"Knock knock"
"Who's there?"
"Go f*** yourselves"

For Richer or Poorer

"I can do ugly. I've done YOU for the last ten years!"
"As Memory serves, you stopped doing me after six and a half. Happy anniversary honey!"
"F*** Off!"

Beetlejuice

"Hey, nice F***in' model!"

The Holiday

"Fuck! You need this more than I do!"

Movie Quotes Monday

Today's quote comes from 1986's Short Circuit, courtesy of Fisher Stevens playing Benjamin Jabituya:

"Hi honey, What's for dinner?"

Six Degrees Saturday

You know the drill: Connect Kevin Bacon to the selected actor in six degrees or less. Each movie in-between is one degree. Today is:


Sylvester Stallone- 3 moves


Last week's solution: Reese Witherspoon- Water for Elephants- Robert Pattinson- Twilight- Kristen Stewart- Zathura- Tim Robbins- Mystic River- Kevin Bacon

A Look Back At...

Ratatouille

    Picking one's favorite Disney/Pixar film is a very personal process. Nearly all of the Disney/Pixar films are so perfect, that one really can't claim one is better than the other, and anyone's claim to being the best is a pure matter of preference and taste. That being said, no one will be thought less of by picking any one movie as their favorite, and while many may pick Toy Story or Finding Nemo, my personal favorite has been Ratatouille. This pick did not come lightly, nor was it instant. In fact, I didn't hold Ratatouille in very high regard upon my first viewing of it. It was not until my various re-watches of the movie that I gradually came to appreciate it and love it more and more with each viewing, that I finally decided to name it as my favorite.This film is filled with heartwarming moments, just the right amount of humor, and perhaps the best dialogue and characterization ever achieved in an animated film. When compared to live action, it is perhaps the only one of the Pixar films that truly would have been worthy of going toe-to-toe with the best picture nominees at the Oscars, and considering the dominant themes of the film, as well as its semi-serious tone, it really escapes me that it didn't.

     The story follows Remy, a rat living on the french countryside who has developed a keen sense of smell, and as a result, has come to appreciate good food. his talents lead him to have a desire to become a chef, and he takes the writings of celebrity chef Gusteau as his guide to achieving his dreams. When his family is forced to abandon their homes in a hurry, he gets separated, and finds himself in Paris, being led by the voice of his chef hero. Finding the chef's restaurant, he intervenes when the kitchen's new garbage boy has accidentally ruined a batch of soup, and he proceeds to make it a culinary delight that everyone loves. The boy sees him and hides him, and incidentally takes the credit for the soup, prompting the owner to take him on as a chef. Remy and the boy eventually overcome communication barriers and Remy uses him as a puppet, literally, to become the city's new great chef.

     The themes of this movie are aplenty and profound. There is the theme of following your dreams despite what barriers stand in your way, no matter who you are or where your from you can achieve greatness, as well as the theme of friendship, family, and loyalty. This is a story that could easily have been converted to a live action movie and been very successful. The cast is brilliant and the character development is as good, if not the best you'll find in any animated film or live action for that matter. There really is no character whom you don't understand or sympathize with by the end of the film. There is Linguini, the shy new garbage boy orphan trying to make ends meet, Collete, the aspiring chef who wants to be a success and is forced to take Linguini under her wings, chef Skinner, someone who is is not necessarily evil, but wants what he feels belongs to him, Anton Ego, the food critic who is despised with food, but not because he hates it, but because he has yet to find what in his mind is the perfect meal, and Remy an amateur chef from humble backgrounds trying to realize hs dream of cooking in a restaurant but would have trouble finding acceptance due to the fact that he happens to be a rat (take away the last part, and he would be a character in just about any movie about aspiring chefs). These are all very real and complex characters who interact with each other in a very realistic and entertaining way.

     The climax and ending of the movie are perhaps the most surprising and heartwarming ever to be captured in an animated movie. Ego's reaction when he eats the ratatouille is priceless and brilliant, bringing back his childhood memories and reminding all of us how food can take us places, sometimes back home to a more simpler and easier time in our lives. We all have a favorite food our mother would cook for us and would cause us to have the same reaction. It reminds us just how important food can be in our lives and how we all enjoy it and it reminds us that there is more to food than just sustenance.

     In the end, Ratatouille is heartwarming, humorous, creative, original, and perfectly written and executed. Its cast was brilliant, and their performances impeccable as was their animation. As for the music, it was the best scored Pixar film and perhaps one of the best scored animated features ever, perfectly capturing the essence of the street music found in Paris today, and seamlessly blending it to fit the characters and story. It is truly one of Pixar's best feature and despite the fact of Toy Story 3's success and critical recognition, it is in my book, the only Pixar film that would have stood a chance at the Best Picture award, if only the voting members of the Academy could, like Ego, put aside their prejudices and see the film for what it was as a film, and not merely as an animated feature.

Movie Quotes Monday

Today's quote comes from 1993's Jurassic Park, and is perhaps the most quoted of Samuel L. Jackson's lines and probab;y still comes to mind to almost everyone when we sit at a computer:

"Hold on to your butts."

Six Degrees Saturday

You know the drill: Connect Kevin Bacon to the selected actor in six degrees or less. Each movie in-between is one degree. Today is:


Reese Witherspoon- 4 moves


Last week's solution: Drew Barrymore- The Wedding Singer-Adam Sandler- Anger Management- Jack Nicholson- A Few Good Men- Kevin Bacon

The Best Movie Death Sentences

The Best Movie Death Sentences

     Sometimes, a movie boils down to one decision, to kill or not to kill. Decisions that characters make onscreen are not always simple and when they actually decide that someone deserves to die, they don't always intend on doing it themselves, they get someone else to do it for them. Whatever the reason, when a death sentence is handed down, it almost always reveals something important about the character ordering the hit. Sometimes, it's subtle, sometimes it's made very clear, sometimes it's obvious, sometimes it completely takes us by surprise, but whatever the case, just as good as a great death scene, is a great death sentence. Featured here are my five favorite death sentences ever, along with my reason for thinking so. everyone is bound to have their own favorite, so which one is yours?



5- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
"Wipe them out. All of them."

     I'm not going to sugar coat it, Episode I has nearly zero redeeming features. In fact, if I were to look really hard, I could count them in one hand (but in all honesty, who would bother?). But among those very few attributes, is Lord Sidious' chilling condemnation of all those who stand in his way. One of the dumbest things about the new trilogy was the pretense that Sidious wasn't the Emperor all along, as his manner and voice (and costume for that matter) are unmistakably the same, and the one thing that was always great about the Emperor was his sinister voice and tone, and they are on full display in this scene.

4- ID4: Independence Day: 
"Nuke 'em. Nuke the bastards."

     Bill Pullman's President Whitmore in Independence Day is arguably the best cinematic president ever. He is intelligent, thoughtful, strategic, brave, compassionate, and can give one hell of a speech. Basically, as presidents go, he's the bomb. While at first hesitant to resort to nuclear warfare despite witnessing the destructive force of the aliens, he eventually comes around. After being told by one of the aliens that they would never stop and essentially getting mind-raped, he issues his order of execution.

3- The Godfather Part II: 
"I don't want anything to happen to him, as long as my mother's alive."

     The most frequently quoted and recognized line in The Godfather: Part II is clearly when Michael tells Fredo that he knows he betrayed him. It clearly would not sit well with his mother to kill his own brother, so after telling him he never wants to see him again, he tells his people that nothing is to happen to Fredo, until his mother is gone. He says it so coolly and heartless, that it kind of sends a chill down your spine. Later at his mother's funeral, he seals his sentence without uttering a single word.

2- The Untouchables:
"I want him dead! I want his family dead! I want his house burned to the ground!"

     This movie is Robert De Niro at his best playing Al Capone, and upon discovering that the federal agent on his case just cost him an entire shipment illegal booze, saying he kind of lost his temper is a bit of an understatement (at least he didn't have his baseball bat handy).

1- Silverado:
"He can't hurt me, if he's dead."

     I could go on and on about Silverado as a movie in whole, or just as a western. Given the quality of the post Wayne/ Eastwood westerns, there is no doubt that this is the best of them, and maybe the only one that is on par with those great classics we all know and love such as The Searchers, or The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Part of what makes it so great is its complexity in story line, as well as its terrific script and casting. This one particular scene has Paden, played by Kevin Kline, sitting at a bar drinking while his friends are being hunted because the town's corrupt sheriff has threatened the only woman he cares about should he get involved. She doesn't take this well, and proceeds to tell him how to solve this little dilemma regarding her own boss. When this sentence is carried out, it is perhaps the best death scene ever shot (no pun intended) in Hollywood, but that's another subject in and of itself.

Well, those are my top five, What's your favorite movie death sentence?

Movie Quotes Monday

Today's quote comes to us from Ben Stiller as Derek Zoolander from 2001's Zoolander, in honor of today's announcement of Billy Zane's return for the sequel:

"Put a cork in it, Zane!"

Six Degrees Saturday

You know the drill: Connect Kevin Bacon to the selected actor in six degrees or less. Each movie in-between is one degree. Today is:

Drew Barrymore- 3 moves

Last week's solution:
Kevin Bacon- Hollowman- Elizabeth Shue- The Saint- Val Kilmer- Batman Forever- Tommy Lee Jones

Furious 7: My review

I went in expecting a giant mess of spectacular car stunts and not much more, and in that regard, it didn't disappoint. The Fast and the Furious franchise has had some trouble in recent years to decide where it's going, and unfortunately, the latest entry in the series does nothing to calm our fears as to why this series should have ended after the fourth film, or that it will ever end at all. It seems that audiences today are more than happy to keep a story going for years without any closure or end, much like the runway in the series' last entry. As mindless action films go, this one is actually not too bad, but given the caliber of some of the series' films (namely, one and four) and the general delusion that sequels get better as they go forward, one can't help but wish that the franchise could just come to a grand ending and let the audience move on to greener pastures. But alas, it is not to be, and there will be at least one more film to wrap up the remaining loose ends, and given the box office returns, most likely many more entries just to cash in on its success.

The film itself, though riddled with cliches and a predictable storyline, does a decent enough job of delivering thrills, but by the film's end, it's more like something out of Mission: Impossible, than a series with roots in the world of underground street racing in Los Angeles, complete with sneaking into places to steal things for the government and a lot if fancy tech to replace fast cars. In fact, Furious 7 is appropriately named, as there's very little about it that's actually fast.

The film follows the F&F crew's last ride, to quote Vin Diesel in the trailer (their third last ride, for those of you playing along at home and keeping score, with at least one more ride to go), and it never really feels like this last ride is actually accomplishing anything. The movie ends with more openings then it started with. Both of the Shaw brothers are still alive and well by the end and big brother's more pissed off then ever.

We will never be able to separate Furious 7 from the tragic death of leading man Paul Walker during production. As far as giving him a send off and allowing his character to reach some form of closure from the franchise, I'll admit it was touching. But from a purely narrative standpoint and from the risk of taking some serious heat for being insensitive, I have to take some serious issues with the decision of the ending. As stated, this movie does not end the franchise, and with Walker's character still alive, it's hard to believe that in the future, he would not come to aid his friends and his wife's brother in their time of need. It's not going to be very believable going into the future and I feel that while I may be thought of as a jerk, if they are going to continue the series, his character has to die, or Vin Diesel's would, thus eliminating Paul Walker's need to be involved in the story.

While we're on the subject of onscreen deaths, I would like to talk about Han's death from Tokyo Drift, which finally caught up to the timeline in the sixth installment. I was disappointed in the way they handled the racing scene in Furious 7 and treated Vin Diesel meeting up with Lucas Black like some form of obligatory cameo. I personally would've loved to have seen them make him a more integral part of the story, since Black's character was so close to Han, and it would've been nice to have Tokyo Drift more a part of the universe, but in the end, it was just one more wasted opportunity.

All in all, Furious 7 is a film in a series that these days is more concerned with appealing to the masses than actually delivering a great film. Despite what the studio says about taking risk and doing right by Paul Walker, their concern is only money. And that's ok, they need money to make movies for our enjoyment. The problem is that Furious 7 is not very enjoyable. It's a huge thrilling mess and not much more. It felt like it was going through the motions most of the time and the rest of the time it was more worried about setting up the sequel than trying to tell the story we all came to see. It will make lots of money, as already evidenced by the box office returns, and lots of people will go watch it if for no other reason than to see Paul Walker's last film. If you're into stunts and thrills, I'm sure you'll find Furious 7 fulfills your needs, and if that is all you are expecting, then I say go for it. But if you're expecting to see the franchise's grand last last last ride actually give something resembling heart, then maybe this is not the place to look. Wait for the last last last LAST ride and let's see how that one goes.
2 1/2 out of 5 stars

Movie Quotes Monday

Today's quote come from 2011's The Green Hornet courtesy of Cristoph Waltz, playing the drug dealer Chudnofsky:

 "You said I'm boring. My gun has two barrels. That's not boring."