#388: The English Patient (1996)

Director: Anthony Minghella
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Kristin Scott Thomas & Willem Dafoe



A man with an indistinguishable accent has been found near a plane crash in 1944. His face is horribly burned, and he has lost his memory. His weakness makes it difficult for him to be moved with the caravan full of hospital workers, so a makeshift hospital is set up in an abandoned monastery in Italy. Hana, a Canadian nurse who has lost all of her relations in the war, stays to take care of him. A mysterious character named Caravaggio arrives at the monastery, and he is certain the patient still has his memory in tact. While Hana begins to allow herself to love an Indian bomb detector who arrives soon after Caravaggio, the patient begins to remember how he came to his current state. While working for the Royal Geographic Society in Cairo, he becomes enamored with a married English woman, Katherine. Their relationship unravels along with the patient’s memories, leading us to the striking final act.

With such a complex premise, this is one heck of a long movie. This seems to have turned off a lot of viewers, but for me, I was riveted throughout. The performances by everyone were outstanding.

Juliette Binoche doesn’t belong in our generation; she is so comfortable in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Fiennes exhibits an ambiguity that has become a trademark for his characters. He shows a great potential for malice, but all due to his love for a woman. Dafoe’s resentment towards the patient is also brilliantly unraveled throughout the course of the film, and it is hard to look at anyone but him while he is on the screen, never knowing when he is going to burst. And then there’s Kristin Scott Thomas, whose performance as a woman torn between two lovers shines.

This movie requires a lot of patience, but I found it to be well worth it.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• The Germans who shoot at Almazy's plane at the beginning were actually tourists roped into the production because they couldn't afford any more extras.
• Was the first digitally-edited film to win an Academy Award for Best Film Editing (Walter Murch). Murch began editing the film mechanically, but then switched to the Avid system after his son suffered a medical emergency so that he could work from his home while his son recovered. Murch writes about the experience in his book "In the Blink of an Eye (2nd Ed.)."
• In the scene where Hana is being pulled up to see the paintings in the church, the electric power and smoke for her "torch" was being piped through the seemingly real rope on which she was sitting.

#389: Election (1999)

Director: Alexander Payne
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Matthew Broderick, Chris Klein & Jessica Campbell



How can a Nebraska high school election make the front page of national newspapers? Do anything you can to stop the overzealous, Straight-A student. Start with getting the popular quarterback to run against her. Does that not do the trick? Then throw in the quarterback’s lesbian sister who plans to overthrow the student board.

This is one of my favorite comedies of all time. It is the movie that first brought Reese Witherspoon critical acclaim, nominating her for a Golden Globe. It is also the first film for Chris Klein, who went on to teen comedy fame with the American Pie films. And of course, Matthew Broderick always chooses some class films. His character goes through hell in this film, and it's easy to say he deserves it, though he maintains his charisma nerdy charisma throughout. It's also interesting to see him play a high school teacher for the first time, a turn-around from his most famous role as Ferris Bueller.

What makes the film so smart is how Mr. Payne demonstrates both the thoughts and the actions of the characters separately. On the outside, George Washington Carver High School is the picture-perfect school, with all teachers being extreme motivators and all students fitting perfectly into their own cliques. Everyone has a smile on their face, and they are all working for the future. At the same time, we see the school's most awarded teacher, Mr. McAllister, setting himself to crush the top student, Tracy Flick, while Tracy has no problems fighting back and threatening to destroy McAllister's personal life.

And you can never go wrong with the soundtrack from Navajo Joe.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• In the text of a newspaper article in the film: "If you've paused the film in order to read this entire article, your time would be better spent renting Citizen Ruth (1996) from your local video store. Do you know how hard it is to write these fake few stories for newspaper movie props? I've got better things to do."
• When Tracy rips up the posters of Paul in the school hallway, the theme form Navajo Joe (1966) (which was also used at the end of Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)) plays in the background.
• Since the movie was shot in a real High School (Papillion La Vista High School, Omaha, Nebraska), adjacent classrooms had real class going on while some scenes for the movie were being done. In the soundtrack, some background noises come from real teachers and students. The director decided to leave that in as to give the movie a more realistic sound.
• Reese Witherspoon's portrayal of Tracy Flick was voted as the 45th Greatest Movie Performances of All Time by Premiere Magazine.
• Ranked at #9 on Entertainment Weekly's 50 Best High School Movies (2006)

#395: Casino (1995)

Director: Martin Scorcese

Cast: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone & Joe Pesci

One of Las Vegas's greatest casinos, the Tangiers, is in the hands of mobsters. When the Jewish-American Sam "Ace" Rothstein is noticed for being a great handicapper, bringing in the bucks like no other, he is recruited to manage the casino. The mob bosses are skimming the profits from the casino, while Nick Santoro ensures that the money gets into the right hands and keeps the gangsters in line. While on the job, Rothstein meets his future wife, Ginger, who works as a hustler at the Tangiers. Of course, their arrangement can't last long, and the troubles that are brought to the Tangiers have a lasting impact on the city of Las Vegas.

I wish I enjoyed mafia movies. I really do. I've tried so many times. Alas, I wasn't into this one. Maybe I just don't have enough to relate to in the film - I've never been to a casino, I've never been in a physical fight, and I've never done anything remotely illegal for money. Oh, and I only say "fuck" 2.3 times per minute.

I really don't have much bad to say about the film, though. Sharon Stone was remarkable, and seeing her descent from a young, sexy, live-out-loud hustler to a drug-inducing, wrinkle-ridden ho is outstanding. Robert De Niro also is on top form here, becoming a very likable mobster who somehow maintains his morals.

But that's the thing. Yes, the acting is great... but I just don't see what else there really is. It was 150 minutes of something that I didn't really care all that much about. A big problem with this is that there isn't any humor whatsoever, which is why I liked Ocean's Eleven so much. I really hope I can get into The Godfather when it comes around... what a let-down that could be for me.

Welp, if you enjoy mob films, this might just be for you.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• The word "Fuck" is said 422 times, including in the narration - 2.4 times per minute on average. The film also holds the Guinness world record for the most swearing in a film.
• Martin Scorsese stated before the film's release that he created the "head in the vise" scene as a sacrifice, certain the MPAA would insist it be cut. He hoped this would draw fire away from other violent scenes that would seem less so by comparison. When the MPAA made no objection to the vise scene, he left it in, albeit slightly edited.
• As they were shooting scenes in Las Vegas set in the 1970s, the husband of an elderly woman extra was given a period-correct leisure suit to wear by the wardrobe department. However, instead of providing the woman with period clothes, they told her, much to her chagrin, that her out-of-date attire was just fine.

#401: Batman Returns (1992)

Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer & Christopher Walken



Batman has got his handful in the second film of the franchise. Selina Kyle, the executive assistant to the corrupt businessman Max Shreck, discovers confidential files in the office. Shreck attempts to kill her, but instead transforms her into the sexy and dangerous Catwoman. At the same time, a mysterious disfigured man is discovered to be living in the sewers of Gotham City among a flock of penguins. This man, only known as The Penguin, threatens to expose Shreck of his crimes unless he assists in transforming the deranged man into a local hero.

Today, the Batman films are more gritty and nearly realistic gangs. In comparison, the Penguin has two gangs: one looks like a celebration of Día de los Muertos, while the other is a flock of penguins. If a flock of birds were to be used in any action movie today, the audience would not know what to make of it. This film isn’t even twenty years old, and that’s how much the industry has changed. What makes it heartbreaking is that this film has stood remarkably to the test of time, but audiences have moved on anyway.

The visuals on this movie are classic Burton. The dark colors of Batman, Catwoman and The Penguin juxtaposed with the bright colors of the Día de los Muertos gang, his duck vehicle and Shreck’s smiley cat logo is shocking. This blends perfectly with Danny Elfman’s genius score. The music of this film is one of Elfman’s finest, and it is not surprising in the least that he has provided scores not only to Tim Burton’s films, but also to many superhero films (the Spiderman, Hulk, Hellboy, Terminator and Men in Black franchises).

Of all the performances in the film, two stood out quite clearly: Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny DeVito. Pfeiffer’s transformation scene from lonely secretary to leather-clad sex vixen is disturbing – and awesome. Meanwhile, DeVito has never fit a character so flawlessly. Aside from his hideous makeup, his character is just so filthy that you have to hate him. When the two have scenes together, it is clear why they were chosen to be the villains together: they are perfectly opposite. While one attracts everyone, the other repulses; what other animals could better be represented to be opposites than a cat and a bird?

I have to also note that this film brings together pieces of Burton’s repertoire, more so than any of his other films. Actors who appear in this film as well as others by Burton include Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice), Danny DeVito (Big Fish), Christopher Walken (Sleepy Hollow) and Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure). Another familiar appearance is the Penguin’s duck vehicle (which is very similar to a toy duck being built in The Nightmare Before Christmas). The Día de los Muertos gang is also very similar to a dream sequence from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.

Burton’s most remarkable ability in his films is to be able to turn a story into something representative of a dream – a technique that has been lost since this film was released, lost both by the industry as well as by Burton himself. I will be a happy man the day Burton returns to his former glory.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• Christopher Walken's character is named Maximillian Shreck. In addition to the fact that "schreck" is the German word meaning "terror," the actor Max Schreck played the first-ever vampire depicted on film in the silent-era classic Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922).
• Sean Young very much wanted the role of The Catwoman. During preproduction she arrived at the studio in a Catwoman costume to confront the makers of the movie. She used other people scouting the studio grounds, using walkie-talkies to communicate, to track down the producers. Tim Burton hid behind his desk so as to avoid seeing her. Young had been cast as Vicki Vale in Batman (1989) but was replaced after she broke her collarbone during filming.
• The first film made in Dolby Digital.
• The crew had a hard time getting the shot where the monkey delivers the letter from Batman to the Penguin. Evidently, Danny DeVito's make-up terrified the animal.

#409: Men in Black (1997)

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

Cast: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones & Linda Fiorentino

NYPD Agent James Darrel Edwards III encounters a very odd person of interest who warns him that the world will end. Soon after, while being interrogated about the incident, a man named K walks into his cell, changing his life as he knows it. He is inducted into the organization called the Men in Black. His new job is to keep secret the knowledge of extraterrestrial life in the USA, particularly in Manhattan. The job gets risky when a farmer from upstate is killed by an alien 'bug', and his body is used as a disguise in his efforts to destroy the universe.

The special effects in this flick are great, partially because of how absolutely ridiculous they got. The designers of the aliens were not asked to create one monster, but loads of them in various shapes and sizes, and many of them in ludicrous disguises. Sonnenfeld clearly had a ball finding as much about New York to poke fun at, which really makes this film a gem.

The plot is a little bit fuzzy, but let's face it: this is a summer blockbuster, not a Best Film nominee. The acting is on the good side - nothing phenomenal, due to its lack of depth. But, Will Smith is at his best here, Tommy Lee Jones puts on a great straight-face with a touch of sadness towards the end, and Linda Fiorentino has a similar role to her leading spot in Dogma, Bethany. It's unfortunate that Fiorentino's career never really took hold, apparently due to a lack of variation in her character - but she puts on a great business-like, cynical, independent woman.

Watch it for a good laugh and a good dose of action.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• During the shoot, there was a script revision which changed the role of the 'Universe' in the movie. Fortunately, some creative tricks could be used to avoid having to re-shoot several scenes. For instance, the dialogue between Rosenberg and the tall man in the diner was originally in English (and they were adversaries), but their lines were simply dubbed in an alien language that could be subtitled with the desired explanation. New lines were also written for Frank, the talking dog, whose scenes had to go through post-production anyway. Director Barry Sonnenfeld could be heard on the DVD bonus material jokingly advising fellow directors to include a talking dog into every movie, which makes it easy to change the plot while filming.
• After Linda Fiorentino "won" her role in Men in Black in a poker game with director Barry Sonnenfeld, he warned her that she would not be in any nude scenes.
• The MIB headquarters are located in the ventilation tower of the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, which connects Manhattan with Brooklyn.
• David Schwimmer was asked to play the role of J before Will Smith, but turned it down.

#414: The Double Life of Veronique (1991)

Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski

Cast: Irène Jacob

(Sorry about the bad quality on the trailer, it's the only version I could find that doesn't suck.)

Have you ever felt like you somehow aren't quite complete? And I don't mean that in the sense of the search for a soulmate. I mean, you felt like you yourself are somehow in two different places at once. Well, Véronique of Paris has felt that way her whole life, and Weronika of Krakow would be able to tell her why. Weronika was walking along Market Square in Krakow when she sees herself boarding a bus full of tourists.

I wish I could give more to the synopsis. This movie is brilliant, but there's really no way to put it into words. Even though I could say that not much happens in the plot, I can't deny that my eyes were glued to the TV. The feeling evoked from the film is absolutely haunting - and that's a word I use sparsely ( -- it's also one of my favorite words!).

Through Irène Jacob's performance, the audience is put into a constant state of unease. We are immediately in league with Véronique and can sense every nuance of her emotional state, and everyone else is a mystery. There are even characters that we see multiple times, watching Véronique, and we never learn who it is that's watching her.

I would normally be ashamed of myself to leave the post here, but reading other reviews, I know that this is one of the hardest films to write about. I could sit here for weeks trying to come up with something without success. All I can say is, this is a beautiful movie that instills feelings in me that no other film has. Will certainly be looking up more of Kieslowski's works.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• Kieslowski originally wanted Andie MacDowell to play Veronique.
• The text sung by Weronika in the Concert is actually the beginning of the second Chant of Dante's Paradiso: "O voi che siete in piccioletta barca, desiderosi d'ascoltar, seguiti dietro al mio legno che cantando varca, Non vi mettete in pelago, ché forse, perdendo me, rimarreste smarriti. L'acqua ch'io prendo giá mai non si corse; Minerva spira è conducemi Appollo, è nove Muse mi dimostran l'Orse." Dante, Paradiso, II, 1-9.

#420: Jerry Maguire (1996)

Director: Cameron Crowe

Cast: Tom Cruise, Renée Zellweger & Cuba Gooding Jr.

Jerry Maguire is one of the top sports agents in his firm. He's rolling in the dough, keeping his romantic life active and never committal, and doesn't even really need to try too hard to get it all done. But one night, out of the blue, he looks at his life and realizes how repulsive it is. He puts all his thoughts to paper, writing a personal mission statement in which he places morals over moolah. He distributes it to the entire company, and before he changes his mind the place is roaring with applause... except for his boss. He's fired on the spot. He calls all of his clients begging for them to stay with him, but only two stay on his side. Also on his side is single mom Dorothy Boyd, from the finance department, who has fallen head over heels for Jerry.

In all honesty, I wasn't looking forward to watching this. I mean, it has Tom Cruise - that's a bad sign. But the fact of the matter is, this is a great movie. Probably among the top 10 of the 90's (I sense a list will be made soon...). Part of its greatness is in the casting. This role IS Tom Cruise. There's even bits of insanity thrown in. Cuba Gooding, Jr. is also at the top of his game in the film, earning him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. And of course there's Ms. Zellweger, whose character is among the most charming roles of hers that I've seen.

It's also not possible to review this film without mentioning its catchphrases. Having never seen the film, I never knew where some of these lines came from, and was surprised just how many this film has.

The plot is a nice twist for the sport film genre, focusing on the work put off the field rather than the games themselves. All of the characters have much more depth in them than in the standard sport film as well, pulling you in much more for the final game we witness.

My only problem? The fact that I saw a skit on SNL before I saw the film. Renée Zellweger was hosting, and parodied a scene with Dorothy and her son. In the skit, the son was played by Chris Farley, wearing extremely large glasses and holding a gargantuan juice box. Sitting on Zellweger's lap. I just couldn't watch scenes with Dorothy and her son the way I was intended to. I wish I could find the video on YouTube, but I can't.

Great film. Don't pass up on it because a crazy man has the title role.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• Cameron Crowe has stated that Jerry's memo/mission statement was directly influenced by Jeffrey Katzenberg's tirade after leaving Disney.
• Tom Cruise did not remember that Bonnie Hunt was in Rain Man (1988). At first he thought she was joking when she said they had worked together before.
• Renée Zellweger admitted that the day she was cast in this film, it had been so long since she had worked that when she went to an ATM, she did not have enough of a balance to make a withdrawal.

#433: Good Will Hunting (1997)

Director: Gus Van Sant

Cast: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Minnie Driver, Ben Affleck & Stellan Skarsgård

At MIT, a professor posts an equation on a blackboard in the hallway which took years for the professor to solve. He assures the class that anyone who can solve it by the year's end is a genius. Somebody does in fact solve the equation, and only days after it is posted: Will Hunting, a custodian in the building who is under parole. The professor makes a deal with the court to have them release Will, under two conditions: he studies mathematics personally with the professor, and he undergoes therapy to reason out his previous criminal record.

Good Will Hunting is best known for putting Matt Damon and Ben Affleck into the spotlight. True, they had appeared in several films prior to this film (both in Chasing Amy, and Damon had the lead role in The Rainmaker), but this film confirmed their viability as greats in the film industry. This is one of two scripts the two had co-written, the second being Gerry, which was released to mixed reviews.

I don't think I'm alone in stating that Matt Damon is much more talented than Affleck, who paradoxically seems to have taken Hollywood to his head. Damon was able to demonstrate a great array of emotions in this film, which I consider to be one of his two best roles to date (the other being the title role in The Talented Mr. Ripley). Affleck, on the other hand, merely shows his ability to put on a Boston accent in this film.

This is the first role I've ever seen for Minnie Driver in which I was genuinely impressed. True, my knowledge of her roles are extremely limited (Grosse Pointe Blank, The Phantom of the Opera and... ahem... Ella Enchanted). This film makes me want to see more of what she's got to offer. One of the scenes between her and Damon was the most dramatic in the film, as far as I'm concerned, and she pulled it off flawlessly.

Of course, Robin Williams is as great as ever. Though since 1996, I just can't see him in any film without imagining him as Mrs. Doubtfire. Kinda spoils the effect.

But really, what makes this film so great is the writing, especially coming from two writers who we never knew could write before. The script is not only quite genuine, representing Cambridge, Massachusetts accurately, but it's also extremely smart (in both the mathematics talk - which, however, could be all b.s. as far as I know - and psychologically). Kudos to Damon and Affleck.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• Director Gus Van Sant at one point asked Matt Damon and Ben Affleck to rewrite the script so that Chuckie is killed in a construction accident. Damon and Affleck protested, but reluctantly wrote the scene in. After Van Sant read it, he agreed that it was a terrible idea.
• The scene where Sean and Will are in his office, and Sean starts talking about his dead wife and her farting antics. These lines were ad-libbed by Robin Williams, which is probably why Matt Damon is laughing so hard. If you watch the scene carefully you can notice the camera shaking, probably due to the cameraman laughing as well.

#436: Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Directors: Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise

Cast: Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson & Richard White

Based on the French fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast tells the story of Belle, a girl from a small provincial village, who comes across an enchanted castle. Under a spell, the castle's inhabitants have all been transformed into common household furniture and appliances, except for the Prince, who has become a terrifying beast. The only way to break the spell is for the Beast to fall in love, and to be loved in return. However, the Beast doesn't know how to control himself in front of Belle, who is terrified of him.

The fairy tale La Belle et La Bête was first published in 1740. In this original version, the character of Gaston does not exist. Belle is the youngest of three daughters, whose father, a merchant, goes on a mission to a far away land to discover if there are riches to be found. He asks his daughters if they would like a gift on his return; the older two request jewels, while Belle asks only for a rose, as no grow in their homeland.

On his journey, the father encounters the Beast's castle, though there at first appear to be no inhabitants. He takes food from the already-set table, as well as jewels for his two daughters. Outside, he finds a rose garden. When he plucks the most beautiful rose, the Beast appears and holds him prisoner for taking the most prized possession of the house. As the father tells the Beast of his daughters, the Beast tells him he will be freed as long as Belle comes to live with him.

When Belle arrives at the castle, she is treated royally. Every night, the Beast asks for her hand in marriage, and every night, she refuses. However, in her dreams she encounters a Prince asking her why she will not marry the Beast. She responds that she loves him only as a friend. In the morning, she assumes the Prince is a prisoner in the castle, but never finds him.

Soon, Belle becomes homesick and begs the Beast to return home temporarily. He permits her to leave, on the condition that she returns in one week. She is given a mirror that shows the Beast's location, as well as a ring that brings her back to the castle if it is spun around her finger three times. While home, the sisters grow jealous of Belle's luxurious lifestyle. After hearing of her deadline to return, they decide to persuade Belle to stay just a day longer, hoping the Beast will kill her. Belle agrees, believing the sisters truly wish her to stay. However, the following day, she looks in the mirror to find the Beast lying motionless in the rose garden.

Belle immediately returns to find the Beast is dead. She tells him she loves him, and begins to cry. When her tears hit the Beast's body, he revives and is transformed into the Prince.

Although the Disney film keeps a good deal of the original tale in tact - and in fact enhancing it with a backstory - the French are not too keen on the animated version. The story was famous from the beginning, becoming an opera in 1771. In 1946, Jean Cocteau directed the renowned film version of the story, La Belle et La Bête. This film (which is in fact in the 500 list) is considered a classic of French film, though Disney has stolen its thunder. Today, many French people are concerned that though the cartoon is charming, it is Americanizing French youth.

Aside from the controversy in France, this film is a Disney classic, and for good reason. The music is sensational, winning Oscars for both Best Score and Best Song. The voice acting is excellent on all parts, and the animation... well, the animation.

This film is not only another great Disney film, but it is also in fact a landmark in the history of animation. It is the first animated film to use computer imaging to enhance the visuals. This is predominantly used in the ballroom scene, as well as for the chandelier in "Be Our Guest". The style was an immediate success, though it has led to the downfall of hand-drawn cartoons.

Oh, and just so you know, there was an extra song cut in the original, but added to the 2002 DVD release, titled "Human Again". It completely baffled me watching this on SurftheChannel and not recognizing a scene after seeing it so many times. It's actually quite a good song, with most of it being sung by the wardrobe (wow, that sounds awkward).

I doubt anyone's out there who hasn't seen this already. If there is, you're crazy.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• "Be Our Guest" was originally animated with Maurice (not Belle) as the guest, but they decided not to waste such a wonderful song on a secondary character.
• Nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, losing to The Silence of the Lambs (1991). It was, however, the first full length animated feature to win the Golden Globe for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy).
• In the 1930s and again in the 1950s, Walt Disney attempted to adapt Beauty and the Beast (1991) into a feature but could not come up with a suitable treatment, so the project was shelved. It wasn't until The Little Mermaid (1989) became hugely successful that they decided to try it a third time.
• Robby Benson's voice was altered by the growls of real panthers and lions so that it is virtually unrecognizable. This is why near the end when the Beast transforms into the prince his voice changes. His voice is also not changed on the original motion picture soundtrack.
• Rupert Everett auditioned for the role of Gaston, but was told by the directors he didn't sound arrogant enough. He remembered this when he voiced Prince Charming in Shrek 2 (2004).

#439: Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

Director: George Armitage
Cast: John Cusack, Minnie Driver & Dan Aykroyd

Martin Blank is a professional assassin whose latest assignment is in his hometown. The twist? It’s the same weekend as his 10^th high school reunion. Nobody in his hometown has known where he’s been since he vanished on the night of the prom, and nobody has wondered where he is more than his high school sweetheart, Debi. When they meet up again, Blank attempts to explain, but he’s really a much better conversationalist when it comes to assassinations. Meanwhile, another assassin has apparently been assigned the same target as Blank, and he’s also trying to coerce Blank into joining his new union for professional hit men.

The only thing that makes this film stand out from others is its script. It’s really two basic films combined (and combined well) with a quirky script tying it all together. Each character delivers great lines. Here are a few to give you an idea:

Marcella: You know, when you started getting invited to your ten year high school reunion, time is catching up.
Martin Q. Blank: Are you talking about a sense of my own mortality or a fear of death?
Marcella: Well, I never really thought about it quite like that.
Martin Q. Blank: Did you go to yours?
Marcella: Yes, I did. It was just as if everyone had swelled.

Marty: I'm a professional killer.

Paul: Do you have to do postgraduate work for that?

Debi: Everybody's coming back to take stock of their lives. You know what I say? Leave your livestock alone.

All in all, it’s a fun movie. Not much to it, though. I put it in the same category as Mickey Blue Eyes, but better. One thumb up.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• Four of the Cusack siblings are in this movie. John, Joan, Ann and Bill
• Just after Martin has put on his neck tie to go to the reunion there is a poster on the wall for The Clash's "Out Of Control" tour. The score is credited to Joe Strummer of The Clash. Also, as Martin rounds the bend while headed to his locker, there is a banner on the wall "The Future is Unwritten", a Bio-Documentary about Joe Strummer's life released in 2007.
• When Marcella tells Martin about the offer in French about taking out a Greenpeace boat, it's a reference to the 1985 sabotage of the Greenpeace yacht 'Rainbow Warrior' in New Zealand by two French Secret Service agents. The yacht was to lead a fleet to protest French nuclear tests in the Pacific before it was destroyed by the French agents. One Greenpeace photographer died aboard the ship during the sabotage mission.

#445: Dumb and Dumber (1994)

Director: Peter Farrelly

Cast: Jim Carrey & Jeff Daniels

Harry and Lloyd are two examples of people of the utmost stupidity. Lloyd is working as a taxi driver, and Harry as a dog groomer, and their ultimate goal is to start a pet shop to sell worms. When Lloyd falls in love with a girl in his car who is heading to the airport, he amorously watches after her at the airport, where she lets go of her suitcase and walks off without it. What he doesn't know is that this was a drop-off of a large sum of money, which Lloyd successfully ruins. He and Harry make a cross-country trip to Aspen to return the bag, creating mayhem at every turn.

You guys may lose some respect for me for this, but I can't give this a bad review. And I'll tell you why.

No, I wasn't the greatest fan of this film. But! This is not because of the film itself. It's because of its genre. And I just feel wrong for giving a bad review for a genre. As far as the film goes, it is a classic among its fart-happy descendants. No matter how irritating Jim Carrey can be, he's selling his role with perfection. I have nothing at all against his performance, even though I didn't really enjoy it all too much.

But even with my general dislike for this type of film, it did actually get me chuckling more than once. I can't stress enough how much of an accomplishment that is, considering I went into the film disliking it before it even started. So, congratulations 11-year-old audience, you won me over... at little.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• Jim Carrey chipped his tooth years earlier, but had the cap removed for the film to make his character look more deranged.
• After the guys pull the bill-paying stunt on Sea Bass, Harry asks Lloyd where he got that idea. Lloyd tells him that he saw it in a movie. This is a reference to the movie Something Wild (1986) in which Jeff Daniels does the same thing to Ray Liotta.
• Nicolas Cage and Gary Oldman were the original choices to play Harold and Lloyd.
• Jim Carrey was initially offered $700,000 to appear in the film. However, the offer went in the same week that "Ace Ventura Pet Detective" opened at number 1 at the US box office, so by the time Carrey's agents had renegotiated with the film's producers, his salary had upped itself to $7 million, almost half the film's budget.

#449: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Director: George Lucas

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman & Jake Lloyd

In the midst of a trade war, Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi are stranded on the desert planet Tatooine, alongside Queen Amidala. They enter a store seeking replacement parts for their ship, where they meet Anakin Skywalker. Immediately, Qui-Gon Jinn recognizes the child's potential. Qui-Gon Jinn uses Anakin's help to get his ship back in the sky by means of a racing bet, and finally begins Anakin's adventures that we know will soon transform him into Darth Vader.

As the first of the prequels, I hoped for something a little simpler. Rather than introducing countless new droids and species, why not elaborate on the origins of those that we're familiar with from the originals? I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that most of this film was made simply to use special effects. Even with so much emphasis on visuals, we're left with what looks like a huge video game.

I'll be blunt: the script is awful. I don't know who thinks it's still a good idea to use words like "Yippee!" and "Ouch!" in a more serious script, but whoever they are, they need to get their heads out of the 1950's sitcom.

The characters aren't relatable. Not-a-one of them. If I had to describe these characters in one word, this is how it would go:

Anakin - Young

Qui-Gon Jinn - Wise

Obi-wan Kenobi - Training

Queen Amidala - Decorative

Darth Maul - Gingivitis

One of the highlights of the film is Anakin's pod-race. While watching it, I couldn't help but think back to the Ben-Hur chariot race. It's a bit pitiful when there's more suspense in an action sequence from a film nearly half a century prior to this one. Even with all they're special effects, even that scene didn't seem all that exciting.

Probably the only good thing to come out of this film is Duel of the Fates. You can always count on John Williams to put a little good in a film.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• George Lucas made a similar deal as he did in the original Star Wars (1977). Both Lucas and Fox Studios agreed that he would forego his salary as a director provided he owns the entire negative of the final cut of the film as well as ancillary rights of all toys and commercial tie-ins.
• There is only one shot in the film to which no visual effects were added at all: the shot of the dioxis gas pouring out of the vent in the meeting room.
• During filming Ewan McGregor made lightsaber noises as he dueled. It was noted and corrected during post production.
• The name used by the Queen while in disguise (and, later, after her term as Queen ends), "Padme", is the Sanskrit word for "lotus". "Yoda" is also derived from the Sanskrit word for "warrior".
• In the German language version of the film, the collaborating Trade Federation leaders have a French accent, while in the Italian language version they have heavy Russian accents. They also have Russian accents in the Czech version, except for the Viceroy, who speaks fluent Czech for reasons unknown.

#451: Speed (1994)

Director: Jan de Pont

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock & Dennis Hopper

A psychopath ex-cop goes bomb-happy, placing a bomb on a bus in Los Angeles that is set when the bus hits 50mph, and goes off when the bus decelerates to below 50mph. An officer gets himself onto the bus to try to defuse the bomb, and stuff goes nuts.

Despite its incomprehensible 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this movie is one of the worst choices for the list. I'm not even going to deny it - I'm not ashamed - I organized my DVDs while watching this film. The acting is awful (except for Sandra Bullock, who is doing her usual, Sandra Bullock-esque thing), the music is lowest of the low in the early-to-mid-90's genre, and the plot is laughable. There are so many plot holes, that the film in fact becomes one big hole.

It did actually win two Oscars, for Best Effects (Sound Effects Editing) and Best Sound, with another nomination for Film Editing. So basically, the explosions and stuff sound pretty neat.

If you somehow got through the 90's without seeing this film, congratulations.. you're one of the lucky few.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• The film was originally written with the intention that Jeff Bridges would play Jack and Ellen DeGeneres would play Annie. DeGeneres was initially chosen because the role of Annie was going to be a comedic role opposite the serious role of Jack.
• Halle Berry turned down the role of Annie.
• The bus jump scene was done twice, as the bus landed too smoothly the first time. The bridge was actually there, but erased digitally.
• One of the buses used in the filming of Speed has appeared in more than 60 films and commercials, as well as the music video for theTracy Chapman song "Telling Stories".
• Quentin Tarantino was originally offered the chance to direct, but turned it down.

#465: 12 Monkeys (1995)

Director: Terry Gilliam
Cast: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe & Brad Pitt

Time travel movies always provide a good time, and Twelve Monkeys is no exception. Psychologists in 1990 aren’t sure what to make of the case of James Cole. He seems to be suffering from severe mental illness, claiming that he is from the future, and that five-billion people will die from a disease in 1997. But that’s not where the curiosity lies. James Cole vanished from his locked cell while strapped into his bed.

The storytelling in this film is wonderful. The nonlinearity isn’t a hindrance at all to the film. Despite jumping through time, it’s an easy plotline to trace. Unfortunately, 14 years after the making of this film, I feel like I’ve seen every twist a time travel film can provide, so it’s also pretty easy to see where the story is taking you. Thankfully, there’s one big twist at the end that I doubt anyone could have seen coming.

In my opinion, it’s not some amazing film that you can watch over and over again and catch something new every time. But, it’s a whole lot of fun, so I’ll give it a thumb and a half.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• Terry Gilliam gave Bruce Willis a list of "Willis acting clichés" not to be used during the film, including the "steely blue eyes look".
• Terry Gilliam was afraid that Brad Pitt wouldn't be able to pull off the nervous, rapid speech. He sent him to a speech coach but in the end he just took away Pitt's cigarettes, and Pitt played the part exactly as Gilliam wanted.
• In the 24 hour Hitchcock Theater, Katheryn (Stowe) and James (Willis) are watching Vertigo (1958), then she transforms herself with a blonde wig and James saw her emerge within a red light. The scene perfectly match the scene where Kim Novak transforms herself as a blond and Scottie (Jimmy Stewart) saw her emerge within a green light. It can hear the same score written by Bernard Herrmann. Also Katherine wears the same coat as 'Kim Novak' wearing in the first part of Vertigo.

#468: The Crow (1994)

Director: Alex Proyas
Cast: Brandon Lee, Rochelle Davis & Ernie Hudson

On the night before Halloween, Eric Draven (…get it?) and his fiancée Shelly are attacked by gangsters. After throwing Eric out the window to his death, the gangsters rape and kill Shelly. But, as everyone who has seen Casper knows, anyone with unfinished business can come back from the dead to wrap things up.

I was originally going to give this a pretty scathing review. And it’s still not going to be a good one, but my reading up on the film pushed me to be a bit kinder.

A bit of trivia that most people know by now is that Brandon Lee (Bruce Lee’s son) was killed on set when one of the prop guns was mistakenly loaded with a real bullet. When I first finished the film, I was prepared to write that this fact has brought the film a bit more credit than it’s due. And I still do think that it did certainly help give it a boost. But there’s more to it than that.

The reason I was so critical was because this film is severely dated. The theme is not at all a new one any more. The style is similar to loads of other films based on comic books/graphic novels. The soundtrack is also a tad dated (Ebert wrote that it’s entirely ‘hard rock’… which I guess must have softened over time).

But here’s the thing. It really was extremely innovated at the time of its creation. I had three films come to mind while watching this film: The Dark Knight, Kill Bill, and Casper. Aside from the Casper thing, those films are GREAT films to be compared to considering it was made 10 years before the release of Kill Bill, and 15 years before The Dark Knight (and for anyone keeping count, one year before Casper).

So, Mr. Proyas, I apologize for my rush to criticize your film. I have two different “thumb” scores to give it. As a viewer who is trying to imagine seeing the film in 1994: two big thumbs up. As a viewer today: one thumb down.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• Cameron Diaz was offered the role of Shelly, but turned it down because she didn't like the script.
• According to the biography of Bruce Lee, Brandon Lee's death was predicted by his father Bruce Lee after awaking from his coma. His death was foreseen before Brandon even considered taking up acting as a career.
• One of the crows used in this film, Magic, was used in all of the following movies.
• During the boardroom shootout, Draven rolls onto his back to kick a shooter through a window, then nips back up to his feet in one movement: a similar move to one performed in Enter the Dragon (1973) - which, coincidentally, was his father Bruce Lee's last film before an untimely death.

#469: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

Director: Terry Gilliam
Cast: Johnny Depp & Benecio Del Toro

Sports journalist Raoul Duke and his lawyer Dr. Gonzo are on a trip. Pun intended. They’re on a business trip, heading to Las Vegas for the Mint 400, while they are completely wasted on hallucinogens. That’s really all you need to know about this film’s plot.

Johnny Depp’s performance as Duke is remarkably similar to his performance as Captain Jack Sparrow, sans dreads and a boat. Comparing the two, I prefer this much more. His movements are nearly identical in many scenes, which I think supports my views of him. He peaked in his performances just as he became a superstar, and since then has gone downhill, reusing earlier lesser-known works to keep himself a float. I am honestly interested in hearing other opinions on this. Also, I’m so sick of him pretending to be British. He’s a good actor as an American, too…

Many of the reviews I’ve read on the film mention how the film captures the essence of the drug-inducing society of the 1970’s, and how they came to be. Starting with a sequence of footage from Vietnam and protestors against Nixon’s warmongering, as well as a sequence from the 60’s, it shows that the hopeful youth of the previous decade has disappeared. Once the mid-70s hit, it was all about escapism.

I’m not so sure that the film hit home on this front. I think that the film did a great job of visualizing the highs and lows of a crazy drug trip in Vegas, but that’s just about it. The film doesn’t have any structure, and understandably so; how could it have structure when filmed as if the audience is partaking in the drugs? The attempt made to reason out the drug craze of the 70’s was lost on me.

I’m hesitant to give this film thumbs at all. I’m pretty much in agreement with Rotten Tomatoes on this one: 48%.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• Hunter S. Thompson himself shaved Johnny Depp's head. They were in Thompson's kitchen, Depp refused to look in a mirror, and Thompson wore a miner's hard hat.
• During the early stages during the initial development hell to get the film made, Jack Nicholson and Marlon Brando were originally considered for the roles of Duke and Gonzo, and Nicholson was attached, but he, and Brando, both grew too old. Afterward, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi were considered for the duo, but that fell apart when Belushi died. John Malkovich was later considered for the role of Duke, but he too grew too old. At one point John Cusack was almost cast, but then Hunter S. Thompson met Johnny Depp, and was convinced no one else could play him. Cusack had previously directed the play version of "Fear and Loathing", with his brother playing Duke.
• According to Johnny Depp, the gorilla statue outside the Bazooko Circus, now "lives" in his front yard.
• According to Terry Gilliam's commentary on the Criterion DVD, in the scene where Raoul and Gonzo raise havoc at the Debbie Reynolds concert, the voice heard in that scene that is supposed to be Reynolds singing actually IS Reynolds. Gilliam is friends with Carrie Fisher, Reynolds' daughter, who spoke to her mother about recording a couple lines for the movie, and Reynolds agreed.

Lastly - Happy 1 Month Anniversary, Blogger!