 Those who know me well know that this is definitely one of my all-time favourite movies. I haven't actually watched it in a couple of years though, so when I set it up for this time around, I wondered if it would hold up for me. Thankfully, for yours truly, the answer is an enthusiastic "yes". But I will suggest that while I can highly recommend this one to the right people, it will not be for everyone.
For those who are unfamiliar, Scott (Michael Cera) is a young man living in Toronto, Canada, with his cool, gay roommate, Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin). Scott dates a 17-year-old named Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), and plays in a band called Sex Bob-Omb with friends Steven Stills (Mark Webber), Young Neil (Johnny Simmons) and Kim Pine (Alison Pill). Scott dates Knives largely for the simplicity of it all, but his friends and sister, Stacey (Anna Kendrick) can see that he's clearly stringing her along for his own convenience. One day, however, Scott meets the literal girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), which complicates things. Not only does he need to break it off with Knives in order to pursue something more real, but all of Scott's woman issues interfere with his band's success. But of course, that's not even the worst of it. In order for Scott to date Ramona, he must fight and defeat Ramona's seven "evil exes"; mystical hipster, Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha), movie star Lucas Lee (Chris Evans), successful band member, Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh), experimental-phase partner, Roxy Richter (Mae Whitman), the incredible Katayanagi Twins (Keita Saitou and Shôta Saitô) and club owner, and Scott's biggest threat, Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman). His journey is generally about needing to be better than everyone before him in order to win Ramona's heart. However, things are also personal, as a lot of it is about Scott overcoming his own insecurities as well. The story here is simple enough, but there is a lot about the way it's done that may be confusing to some. For example, Ramona talking about the subspace highway that runs through Scott's head... I mean, are you lost yet? But the key thing to note about this movie is its overall style. This (as well as the graphic novels it's based on) is stylized as though someone took comic book superheroes, 80s video games and anime, and threw it all into a blender. And the style of this movie is one of the biggest selling points in my opinion. This is something that has been referred to as one of the best video game movies of all time, but it's not based on a video game at all (although, there is a great 'Double Dragon'-style beat 'em up game out there). But the film is loaded with all sorts of old school video game sound effects one may recognize (especially in my age range), has a lot of comic-like aspects to it, like text that runs across the screen, and a lot of the fight scenes are quite anime-like. It goes to unrealistic extremes on purpose, and things get super fun. On top of everything, at this point I see this one as a bit of a time capsule. Released in 2010, I was 27, going on 28, so felt like I was still somewhat in the appropriate age group (everyone in the movie is in their 20s, except Knives) for its target audience. I also live very close to Toronto, so there's a certain sense of Canadian pride I have about that part. Wright pulled no punches, either - the whole thing is filmed in town, AND includes landmarks that are in the comics. I will admit that I wonder how well this will hold up for other fans who haven't seen it in quite some time. It was awesome for the time, but sadly outdone that weekend by 'Eat, Pray, Love', and 'The Expendables', which both cover a lot of ground for their respective target audiences. However, being a fan of the graphic novels (recommended to me by an estranged friend who I will nevertheless thank here), I saw it three times in theaters, and still consider it one of the best done adaptations of anything out there. People are bound to disagree, but this is one I hold close to my heart, and highly recommend to anyone with an open mind.
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 This is one of those movies that has a personal history with yours truly. Some time in my grade 8 year, I was home with a flu that gave me a temperature of 102 (that's about 39 for those who use celsius), and a whole week off school. My Mom rented this movie for me, and I watched it so many times through that week that I consider it to count towards the collection of movies that made me appreciate fantasy altogether. I loved this movie when I was 13, but once that flu was done, I never really came back to it until now.
The story goes that on Omri's (Hal Scardino) ninth birthday, his older brother gives him an antique cupboard, which he takes a real liking to. You come to like Omri pretty quickly with how polite and kind he is, but I always kind of thought it was odd that a 9-year-old boy was so into something you might find at Pier 1 Imports He also gets a Native American figure from his best friend, the somewhat less likeable Patrick (Rishi Bhat). He's not what you'd call a bad kid, but he is honestly a bit of a brat through a lot of the film. Going back to Omri, one should probably know that he does have one extreme moment where you kind of want to reach through the screen and smack him, involving a rat in a ball. So he's not perfect either, but in reality, no rat was harmed in the making of this. Anyway, getting on with it, Omri's Mom gives him a key from her key collection that just so happens to work with the small cupboard. He puts the "Indian" inside, and locks it in for the night - really just to put something in the cupboard and test it out. He soon comes to realize that whatever plastic thing he puts in there turns real, when he opens the cupboard back up to reveal an Iroquois Native by the name of Little Bear (Litefoot). It turns out the figurine has his own personal history as well, which really adds something interesting to the whole story. The figure doesn't come to life just confused, it seems that the figure develops a sort of spirit that comes from some specific place and time. In this case, Little Bear was in the midst of the French and Indian War in the 1700s. So it's kind of neat that each toy/figure has its own backstory. Omri befriends Little Bear, and decides to keep him alive in his room as a secret, all the while learning of Little Bear's culture. Omri finds himself helping out quite a bit, giving him things like tools and weapons along with materials to build a longhouse that he miraculously hides behind his toy chest. He soon realizes, however, that bringing these characters to life isn't just playtime fun. First, he brings some other characters to life like Robocop and Darth Vader, only to scare himself with how dangerous these characters are. But soon enough, things get a bit deeper, and it's more than just his collection of action figures he has to consider. Through Little Bear, Omri actually (presumably) learns about things like death, and I'd even go so far as to say that by the end, the "playing God" lesson is taught in a way kids can really relate to it. Part of the "Playing God" lesson comes from Patrick, wanting to bring a cowboy named Boone (David Keith) to life. He succeeds, and Boone adds a bit of humor to the whole thing (humor mainly aimed at kids while using curse words). The main reason for Boone's existence is to have another small character for Little Bear to play off of, but they do a good job of keeping him somewhat interesting. Without spoiling anything, let's just say that with Boone's character, there's eventually a message of peace and understanding to be taken away from the film as well. A lot of the film's general appeal happens to be that it teaches kids quite a bit in such a small span of time, but while remaining interesting. At no time does it ever feel like a lecture, it just sort of flows from one thing to another. Director Frank Oz did a great job with things here. I tend to think that this still holds up pretty well, especially for the younger crowd. Considering the film's title (based on the book of the same name by Lynne Reid Banks), I worried this might get into that uncomfortable territory, like 'Peter Pan' did. But honestly, even this time around, it's pretty cool in teaching kids a thing or two about Native American culture - especially when you consider this particular Iroquois is played by a guy named Litefoot. This was 1995, and the filmmakers were good enough to find Litefoot for this particular role - his first role, I might add. Sadly, he'd be Nightwolf a bit later in 'Mortal Kombat: Annihilation', but it's cool that he got his foot in the door with a pretty respectable role to his own background. On this watch-through, certain things did stick out as not so great, but there was still a special something about it. I made the connection to when I was sick, and watching this through, and the answer is simple, but perhaps a bit odd. The film is, in a word, "comfortable". It generally takes place in Omri's room, and a lot of it is just Omri's interactions with Little Bear, getting to know him. I suppose, in a way, it's a good way to transport yourself back to those times you just played with your action figures and/or dolls, and were perfectly happy doing so. I would have even felt that back when I was 13, so in a way, even at the time there was something nostalgic about it. I'd consider it very much a "comfort food" movie, if only because watching it reminds me of laying on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket, and consuming some hot, chicken noodle soup.  Sometimes when I do these Screening Suggestions, the review will be on a movie I haven't seen yet, but has been highly recommended to me. In these cases, my readers can take the "suggestion" to come from my peers rather than me, but I won't post unless it's something I'm fairly certain I'll agree about. The point of Screening Suggestions is to suggest titles one might enjoy, while at the same time being sure it's something I'd recommend based on my own tastes.
In the case of '9', it seems people understand what it is I look for in movies. I went into it fairly blind, but all in all really liked it by the end. This one is fueled by the wondrous imagination of director Shane Acker, whose short film of the same name was nominated for an Oscar in 2005. This is essentially the "full version" of what he was going for, assisted by screenwriter Pamela Pettler, best known for movies like 'The Corpse Bride', 'Monster House' and the more recent animated 'Addams Family'. Together, they make a pretty good team. Even though this was pretty well met in the middle, as far as critics were concerned, it's just otherworldly and interesting enough of an idea that it didn't take much to rope me in. We start things off with a brief monologue about how "life must go on", and are soon introduced to 9 (Elijah Wood); a sort of mechanical sack doll, brought to life through a scientist (Alan Oppenheimer). It turns out the scientist has made 8 others as well, making up a pretty star-studded cast; the frail but friendly 2 (Martin Landau); the cycloptic engineer, 5 (John C. Reilly); the mentally unstable oracle, 6 (Crispin Glover); the stubborn leader, 1 (Christopher Plummer); two scholarly but silent twins, 3 and 4; and the somewhat mysterious and rebellious female, 7 (Jennifer Connelly). To make a long story short, the general plot has to do with their survival against machines that have wiped out mankind. While most wish to hide, 9's idea is to go on the offensive. There's a pretty deep setup to the film that is revealed more than half-way through, giving an explanation as to these sac people's existence. Things end up being a bit of a stretch, considering it's an alternative version of the 1930s and could just be "near future" for its general purposes. In the end, the message is essentially the idea that in the wrong hands, technology can be disastrous to mankind. In many ways, it's reminiscent of 'WALL-E', but this time around there's use of alchemy and magic, and it takes place in a war-torn past rather than the distant future. It's an interesting fantasy, and a sort of "what if" story, but you certainly need a fair share of imagination to get yourself through it. One thing I really liked about this one was just in how dark things tended to get. They've got such concepts in here as soul-sucking, death, what might lie beyond death, and I have to admit that it really earns its PG-13 rating. It's a decent title for anyone looking for a fun, animated adventure that has a sense of edginess and even a certain darkness to it. It's not at all long, so it's a very easy watch, and its atmosphere really brings you into its post-apocalyptic world - you're very much on this adventure with these sac people (or "Stitchpunks" as they have become otherwise known), and it does tug on every little emotion, even if only for a second. While the film isn't entirely what I'd call a masterpiece, it's very well done for what it is, gets its message across quite plainly, and even if you don't like this, there's always the Oscar-nominated short. Speaking for myself, the main draws lie in the all-star cast, the atmosphere and the overall adventure. Although It's perhaps something darker and edgier, complete with a scary scene or two, it's still something the whole family can watch and enjoy. Opinions will vary, but I for one loved it, and I can see it as something I may keep coming back to in the near future if I really need an escape. If you want to be transported to another world, it's a good place to look.  This month I decided to go full Halloween, and conjure up a few suggestions from my past. We stat with 'The Craft'; a somewhat modern take on witches. This movie was so powerful for its time that when the mid to late 90s brought the Goth trend around, this film was one of the primary fuel sources (along with many other things). We also get a great take on strong female characters, each having to overcome their own obstacles in their complex teenage lives.
When a troubled teenage girl named Sarah Bailey (Robin Tunney) moves to a new town in LA, three girls who practice witchcraft quickly pick up on the fact that she can pull off some real magic. Seemingly headed by Nancy Downs (Fairuza Balk), the rest of the crew consists of Rochelle Zimmerman (Rachel True) and Bonnie Harper (Neve Campbell), who is the one who discovers Sarah as she twists a pencil into the surface of her desk using only her mind... how no one else sees it is beyond me, but it's the moment that gets things going. The three girls approach Sarah to be their fourth so that they can really start to pull off some real magic, and the desire to do so is fueled individually. Nancy lives with an abusive stepfather in a trailer, Rochelle has to deal with a nasty, racist blonde cheerleader type named Laura (Christine Taylor), and Bonnie has horrible burn scars all over her back. Meanwhile, Sarah's trouble is mostly from herself, and the trauma of attempted suicide haunts her. While the four form a bond, and start to get their witchcraft on track, what begins as simple curses turn into real threats when some of their powers are abused. This mostly comes from Nancy who will stop at nothing to feel bigger than she is, even if it means invoking a wiccan spirit known as Manon - essentially a wiccan version of The Force. The way it's described in the film is, to paraphrase, "the stadium in which God and Satan would play football" - a pretty cool idea. One can look at this film in several different ways, but I tend to see it as a mixture between a story about teenage angst, and a cautionary tale about abuse of power. A lot of the angst comes from the girls being the outcasts of the school, the desire to use their magic to get rid of their problems. Let's face it, as teenagers, we all wanted a little bit of magic on our side to deal with whatever problems we were facing. The rest, about abuse of power, is fairly self-explanatory. The final takeaway from yours truly is "be careful what you wish for", as well as there being a karmic factor to one's actions. If I were to make a Top 10 list of "most influential high school films", in general, this would probably make the list. Much like 'Dazed & Confused', it was almost a high school staple. Things took off with this so much, in fact, that because of it, some of the people I went to school with actually got heavily into the wiccan culture, and taking it about as seriously as Ned Flanders takes Christianity. It was sort of mind-blowing, and the whole witch thing would become super popular. I don't know if this is true or not, but I also wonder if the whole trend helped guide younger minds towards 'Harry Potter', whose first book was published just one year after this. There really was something about magic back then. Anyway, with a new one on the horizon for this Halloween (which I intend on reviewing as well), the timing here couldn't be much more perfect. It had been a while since I've actually sat down and watched this, so I wondered how dated it would be. However, I personally thought it held up pretty well. It may look like something very 90s on the surface, but there is something timeless about the story being told, teaching us to curb our power (if we have it) as well as love ourselves enough to face the darkness head on (a little more towards the climax). If nothing else, it's a fun flick for the season, complete with a great, dark soundtrack that will put you in the mood for Halloween. Christine Taylor  Imagine a time when movie magic didn't consist of crazy CG special effects, amazing camera work or uncanny makeup, but existed in a sort of reality where budget barely entered into it quite as much as a great story, lovable characters, and the concept of something like Heaven without being preachy about it whatsoever. 1989's 'Field of Dreams' fits the bill perfectly, and it's easily one of the greatest feel-good films ever made.
A corn farmer from Iowa named Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) lives a happy, down to earth life with his wife, Annie (Amy Madigan) and daughter, Karen (Gaby Hoffmann). One day, while working in the field, he hears the famous words "if you build it, he will come". He takes it as a sign to build a baseball field, in the hopes that the late great "Shoeless" Joe Jackson will come back to play. The whole thing is fulfilled within the first half hour or so of the film, and like something from a dream, Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) and seven more of the 1919 White Sox come to play, but they lack a ninth player to complete their team. Soon, the voices continue, and Ray is lead to reclusive author Terence Mann (James Earl Jones), who he hopes will help him understand the meaning of the voices that he similarly hears. For the record, I'm not the biggest sports fan in the world and know very little about whatever historical inaccuracies there are in the film. That goes double for certain characters here based on real people. But this is one of those films where inaccuracies hardly matter, because the real meaning behind the film is much deeper, and to overanalyze the facts means missing the point. But to dictate the point also means to spoil the end of the movie, so I'll just ease back, even though it's one of those spoilers that's barely a spoiler anymore. What the film does better than anything is provide its viewers with a crazy amount of magic. but does so without it being corny. It's the kind of magic you feel when you meet your favorite celebrity for the first time, or get exactly what you want and then some from a movie you were looking forward to all year, but then it blends that with pure nostalgia. I dare even say that when it comes to baseball memories, in this point in time where sports have all but disappeared, it will tug at your heartstrings even harder than it did before (if you've seen it - if not, I recommend getting on it). This movie is good enough to get three Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and its memorably dream-like score from James Horner. On top of all that, it was actually selected in 2017 to be preserved in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". I dunno what else has made that list, particularly, but that does go to show how strong and timeless this story is, with an ending that is bound to bring on some waterworks.  I thought I'd wrap up the month of February's Screening Suggestions somewhat appropriately, covering a film that takes place at the beginning of February, directed by the great Harold Ramis, who sadly passed six years ago, just yesterday. This is a title that hardly needs an introduction, and ends up on a lot of favourite lists. I once considered this one to be good, but slightly overrated, and didn't quite get what made it so special. Nowadays, however, it's easier to shed a positive light on it when the core themes really start to click with my adult mind.
We meet Phil Conners (Bill Murray) who works as a weatherman for the Pittsburgh station, WPBH-TV. Generally seen as cynical and egotistical, he reluctantly works a job in the small, real-life town of Punxutawney, Pennsylvania. Here, with his crew consisting of the station's new producer, the beautiful Rita (Andie MacDowell) and cameraman, Larry (Chris Elliot), they cover the February 2nd Groundhog Day Festival. Being that this is his fourth time covering the same fluff story, Phil wants to be in and out of the town quickly. But the weather has different plans, and a blizzard snows them in town for the night. Upon waking up at his bed and breakfast on what he believes to be the next day, Phil soon realizes that he's reliving the same day. Passing it off as a bad case of déjà vu at first, he wakes up on the same day again, and again. Realizing this, he first sees it as a gift where he can get away with anything without having to suffer any consequences, but soon finds his lows when he sees the day inescapable and hopeless. Soon enough, he falls for Rita, and uses his constant time loop to do anything in his power to impress her and win her over. With this, he often learns the hard way that actions have consequences. Each day, he goes about things in different ways, learning what works and what doesn't. This curse to repeat the same day, multiple times with multiple outcomes, also ends up being a gift. With it, he can learn a lot, not only from his mistakes, but how some simple decisions can turn a horrible day into a fantastic day, and that's the real takeaway from this. Speaking personally, I find this to be a big lesson for how to live your best life. This starts out being a horrible day for Phil, but as he repeats it, he gets to know the people of the town, Rita, Larry, and even himself. I also take it as a great appreciation for something along the lines of the multiverse, and could see this as Phil living the same day in a different universe every time he wakes up - every universe being a new opportunity, and every decision he makes creating a new reality for him to wake up to. That's just a consideration. There's nothing wrong with the idea of a time loop, if you prefer. Either way, the point that your decisions can influence your happiness is there and clear. And so, we wrap up the feel-good month of February on a high note. The more I see this movie, the more I like what it's trying to do. In it's own way, the story is completely timeless, and even for a 1993 movie, it works very well today. The time loop's estimate is debatable, but coming from Ramis, himself, he mentions it spanning anywhere from 10 to 40 years. In the spiritual sense, he could be stuck in this loop for a full 10,000 years in relation to the Buddhist culture, which suggests it takes that long for the soul to evolve to its next level. So it's honestly anybody's guess, but I feel like 10,000 years must be a stretch to get one day perfect. In the end, the mere hour and 40 minutes the film takes to tell the story is all that's needed. This is one for the soul, especially on one of those bad days. Remember, we get tomorrow to improve ourselves, and this is a film that begs us not to take such things for granted.  I tend to give a lot of credit to any actor who can embrace their inner child to actually play a child, and play it well. Robin Williams tends to come to mind when he pulls it off in 'Jack' (underrated, but perhaps needs a revisit), but the only man who arguably did it better was Tom Hanks in 'Big' - an Oscar nominated performance from 1988 that has yet to be topped. He nails everything from the way he talks to his subtle mannerisms. It's very evident that Tom Hanks had a lot of fun with this role, and did his homework in some way before pulling it off.
Josh (Hanks/David Moscow) is an average boy living an average life. He hangs out with his best friend, Billy (Jared Rushton), and has a crush on a girl named Cynthia (Kimberlee M. Davis). In a line-up for a carnival ride, he attempts to try to break the ice with Cynthia, but he's told he's not tall enough for the ride. In his frustration, he wanders over to a Zoltar fortune telling machine that "grants wishes". He wishes he was "big", and the next day, he wakes up as a full-grown adult. Freaking out his own mother (Mercedes Ruehl), Josh realizes he can't go home to figure things out. Instead, he seeks Billy's help, which eventually leads them to New York City, where he can lay low until he can find another Zoltar machine to hopefully reverse his wish. This is where he finds out immediately that there's much more to the adult life than meets the eye. In killing his time, he manages to find a data entry job for the famous FAO Schwartz toy store. Here, he develops a few new relationships where his adulthood is often tested. His boss, MacMillan (Robert Loggia), sees him as the perfect man child to test the company's toys. The toy making team-leader, Paul Davenport (John Heard) has a strong dislike for him, as he seems to constantly undermine him. Finally, his coworker, Susan (Elizabeth Perkins) likes him and his open mind, but he's still 13 on the inside, and not quite in touch with those things yet. As the story unfolds, it's a great case of Josh learning a lot about what it means to be an adult, but it equally covers all of these adults and how they would typically deal with a kid's mind. MacMillan embraces it, especially as a toy store owner, Paul is obviously very annoyed by it, and Susan, though it's not quite as obvious in her situation, kinda meets it in the middle. She finds his child-like mind frustrating at times, but that frustration he causes is all part of his charm. This is perfect for any kid going through those difficult stages of puberty. I remember it well. We wanted to do what adults could do (in more ways than one), and in many ways, this is the film to show them that things aren't necessarily all they're cracked up to be. It's also a good way to show these kids that it's important to embrace your childhood while it lasts. It's a very short time in your life that you might take for granted.  Before I get into this, the format in which I credit the cast for this film is "voice/guy in suit", as each main character here has one of each, including Tatsu for whatever reason... moving on, however.
Going way back to being about 6, I was introduced to these guys through a handful of close friends. For me, it was word of mouth at school. I checked out the cartoon, was instantly hooked, and got quite the haul of Turtle toys over the next few years. It can't be explained, but there was just something about them we all loved. This particular movie is about as close as things get to the original source material. Not the cartoon, I'm talking the old, black and white comic book that made these guys dark, totally badass, and every one of them wore red bandanas, not just Raph. Instead, they were really only distinguishable by their weapons. However by the time this movie came along, the cartoon and the toys were what we were focused on. So the film combined the efforts of the comic book with the cartoon to give us kids everything we deserved. To this day, I still claim this as the end all, be all of 'TMNT' films. Okay, so basic plot - a backstory within the film tells us a brief origin of the characters, and those taking the time to read this probably already know it. Hell, you probably know it from today's material anyway. These guys never really went away or took a break. Basically, lost ooze in sewer = 1 mutant rat named Splinter (Kevin Clash) and 4 mutant turtles named after Renaissance artists, Leonardo (Brian Tochi/David Forman), Michaelangelo (Robbie Rist/Michelan Sisti), Donatello (Corey Feldman/Leif Tilden) and Raphael (Josh Pais). They find themselves up against a gang of ninja thieves known as the Foot Clan, headed by Shredder and his lackey, Tatsu (Michael McConnohie/Toshishiro Obata). These guys are going all around the city of New York, robbing it blind. Their paths cross with news reporter April O'Niel (Judith Hoag) who is doing a story on the whole situation. The turtles get involved when Raph finds her in the subway, having been attacked in an attempt to keep her lips sealed. He takes her back to their lair for recovery, but is unknowingly followed. Shit really hits the fan when their master, Splinter, is soon kidnapped by the Shredder, who holds him captive, trying to get answers from on how the turtles know how to fight like they do. April ends up helping them out, and caught in the middle of it all are one runaway teenager named Danny (Michael Turney), who's caught between helping the turtles and working for the Foot, and Casey Jones (Elias Koteas) who's kind of a random addition to everything, but makes for some decent comedy relief and is a great help in a fight. It might sound crazy, but this is one of those childhood films that I don't only love due to nostalgia, but love because it actually does tell a good story about characters I care about. You can watch this as an adult and see it as a sort of coming of age movie, as the Turtles have to learn to work as a team, have to come into their own to rescue Splinter, and have to take Splinter's teachings seriously in order to do it. While Leo and Don are doing pretty well, we do get that Mike and Raph have a bit of growing to do - Mike with his immaturity and Raph with his temper. I could always find myself empathizing with those two characters the most, especially after the bonfire scene, which I'm not ashamed to admit manages to move me when I see it these days. I mean, while it's a fun movie, one may argue "for kids", it actually does get pretty deep at points. It's not just some action movie where you see these turtles kicking ass and taking names. They take the time to get some messages across subtly, and a big part of it all is how important family is - remembering that family can also mean friends! Anyway, as I mentioned before, the 'Turtles' never really went away or took a break. They simmered down here and there, but have pretty well remained a constant in pop culture. But I can probably say with all sincerity that they were never, ever as big as they were in the late 80's and early 90's. They were everywhere back then! If the cartoon didn't give us enough (which was already an overload), the movie pretty much marked their taking over of the world (at least in my head). So, if you're a fan who hasn't taken a look at this 1990 classic, I strongly urge you to do so. Parts may be a bit dated, but everything that made this movie great is still there, and that includes the master puppetry of Jim Henson's Creature Shop when the man was still alive and kicking!  Let's face it. Rudolph has been the victim of a whole whack of crazy controversy lately, along with various other Christmas traditions. 'Rudolph' is too mean-spirited and even sexist, 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' is a song about being taken advantage of, and there's even been a bunch of crap going on right now about Santa "needing" to be gender-fluid (which isn't exactly as blown out of proportion as all that, thank God) - basically, the overall Christmas spirit has been shot right in the face this year, and everyone's got a problem with something. I have my own opinions on things, but for now, I'd like to throw in my two cents about the 'Rudolph' controversy.
This is a special that I've held close to my heart since I was a little kid. There were a few specials that aired on TV that were must-sees every year, and this was one of the big ones. People even forget there are two more Rankin/Bass specials like this; 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' and 'The Little Drummer Boy', which no one ever seems to talk about these days. This pretty much translates to 'Rudolph' being the stand-out special among the three. So, what the hell is so wrong with it? Let's get into it. The basic plot is the song just being drawn out into a story. Rudolph, with his red nose, and an Elf named Hermey who wants to be a dentist, become runaways when their respective friends and family are assholes about them being so different. In their travels, they run into a prospector named Yukon Cornelius, and the three have a little adventure involving an Island of Misfit Toys, an Abonimable Snowman, and growing up via 'Lion King' style montage. It all just leads to Rudolph returning home, learning the lesson of not being able to run from your problems. I mean, spoiler alert I guess, but I have to make that my first defense. The other takeaway is that Santa sees Rudolph as just a reindeer with a birth defect, until he realizes that he can use him. Either is valid, but the point I'd like to make is that no one seems to be able to find the positives in this Christmas special anymore. Many of these "controversies", if you will, are all things that are fair debate. As a matter of fact, I agree with some of it. The primary example is that Santa, Donner (Rudolph's Dad) and even Comet, are gigantic assholes. But here's the thing, apart from maybe Santa (just because he's Santa) I never had any REAL complaints about this because, dammit, that's what this special is about! Rudolph runs away because of all the ridicule, grows up, and returns with the idea in his head that he cant's run from his problems. But that's just the beginning of the positive takeaways I get from this special. Let's talk about Clarice; the love interest doe who barely shows up throughout, but always has something good to do or say. The prime examples include her telling Rudolph that she likes him because he's different, and her and Donner's wife setting out on their own despite Donner's comment. He says "this is man's work" so they're like "oh, okay, we'll just go on our own to find Rudolph then", thus taking matters into their own hands. Clarice also has the song "There's Always Tomorrow", which was encouraging to those of us who had a lot of bad days as children. The idea of "tomorrow is another day" mostly came from her, for me. And then what about Rudolph, himself, setting out on his own so as not to endanger his friends? I suppose this could be seen as either selfish or selfless, but in my head, it's just him trying to do the right thing. Herbie also gives us the idea of following your dreams despite how ridiculous people around you might find it. I'd even say Yukon is a good example of someone who is unapologetically himself. So, at the end of the day, most of the negatives this special has recently conjured up, do have some sort of a balance to them. The problem is that people aren't looking at things right. I'll be the first to admit that there are some things I can agree with people on (Santa's still a total jerk in this), but it's blown out of proportion now. For me, that was always just a funny realization. I never, in any way thought negatively about the special itself for any reason whatsoever. For me, the positives one can take away from this actually manage to outweigh the negatives. So, think of it what you will, but this is a Christmas tradition that has lasted since the 60s. I'd say, if you do find yourself with these protesters, give it another shot after reading what I have to say. Hopefully you can find new things to like about it.  We're all afraid of something. I mean, you can sit there and tell me how much you're afraid of nothing, but I feel if one digs deep enough, some kind of fear will be brought up, from the big one of death, to the little ones like spiders. And that brings me to my first suggestion for what I am dubbing "Fear Month", with what is arguably the best spider-related movie ever (and no, none of the 'Spider-Man' movies count). This is generally followed by 'Eight-Legged Freaks', and whatever other movies feature spiders as something to be afraid of.
Arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, is a very common one among people, and this film does a great job of exploiting that fear by keeping things relatively realistic. It's even mentioned throughout the film that, despite these fears, spiders are pretty much completely non-fatal when it comes to human beings, with the exception of maybe the black widow on a small child, or elderly and ill. This movie, smartly, makes it so all our worst fears about spiders become a reality. It all starts when a deadly spider finds its way to the small town of Canaima, California after an expedition to South America. It breeds with a common domestic spider, creating something tiny, but monstrous, in a whole new breed of arachnid that starts taking out not just insects and small animals, but people, in a gruesome fashion. I've always considered this one to be a great film for horror beginners. Not quite as traumatizing as something that's full tilt horror, but creepy enough to sort of leave you on edge after you're done watching it. That is, of course, unless you're already very arachnophobic and just know it's a movie you can't sit through anyway (I actually know a few people who refuse to watch this movie because of their fears). This would also be a bit of an example of horror comedy, but leaning more towards the horror. It does a great job at exploiting these fears, but at the same time adds some light humor with some of the dialogue, and the presence of John Goodman playing a sort of dopey but lovable exterminator. Speaking for myself, I can tolerate the presence of spiders quite well, so this movie doesn't particularly get to me in a big way. But if you are afraid of spiders and want a good adrenaline rush based on your fears (some choose roller coasters, I choose horror movies), it's definitely worth checking out. Whether you suffer from arachnophobia or not though, after a viewing of this one, You might just be hard-pressed going to bed after watching it without thinking of something 8-legged and fuzzy crawling up your leg.  'Cornetto Trilogy' actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost team up with director Greg Mottola and his American team of comedy actors to produce something that actually works out really well. Truth be told, I wouldn't mind seeing that team get together again. Predating 2013's 'The World's End,' I was actually once convinced that THIS was the third 'Cornetto' movie. Then I realized I was wrong, and went on living my life anxiously awaiting the third 'Cornetto' movie, and hope for it honestly started slipping away, until finally 'The World's End' was made... okay, I got WAY off track there, so let's get back to the point.
Pegg and Frost portray a couple of comic book geeks named Graeme and Clive, respectively. They go on holiday in the U.S. to go to Comic-Con and tour some of the top U.F.O. hot spots around Roswell, New Mexico. On their travels, they have a run-in with a real alien named Paul (Seth Rogen), who speaks fluent English, drinks, curses, and smokes pot. He happens to be on the run and trying to get home, pretty much 'E.T.' style, as the American government pursues them throughout the movie. In other words, it's get Paul home or have the authorities do some rather unpleasant experiments on him. Joining the cast are Jason Bateman, Bill Hader and Jo Lo Truglio as a bunch of bumbling agents, Kristin Wiig as Ruth Buggs; a devout Christian who has her mind changed with hilarious consequences, and even the voice of Steven Spielberg shows up for a gag. There's also a pretty big and ultimately pleasant cameo here by the one and only sci-fi queen, Sigourney Weaver. Pumping the brakes for a second here, I should probably point out that this movie is of an atheistic nature. I, myself, am an agnostic, so the concept of atheism isn't something that bothers me in any way. However, I do believe in "live and let live" very strongly. So, if you ARE a devout Christian, I wouldn't exactly recommend this title to you. This one's for the minds of science more than the minds of religion. Of course, there's also plenty of swearing, sexual innuendo, drugs and drinking in this as well, so... I guess not recommending it to the Christian community goes without saying. If you do, however, have a mind that's open to the concept, I HIGHLY recommend this one. It brings some of the best comedy out there together into one movie. It's above an an American movie, but there's enough British humour to be had here as well. It's kinda like watching what would have become of two hardcore British 'X-Files' fans, but they're played by two of the funniest guys in Britain. But the REALLY interesting and somewhat surprising thing about this movie is that it actually has quite a bit of heart to it. Sometimes it looks like something nice and turns into something hilarious, but often it just IS something nice and touching. I'm not really sure what else there is to say about it, but I will say that if you enjoy comedy team mash-ups, this is one of the better ones out there today, and it has to be at least slightly admired for being able to combine American and British humour successfully!  So, remember last week when I said if you still didn't like Michael Cera's acting after 'Scott Pilgrim vs The World' to "tune in next week" so to speak? Well, I'll get to that soon enough, as it's just one part of what makes 'This Is the End' so funny.
In short, we're looking at the "Apatow group" (for lack of a better name) all playing themselves, and showing us just how well (or not well) they might deal with an apocalypse in the biblical sense (demons running around, hell freezing over, etc.) It all starts when Jay Baruchel flies in to visit Seth Rogen. They end up going over to James Franco's house for a party, and the end of days quickly ensues. Perhaps the most appealing part of this movie is that everyone is just playing themselves. They're the character versions of themselves, but it still makes things all the more fun. And this is where Michael Cera comes in. In playing himself, he actually ends up being a drugged up, coked out asshole of sorts. Mr. typecast as typically timid end up delivering some pretty big laughs. He's pretty much the exact opposite of what you'd ever expect. A few more cameos come into the mix including Emma Watson, Rihanna, and a handful of other Apatow guys who show up at the initial party. It's a movie where if you take a look around in the background, you might spot someone you recognize from something else, essentially playing themselves, if only to be a background character. There is one other major cameo, but it's just too good, I can't spoil it. Let's just say you'll know it when you see it. What further impressed me with it was that it wasn't ONLY funny dialogue going on, but some really badass looking special effects then it got right down to seeing what some of the demons looked like, and the layout of a destroyed LA. It's a movie where you wouldn't expect the effects to be far past passable, but wait until you see these things. With fair warning, there is quite a bit of humor in this that involves some rather dark and iffy stuff. For example, a few demon penises here and there, a childish argument about *ahem* we'll say "ejaculation", and a whole lot of pretty scary-looking stuff. A pit opens up as celebrities fall into Hell, creepy sounds at night while they're trying to sleep, and without giving too much away, some of the deaths are pretty over the top. This was an interesting take on several genres. It manages to be the perfect balance of stoner comedy and horror, surprisingly enough. Not just any movie can come along and do something like that. The comedy blended with such dark subject matter makes for a pretty hilarious flick... IF you can make it past the colorful language and, again, demon penises. |
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