Believe it or not, there was a point in time when Lindsay Lohan was considered a sort of "America's Sweetheart" as she was growing up. Her big run spanned between 1998's 'The Parent Trap' to 2005's 'Herbie: Fully Loaded'. She's still going, but she sort of just pops up here and there these days, and she doesn't seem either welcome or unwelcome. Either way, it's probably safe to say that when it comes to Lohan, 'Mean Girls' would most likely be considered her magnum opus. Here, Lohan stars as 16-year-old Cady Heron alongside some fresh and now famous faces who include Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, Lizzy Caplan, and to a lesser extent, Lacey Chabert, who some probably recognized at the time from 'Party of Five'. But it's interesting to note that this was a film that provided a few break-through roles for some pretty recognizable faces nowadays; namely Caplan, McAdams and Seyfried. It's a neat time capsule to go back on to see these women just starting out, and the roles that arguably spurred them into stardom. Getting back to the plot, however, Cady has recently moved from Africa to Illinois with her zoologist parents, Betsy (Ana Gasteyer) and Chip (Neil Flynn). After being homeschooled for the majority of her life, Cady now must face common, American high school in all it's horrendous glory. Though her first day doesn't exactly go well, she eventually becomes friends with classmates Janis Ian (Caplan) and her gay best friend, Damian Leigh (Daniel Franzese). The pair show her the ropes, which includes pointing out the different cliques throughout the school. The most popular clique, dubbed the "Plastics", consists of three of the most popular girls in school; Regina George (McAdams) is considered the "queen bee" of the group; Gretchen Wieners (Chabert) is the rich girl whose Dad invented Toaster Strudels; and Karen Smith (Seyfried) is the typical dumb blonde type, but honestly one of the funniest parts of the movie. One day the Plastics have Cady sit with them, and in their own way befriend her mostly due to the fact that she's very pretty and could be among the popular girls. When Janis and Ian find out that Cady's hanging out with these "mean girls", the three come up with a plot for Cady to take this opportunity to be a mole and spy on them. Eventually Cady learns about the "Burn Book"; a book the Plastics have created sporting photos and nasty comments and rumors about fellow students and even teachers. Soon, Cady finds herself stuck in the middle of a plan to use the Burn Book against Regina, and in the process finds that she may very well be turning into a mean girl herself. That's one of the great things about this movie, however, is that basically everyone in it is mean in their own way, when the title along with the poster pretty much points out the Plastics, so we are very ready to presume that they are the bullyish focus of the film. Following what was said about 'Clueless', once again, don't judge this one by its cover. The film's great cast extends beyond everyone already mentioned. We can also find some likable funny people among the adults, who mainly include Tina Fey and Ms. Norbury, Tim Meadows as Mr. Duvall, and Amy Poehler as Regina's Mom. Tina Fey also happened to do the writing for this one, based partially on Rosalind Wiseman's self-help book, 'Queen Bees and Wannabes'. Although the main focus here is very obviously on high school girls and how they act towards each other, I find this one very easy to watch in its overall hilarity. Truth be told, this one carries a lot of laugh out loud moments, and tends to carry a valuable lesson about the dangers of popularity. Unlike a lot of teen movies that are about wanting to be popular, this one tells more of a story about accidentally becoming popular, and having the right mindset to handle one's popularity appropriately. This really is a solid film, and it's kind of a shame that it's the last time Tina Fey cranked out a screenplay. She did an awesome job here, and I'd love to see more.
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In honor of Valentines Month, I thought I'd do something a little bit special and feature a few movies I tend to enjoy with solid female leads. Further to that, each of these is considered a "Teen Movie", so there's always a coming of age aspect to them, from the women's perspective. First up, we have 1995's 'Clueless'; a film that I completely ignored back in the day, considering it "far too girly" - how immature I was. Fast-forward a few years, however, and I actually watch it, developing a newfound respect for it. This is one of the prime examples I can think of when it comes to not judging a movie by its cover. Just to add a twist of class to it as well, this is also loosely based on Jane Austin's 'Emma', originally published in 1851. So it's like, totally one of those modern take flicks. We are introduced to socially popular material girl, Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone). She lives in California with her wealthy and successful father, Mel (Dan Hedaya), who we soon learn encourages Cher's success by manipulation when she shows him her grades. Cher sees herself as a matchmaker, and when she successfully hooks up a couple of her teachers, Mr. Hall (Wallace Shawn) and Miss Gueist (Twink Caplan), she continues to fancy herself the expert and tries to play "Cupid" for several other people, believing she knows what's best for everyone, and further considering these hook-ups "good deeds". Meanwhile, Cher's ex-stepbrother, Josh (Paul Rudd) visits during a college break. The two bicker over things like his idealism and her personality, but do so in a playful way. The thing is, Cher doesn't quite understand that some things Josh has to say about her may just be more accurate than not. This is more or less concluded when a new girl named Tai (Brittany Murphy) comes to the school, and Cher takes her on as a project, along with the help of her best friend, Dionne (Stacey Dash) assuming that they're helping her with her popularity. The thing is, it ends up working too well, and eventually Cher begins to question her place in the chain of popularity, along with her attitude and feelings towards certain people in her life. I think what I like best about this movie is that, if you haven't seen it before, it ends up taking you by surprise. This is a film that, on the surface, looks like it's just going to be about a handful of popular girls doing popular girl stereotype things. It pretty much starts out as one might imagine. The thing is, the film turns the tables on the viewer a little by portraying things like Cher not just being some blonde stereotype, she's actually pretty clever about certain things. Add to that the fact that we have a female lead whose love life isn't the focus of the film. The focus of the film, relationship-wise, has more to do with the side characters while she's in the middle of it all. It all becomes a learning experience for her, instead of just having her as some match-making hero. I'm not gonna lie, this never really dragged me into its cult following, but it does tend to be one I sort of admire from afar. I respect this movie and the story it tells, and I do love the way it surprises the viewer by giving us what we fear it might be, followed by something that catches you a little off-guard. It's a bit of a 50/50 film in that sense, at least from my perspective. I could easily see this as a go-to for a "feel-good" movie, and it certainly has developed a following over the years. It has been dubbed by some to be one of the best teen movies of all time, and it has gone on to be considered a classic of sorts. I would extend that to include 90's movies in general, as it's very representative of the era it was released - right in the middle, with a 1995 release date. This one is easily accessible through various streaming services, so don't let the movie poster deter you from what could be a pretty solid viewing experience like I did for so long. It all begins in 1985, when a boy named John Bennett (Bretton Manley/Mark Wahlberg) makes a Christmas wish for his new teddy bear to come to life and become his best friend. The wish comes true, and the talking teddy bear, aptly named "Ted" (Seth MacFarlane), becomes a celebrity for a short time. Eventually, however, his popularity wanes, and 27 years later, "nobody gives a sh*t". Now 35, John lives with Ted and his girlfriend, Lori Collins (Mila Kunis) in an apartment in Boston. With John and Lori's 4th dating anniversary, Lori wants to get their lives underway, but John is still very attached to Ted. After an incident in the apartment involving Ted and a few prostitutes, Lori has the last straw and convinces John to make Ted move out. The film's general premise has to do with John being torn between his life of leisure with his best friend, and growing up and being responsible for the woman he loves. In the meantime, Ted has to adjust to a new apartment, a new job, a new girlfriend named Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth), and a creepy stalker named Donny (Giovanni Ribisi) and his kid, Robert (Aedin Mincks). This is pretty much the typical "tug-of-war" movie in which the lead has to make a decision between two extremes - in this case, the best friend and the girlfriend. It's all done in the 'Family Guy'-like style that only Seth MacFarlane can deliver, and if you're a 'Family Guy' fan, I see no reason why you wouldn't be into it. All in all, 'Ted' is a lot of fun for those of us who can somehow appreciate the often low-brow, potentially offensive, yet clever and satirical humor of Seth MacFarlane. I would probably sooner recommend this one over the second to a general audience, but there is something about 'Ted 2' I personally like just a bit more. 'Ted 2' is often ranked lower, if only because it makes all of the events of the first film seemingly meaningless. I totally get the criticism, as I've criticized other sequels for doing this - my go-to example being 'Alien 3'. With that said though, this is still a Seth MacFarlane comedy, and I personally feel that comedy is the most flexible genre for something like that. You wouldn't take 'Ted' and call it "the best story about a man torn between his friend and his lover" as much as you'd call it "a comedy about a man and his talking teddy bear". So the sequel never bothered me in that sense. They take time to explain, the explanation makes sense, and things move on. John and Lori get a divorce, pretty well based on Lori always wanting John to be something he isn't. It seems mutual, but John is nevertheless sad about it, and Ted's wedding to Tami-Lynn doesn't really help the way he feels. One year passes, Ted and John remain best friends, but Ted's relationship to Tami-Lynn starts to get rocky. Based on this, the couple decide to try to have a baby. This reaches complications based on Ted not having the appropriate gear, and Tami-Lynn is scarily infertile, so no sperm donor will do. The main plot comes into play when Ted and Tami-Lynn finally decide to adopt and find out, based on background checks, they can't adopt because the state sees Ted as "property" and not a "person". All sorts of complications follow this situation, so John and Ted seek legal help in attempting to fight the state. They seemingly get stuck with a fresh-out-of-school lawyer named Samantha (Amanda Seyfried), who will take their case pro bono. They are reluctant at first, but as the drug tends to do, they bond over their love of marijuana and their mutual disagreement on the War on Drugs. And yes, she is predictably the new love interest for John, which may or may not lead to complications in Ted's case despite the fact that she's trying her best. It's probably just me, but I tend to like Samantha over Lori. Lori was good for him in many ways, but Samantha is just more fun. John can just be himself without any issues around her, and Seyfried is really able to roll with the punches in this - she's made fun of a few times and just sportingly goes with it; something one ultimately HAS to be able to do, working for someone like MacFarlane. Meanwhile, Donny makes a return as well, working as a janitor for Hasbro. When he gets wind of Ted being seen as property, he convinces the CEO, Tom Jessup (John Carroll Lynch) to hire an expert attorney to make sure Ted remains "property". With this, they'd be able to take Ted, dissect him, and figure out what makes him tick so they could potentially make a whole series of him. Donny would keep one for himself, and Hasbro would rake in the profits. Again, there's a bit of a cliche thing going on here with "cutting him open to see what makes him tick", but at least it connects with the plot this time and isn't just some creepy stalker cameo to create a threat. There is something I like about 'Ted 2' a bit more, and if I had to try to place my finger on it, I'd say it's more about the subject matter than the jokes. I thought it was interesting and new to have the toy-come-to-life fight for his rights. These movies parody the child-like wonder situation by asking "what happens when they grow up?" I think it's funny that they go to such extremes which you feel could be real honest to God problems with the living toy situation. This one makes me laugh, but the jokes still may not be as solid as the jokes in the first one. So much of what made the first one hilarious was the very idea of it. 'Ted' was a trailer that came along and caught everyone off guard. 'Ted 2' didn't catch anyone off guard, it was simply fans wanting Ted's further adventures. Whether you like the first one or the second one more, one can still have a fun time just playing them back-to-back. I personally can't watch one without following it up with the other. There's something about MacFarlane's fast and loose comedy that I can't help but admire - it's the same idea I have with Trey Parker and Matt Stone in that their humor isn't afraid to just "go there". Audiences kind of accept them for who they are, and are able to decide they aren't their cup of tea without stirring up a whole lot of controversy (although don't get me wrong, it happens). I wouldn't just recommend this material to anyone and everyone, but if you enjoy MacFarlane's humor, I say treat yourself - just remember that you're bound to hear or see something that might get under your skin. 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. Here we have another fun title that seems to have split people right down the middle. Speaking for myself, I find it to be one of those titles I can just have some dark, twisted fun with; much like 'Gremlins'. This is fitting, considering this comes from same director Joe Dante. He seems to know how to hit that note just right, where something cute and/or fun has the potential to be pretty scary. Despite what it looks like in its marketing, this is a PG-13 flick, and it takes advantage of that. If you can put a lot of the cheesy dialogue aside, it works pretty well in answering the question; "What if we made 'Toy Story' really dark?" Things start off pretty over the top when GloboTech; a top defense contractor acquires the Heartland Toy Company. Toy designers, Larry Benson (Jay Mohr) and Irwin Wayfair (David Cross) are given the job of developing fully interactive toys that will "play back" by Globotech CEO, Gil Mars (Denis Leary). Mars goes with Benson's "Commando Elite"; a group of tough-guy Army soldiers, and Wayfair's "Gorgonites" to be their enemies. Benson jumps the gun on providing the product with its "playability", and activates the toys with a very special microprocessor, which ultimately brings the toys to life, and gives them all a personality of their own. We soon meet Alan Abernathy (Gregory Smith), who signs off on a shipment of these toys for his family's toy store. Along with a friendly delivery driver named Joe (Dick Miller), they activate Archer (Frank Langella); leader of the Gorgonites and Chip Hazard (Tommy Lee Jones), not quite realizing what they were about to unleash. Chip is purchased by Christy Fimple (Kirsten Dunst), the object of Alan's affection, as a present for her little brother, Timmy (Jacob Smith), and Archer goes back to Alan's house in his backpack, where Alan realizes he's actually sentient. The lot of them soon learn what's really happening as the Chip activates the rest of the Commando Elite to hunt down and kill all of the Gorgonites, who they see as their sworn enemy. Meanwhile, the reality is that their roles are reversed, and Archer and the rest of his monster friends are the "good guys". Looking at it today, it's certainly one of those movies where you have to let the CG slide a bit. This was 1998, and CG was just getting good enough to get away with animation that looked a lot like plastic toys. This was one of those things that looked really good for its time, but we've also come a long way since '98, so I could see that being something viewers wouldn't appreciate as much today. On top of that, as mentioned before, there's a lot of dialogue here that's just corny and seems to cater to a younger audience, while some of the violence and action caters to the older, teenage crowd. In that sense, one might consider that it doesn't really know who it's for. From my perspective, however, this is one of those movies kids can watch that has a darker side to it. Again, comparing it to 'Gremlins', it's a good bit of a toe-dip into something that, while fun, is taken a bit more seriously. These soldiers actually do kill more than just a few Gorgonites. I don't see a lot of confusion in who it's catering to. Back when it was released, I considered it one for the kids looking for a darker side. 'Monster Squad' is another example I could throw out there where it's got some language and some violence, but it's something your parents would still let you watch. This doesn't come in as a super high recommendation, considering it seems very clear that this title has just as many disliking it as liking it. I would recommend indulging in your curiosity though, if you've always wondered what this one is like. You may be pleasantly surprised at some of the stuff it has to offer. I haven't even brought up some of the other appearances in this, which include Kevin Dunn and Ann Magnuson as Alan's parents and Phil Hartman and Wendy Schaal as Christy's parents. Hartman's probably the best part of this movie, honestly - his performance is very 'Simpson'-esque. While there are still a few cringe-worthy moments here and there, if you can just manage to make that part of the fun of it all, it works as something outlandishly fun and entertaining. To put a cap on this Schwarzenegger-themed Month, I figured I'd end things on a light note. Any real fan of Arnold will tell you that the man has a sense of humor about himself, and can be the epitome of a "gentle giant". This is a movie that shows it in a way that balances his action hero side with his sensitive side almost perfectly. This one's also directed by Ivan Reitman; director of my all-time favorite film, 'Ghostbusters', so I may have a slight bias leaning towards it. But at the same time, I just can't do a Schwarzenegger month without covering a bit of comedy. This film is proof that the man can be hilarious if given the chance. As the movie opens, we're introduced to Detective John Kimble (Schwarzenegger), chasing a drug dealer he's been tracking for years, Cullen Crisp (Richard Tyson). Kimble makes a successful arrest for murder after a witness, Cindy (Alix Koromzay) sees him kill an informant after gaining information on his ex-wife, Rachel's (Penelope Ann Miller) whereabouts. She evidently left him ages ago, taking with her a large sum of money as well as their son. Partnered with an ex-teacher, Phoebe (Pamela Reed), Kimble goes undercover in Astoria, Oregon. The job is to find Rachel and offer her immunity in exchange for testifying against Crisp in court, thus finally closing the case on him. Phoebe is to act as a kindergarten teacher for Astoria Elementary, and try to locate Rachel as well as Crisp's son. Without the names to go by, with the mother and son being in hiding, it could already be difficult. But things are almost immediately made worse by Phoebe getting sick, and Kimble having to take her place as the kindergarten teacher. Hilarity ensues as the big, tough guy is overwhelmed by the mouths, attitudes and hyperactivity of these 5-6-year-old kids. He can't even swap-out with Phoebe when she gets better, as it'll blow his cover. On top of all that, authorities let Crisp go too soon, and he heads straight for the location of his son in hopes to reunite with him via custodial kidnapping (which, by the way, does not mean "stealing a janitor"). While Schwarzenegger is best-known for being an action-hero, or even THE action hero, this is a good way of showing that he can be flexible for light-hearted stuff the whole family can watch. He has done other comedies like 'Twins', 'Junior' and 'Jingle All the Way', but I'd strongly consider this his quintessential comedy role. The plot sounds pretty dark, but this carries with it so many great Arnold moments when it comes to his interactions with these kids. One of the funniest images of Schwarzenegger I can think of is when he's dressed up as a country farmer singing 'Old MacDonald had a farm', using a ukulele. But this also has such great Arnold-one-liners as "I'm the party pooper.", "There is no bathroom!", and of course "It's not a tumor!" Even after all these years, this is a great, light-hearted, feel-good flick with just the right amount of dark plotline. It really delivers the laughs and the naive innocence of all these kids, but at the same time delivers a typical Schwarzenegger action movie in its background, which all comes to a head during an admittedly pretty intense climax. This was pretty much the start of the "tough guy with kids" subgenre, followed up with films like 'The Nanny', 'The Pacifier', 'The Spy Next Door' and the very recent 'My Spy'. It's safe to say that just about all of those titles took influence from this movie, and out of all of them, this still remains an untouched classic of sorts. It's just the right balance of light and dark, and it makes sure to teach kids who are watching a thing or two about "stranger danger". On a final note, I'd like to point out that this time around I kept a sharp eye on the kids and their behavior in the background, and I have to say it's worth re-watching to pick up on a few reactions and such. For example, the scene where he yells "SHUT UP!" and makes them all cry (it's funnier than it sounds, trust me) there's a girl by the classroom sink who must not have known how to fake cry, so she makes a "Duh!" face (as in someone saying "duh" sarcastically). That's just one example, but keep your eyes open, a lot of it is pretty funny. Either way, it deserves a re-watch for Schwarzenegger fans who just need a bit of cheering up from time to time. In one of the manliest of mannish films, we have the action hero's take on a creature feature. What calls for popcorn more than that of a mysterious alien from a distant planet who comes to Earth to hunt, only to go toe to toe with our favorite action star? This is a prime example of the subgenre that is action horror with a sci-fi twist. To this day, in my humble opinion, it stands as the second best "Alien/Predator" movie in existence ('Aliens' being in my top spot), if only because the plot of it is so simple, and it delivers exactly what we want. Maybe it's just me, but I'd say it's almost a perfect action movie. Army Special Ops soldier and Vietnam Veteran, "Dutch" (Schwarzenegger) and an elite rescue team are given a quick in-and-out mission by Dutch's former commanding officer, General Philips. Among the team are Mac (Bill Duke), an expert tracker named Billy (Sonny Landham), the testosterone-fueled Blain (Jesse Ventura), Poncho (Richard Chaves) and the company's resident jokester, Hawkins (Shane Black). With them, comes CIA officer Dillon (Carl Weathers) - an old friend of Dutch's. As the mission gets underway, the team finds such strange things as three skinned corpses with no sign of approach from any side. After carrying out their mission, and without getting into too much spoiler territory, the team comes across a surviving guerrilla named Anna (Elpidia Carrillo). She's shaken up, and claims things like the forest coming alive to kill people. As they head to their extraction point, they soon they realize they are going up against something that poses a much bigger threat than they signed up for; something that hunts them from the trees using heat vision and the ability to become transparent with its camouflage. As one can imagine, things go pretty much how you'd expect with a look of pretty violent kills in the process. Predictable however it may be at this point, however, it all leads to one of the greatest showdowns in cinematic history. By now, we're all pretty familiar with the Predator. He's become a pop culture icon who sits alongside the Alien. He's the Jason Voorhees to Alien's Freddy Krueger. But this was back in a time before anyone understood what the Predator was, and Schwarzenegger was the real draw. At the time of its release, it looked like it was gonna be another 'Commando', and though the trailer offers brief glimpses of what the Predator looked like, it just wasn't the main focus. Here we have what one might call "dude porn" - a cast of "manly" men doing "manly" things like violence and mayhem and killing. It really delivers on that aspect right down to making the Predator itself throw down his arms just to have a one-on-one fight with Schwarzenegger. It was a unique way to have the world's strongest man meet his match in brawn for once. A line here and there is perhaps a bit dated, but honestly, not enough to ruin things. This is still one of the best action movies ever made, as far as I'm concerned. I have seen it a bunch of times, and I'm still just as entertained by it as ever. It carries some special effects with it that still look great by today's standards, and further go to show that CG doesn't necessarily have things on the same level as practical effects. This one was even nominated for an Oscar for these effects, losing to 'Innerspace', and at the time, it was only between those two films. However, as far as I can see, 'Predator' still stands as a sort of landmark in the action genre, and it introduced a character who would live on for decades. I could watch this movie in my 90s and still think it's great, no holds barred entertainment. Although this month takes a look at some of the titles I personally consider "essential Schwarzenegger" titles, I do heavily consider this particular title to be the one and only king of them. I would say 'True Lies' is my favorite, but if you want full Arnold, this is definitely the place to go. To put it another way, I'm fairly convinced this was the movie that really inspired the Rainier Wolfcastle character on 'The Simpsons'. Yes, he was obviously based on Arnold, but I think it's this particular Arnold they were going for. For a quick plot synopsis, we open the film, and are eventually introduced to former Colonel John Matrix (Schwarzenegger). He is living a happy, retired life with his daughter, Jenny (Alyssa Milano). It's interrupted quickly, however, when his former superior Major General Franklin Kirby (James Olson) informs him that the members of his former unit have been killed by unknown mercenaries. Said mercs raid John's home and kidnap Jenny, lead by Bennett (Vernon Wells); an ex-member of John's team that was discharged for excessive violence. John is eventually overpowered and captured, but this ends up being a big mistake. With his daughter's life on the line, John Matrix eventually manages to escape, and enlist the help of random off-duty flight attendant named Cindy (Rae Dawn Chong). Now John will stop at nothing to rescue his daughter, and put an end to Bennett and his henchmen. So basically what we have here is a no holds barred revenge plot involving the biggest action hero of the 80s in his prime. If someone was to ask me who Schwarzenegger is, I would tell them watch 'Commando', as I find it to be the quintessential Schwarzenegger movie. If we think of him in a stereotypical light, I'd say this is the role that really shows it. He's muscle-bound, powerful, full of guns and ammo, shoots but never gets shot, he's got the accent, and above all else, some of the best one-liners of his career. That alone is what makes this movie so damn fun. it's not just a stereotype of an Arnie flick, it's a stereotype of an early action movie. It's got to be within the top 10, or maybe even top 5 action flicks of the 80s, and with good reason. This isn't something that keeps you on the edge of your seat so much as it makes you laugh along with it as well as cheer him on. It's cheesy, but it's what 80s action movies were all about. It would be fairly easy for someone to be new to this today and find that it hasn't aged well - but one should also know that's what makes it so good. In many ways, it captures the cheesy awesomeness that was 1980s action. Things were off the wall and dammit, we liked it like that. These are the same reasons I appreciate franchises like 'Fast & Furious' nowadays - yes, it's ridiculous, but sometimes reality isn't really asked for in these types of flicks. There's insulting the audience, but then there's just having fun with them, and that's what this does so incredibly well. It's an era of filmmaking I think a lot of us miss. They can get away with it now, sure, but it's not quite as tolerated as it used to be. This kind of thing, along with a lot of the corny 80s slashers, was just something to lose our minds and eat popcorn to. Well, it's a short review, but there's not much more to say about it than what I keep saying about it already. It's just awesome, mindless fun, and a good laugh. If you're on the lookout for almost definitive films of the 80s, I would highly recommend this title as a place to turn. It is pure Schwarzenegger through and through, and the man might as well have been a golden statue back in the 80s representing the action genre. If that statue had to hold the film that best represented him, this would be my pick. When we look at Schwarzenegger nowadays, I daresay, we may see him as perhaps a bit of a has-been for film, especially considering he has reached the age of 73 and simply isn't in his prime. Having said that, one can't deny the legacy he's left behind, helping form the modern action movie, and becoming THE name in 80s and early 90s action. I strongly consider him to be the name who made action movies much more fun than serious. Arnold gave us a big brute to route for with an unforgettable accent, and this month we're here to celebrate some of his best titles that I, surprisingly, haven't even looked at yet. We start with 'The Terminator'. I think by now, most know the general story here, but just in case, a short plot synopsis: We go way back to 1984 (before continuity of the series suffering could possibly be a thing) where a Terminator (Schwarzenegger - a cyborg assassin carrying out orders) arrives from 2029, and we see how violent he is right away in how he steels clothes and guns. A human soldier arrives as well, but we don't really know why either of them are here until the Terminator starts to seek out and kill anyone with the name Sarah Connor in the area. We soon meet the Sarah Connor he's after (Linda Hamilton), and learn that the human soldier, Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) was sent to protect her from this Terminator by her own future son, John (here played by no one). John is, of course, the man who leads the uprising against the machines in the future who try to destroy the human race. If the Terminator is successful in his mission to kill John's mother, that will eliminate John's existence, and the machines will take the planet with no problem. It's up to Kyle to protect her now, but it's also up to her to rise to the occasion - and if you've seen 'Terminator 2', you know she figures out how to go from innocent to badass in a short amount of time. Of course, with any time travel movie there's a bit of a paradox to think about, but don't rack your brain too hard. This is 1984, and the film is among the most famous titles of the decade with good reason. It's interesting to recall that this was often seen as a horror movie, considering it plays with elements like blood, gore, fear, and even boiling it right down to an unstoppable killing machine no dissimilar to Jason Voorhees (who just had his apparent "Final Chapter" earlier that year). Hell, it was even released a few days before Halloween. They play around with a lot of cringe-worthy practical effects here, and while a lot of it looks pretty rough by today's standards, it still makes once wince. For example at one point the Terminator is fixing himself up and takes out his eye with an Exacto knife. But much like with a movie like 'Poltergeist', you sort of toss that off to the side because you're enjoying the rest of the movie too much. Maybe it even adds to what makes it fun. I think the big problem here now is that, when going back to watch this, you have to do a bit of rearranging in your head. Somewhere along the line, the whole story gets skewed, and timelines get confusing, but all you really need to know about the 'Terminator' movies is that you sincerely only need the first two. Yes, the second one ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but it leaves you deep in thought and, once again, doesn't feel the need to spoon-feed its audience. I appreciate having to use my imagination, and even this one ends in a similar way. Anything beyond is hit or miss (mostly miss) and is generally the same formula time and time again (except for 'Salvation' which at least had the balls to change it up a bit). So, if you're looking to see some of the legendary films that helped make the 80s what they were, this is a very good place to look - especially if you're any sort of 'Terminator' fan and haven't actually watched it yet. Some of the effects are a bit dated and don't quite hold up, but one must bear in mind that we weren't quite there with CG yet in 1984, AND its follow-up would really help usher in the CG era. All in all, 'T2' is certainly the better movie, but no one can really deny this movie's place in the history books either. I generally compare the 'Terminator' series to the 'Alien' series in terms of quality by chapter - first one is classic, but the second is amazing, and anything beyond is either just okay or bad. It might not quite have the punch it used to, but it's still an essential watch for Schwarzenegger AND 'Terminator' fans, in my humble opinion. With just a few days before Halloween, I thought I'd leave this Halloween edition of Screening Suggestions with a bang. 'The Haunting' is one of those few legendary black and white horror films that still totally hold up as being at least somewhat scary. In fact, a lot of the creepiness comes from the black and white footage with heavy shadows, odd angles, and various tricks of the camera. Even the very setting of Hill House, itself, is unsettling, as once again the house is just as much a character as the leads. And by the way, yes, I consider this version to be better than the 1999 remake. The beginning and end of the film is narrated rather poetically by Dr. John Markway (Richard Johnson). It begins with the history of Hill House; constructed by Hugh Crain as a home for his wife, she dies in a carriage crash on the way up to the house. Crain remarries, but the second wife dies with a fall down the stairs. His daughter, Abigail, is left there by Crain while he goes off to England to drown. She lived in the house for the rest of her life, trapping herself in the nursery, eventually dying as well. Her nurse companion she was left with then inherits the house, only to hang herself from the spiral staircase in the library. It was then inherited by a Mrs. Sanderson (Fay Compton), but has been empty for a long time. In the then-present day, Markway is interested in studying whatever paranormal activity resides within the huge, mysterious house. He's allowed, and goes through a list of several potential "lab rats" for his study, inviting them all to participate. He is, however, left with only three people - Theodora (Claire Bloom), a supposed psychic, Luke (Russ Tamblyn), Mrs. Sanderson's heir; and Eleanor, aka Nell (Julie Harris). If all of these names sound familiar, they should, as they were rearranged to be a family in 'The Haunting of Hill House', which is an awesome reimagining of things and I highly recommend it. Nell has a bit more of a backstory than the others, being our main character. She has spent eleven years caring for her sick mother, but her recent death has left her feeling guilty. She has also experienced poltergeist activity when she was a child, and seems to be a bit more in touch with the spirit world than the others - although Theodora is psychic, Luke is just skeptic. The group stays several nights in the house for Markway's study, but the women experience heavy paranormal activity through these nights while the guys don't experience much of anything at all. This involves loud banging on the walls, giggling, heavy breathing, and that creepy cliché of the haunted doorknob turning, which I believe this film gets credit for inventing. While the others are curious, and maybe even a little afraid, there seems to be something about Hill House drawing Eleanor towards staying put. It doesn't help that they find things like writing on the wall saying "Help Eleanor Come Home". In a weird way, the house becomes likewise drawn to her, and seems to want her to stay just as well. Although she often shows fear for the events happening within the house, she also has this sensation of feeling wanted and loved by something, and she eventually becomes seemingly possessed by it. So, if you're more familiar with either the 2017 reboot or the 1999 remake, things aren't entirely different when it comes to the bare bones of the story. I have to admit that I genuinely enjoy the 2017 Netflix version of this story more, but as the original film with this title, I still give full credit to it. My only real criticism is narrowed down to a lot of the melodrama that comes from Nell. Some of her lines are a bit much, but that's my only real nitpick. The film still had my full attention, and as mentioned before, totally holds up today. It's widely regarded now as one of the all-time best horror films, haunting films, and even influential films. We've had ghost movies before this, but the big deal here was that things actually got scary with a completely invisible force of some sort. 'Paranormal Activity' would probably be the equivalent today as something (whether you thought so or not) successfully scary that uses more subtlety than anything. Director Robert Wise is no slouch, either. Odds are I could list five films he's sat in the director's chair for, and you've seen one - this, 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture', 'The Sound of Music', 'The Andromeda Strain' and 'The Hindenberg'. Even if you haven't seen any of them, you've probably heard of them at this point. It shows his flexibility in talent,, and I'd be curious to check out some more of the stuff he's directed (aside from a long-ass docking scene in 'Star Trek'). For now though, this is one of his highlights, often dubbed one of the best horror films of all time, and even by today's standards I completely understand why. Despite a bit of melodrama, I absolutely loved this. While 'Halloween' is often toted as the start of the slasher genre, I prefer to think of it as the film that got things going. Before that, you had movies like 'Black Christmas', but 'Halloween' just had a strength to it. Perhaps the strength mostly comes from casting Jamie Lee Curtis in the lead role; daughter of Janet Lee, featured here in one of the most famous movie moments of all time - the shower stab, with the "ree-ree-ree" music! This film is a milestone in horror, technically being the first big slasher movie. It's brought to us by the master of suspense, himself, Alfred Hitchcock, and it honestly still holds up to this day. Certain things have tried to duplicate it, like an awful 1998 remake, and a much better TV series in 2013, but no matter how they try, nothing can quite grasp the feeling of the classic 1960 film, where it all began. It all opens with real-estate secretary, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) and her boyfriend, Sam Loomis (John Gavin), providing us with yet another tie to 'Halloween'. They are talking about marriage and the unaffordability of it with Sam's debts. Some time after, Marion is left a $40,000 cash payment on a property. Instead of bringing it to the bank to deposit it, she instead takes the money and runs, headed to Sam's house in Fairvale, CA. On the way, she is caught in a rainstorm, misses her turn, and ends up at the Bates Motel. There, she is greeted by Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) who gives her a room for the night. It's Norman Bates' character that really makes this movie shine, as even today, there's something terribly unsettling about him. He plays the role so well, as a bashful, almost boy-like man who just plain gives you that bad vibe. The only other actor I can think of who delivers the subtle horror of a serial killer while being polite is probably Anthony Hopkins from 'Silence of the Lambs', although I'm sure there are other examples between the two films. The two have a conversation where things intensify, and it all leads to that famous shower scene, killing off a main character only about half way through the film. To this day, that scene is intense, especially when the music stops, everything is still, and you see the bloody water pour down the drain. It's as though the film says "I'm not playing around here." The latter half of the film involves Marion's sister, Lila, coming into the picture. Together with Sam and a private investigator, Milton Arborgast (Martin Balsam), they all try to get down to the bottom of why Marion has disappeared without a trace. Meanwhile, Norman Bates tries to cover his tracks while dealing with his overprotective and strict "mother". I think by this point we all pretty well know the big twist there, but when I first saw this years and years ago and new nothing about it other than the shower scene existing (I was still in elementary school, I think), it did manage to catch me off guard. In a time when I thought black and white equaled boring, this was one movie that came along and showed me otherwise. Over the years and after a fair bit of re-watching, it has become a personal favorite piece of cinematic art from the 60s. With franchises like 'Halloween', 'Friday the 13th' and 'Elm Street', I wonder where those would be now if 'Psycho' didn't plant the seed. I strongly consider this film to be the Grandfather of slasher horror ('Halloween' is the father). It is just plain legendary, and held high in my opinion as perhaps the quintessential Hitchcock movie. If you haven't seen this, you haven't seen wat Hitchcock was capable of - like making Janet Leigh terrified of ever showering again. Almost 30 years before we got the presently super famous 'It', featuring Bill Skarsgård, we had the still-relative miniseries. I think it's safe to say that the miniseries holds a place in the heart of most from my generation. 'It' was always a very interesting phenomenon, growing up. A whole bunch of my peers got into reading the novel as almost a right of passage, relating heavily to the kids involved and the idea of facing personal fears head-on. Some of that reading was fueled by this, and though it was initially released in November, 'It' soon because synonymous with Halloween. It was almost like 'Saw' or 'Paranormal Activity' in that sense. It had nothing to do with Halloween, but it fit so perfectly, constantly making an annual comeback. If I remember correctly, the miniseries would often return to TV for Halloween night, so that after a night of trick-or-treating, the kids had something suitably scary to watch. Yes, this one was indeed horror for the whole family, and holds a current rating of "TV-PG", just going to show what we used to be able to get away with on the small screen back in the day. Ah, 1990, how I miss you. Anyway, for those of you who have seen the current version, divided into two fantastic films, you already know how this works. The difference here is largely in how it's told, and the fact that this takes place in the 50s while the remake takes place in the 80s. This all blends pretty awesomely with the idea that Pennywise returns every 27 years to feast on the fears of children (at least if you are able to round to 30). Anyway, while the new movies feature a perfect divide between the story from their childhood and the story from their adulthood, the miniseries does a lot more jumping around, but with a primary focus on childhood in the first episode, and adulthood in the second. To be fair, that's a bit closer to the book's execution as well. I might say the remake takes a few more liberties with the source material. To start, I'll let you know that when I credit people here, it goes by "adult actor/child actor", as they both play near-equal parts throughout the miniseries. Part One opens with the mysterious murder of a little girl in Derry, Maine, which prompts Mike Hanlon (Tim Reid/Marlon Taylor) to place a few phone calls to his old friends - The Losers Club; Bill Denbrough (Richard Thomas/Jonathan Brandis), Eddie Kaspbrak (Dennis Christopher/Adam Faraizl), Stanley Uris (Richard Masur/Ben Heller) Beverly Marsh (Annette O'Toole/Emily Perkins), Ben Hanscom (John Ritter/Brandon Crane) and Richie Tozier (Harry Anderson/Seth Green). The gang made a pact 27 years ago to come back to Derry if "It" ever came back. One by one, the first part goes through each phone call, and personal recollections from each character about what It was. Although It takes the common form of a clown named Pennywise (Tim Curry), It is really more of an ancient, extraterrestrial evil that makes fearful children its prey, returning to Derry, Maine every 27 years to feed again. It also uses special abilities to its advantage, including shapeshifting, manipulating reality, and going completely unnoticed by adults. The takeaway from the whole ordeal is that these kids have to face their worst fears head on. Then, as adults in Part 2, things seem to get a bit more metaphorical in that fears "return" (they all have some sort of pressure going on in their adulthood) and they reunite to conquer them once and for all. I also fell that much of this has to do with the support of strong friendships in the face of adversity. I've always seen it as very symbolic, and something anyone can relate to. Out of all of Stephen King's material, it's probably safe to say that this is the story I've gotten the most out of over the years. One should take that with a grain of salt though, since this is the only King book I've ever read through (on audio, anyway), and that was for Halloween, last year. I enjoyed it, but I have to be blasphemous and say out of all of the 'It' material out there, I personally enjoy the two remakes more than anything else. The book gets... super, super, super weird - and I'm not just talking about the 12-year-old orgy at the end (yes, it's totally a thing). As for the film at hand, however, there's a lot to be said about it. It's interesting to me that this was a huge risk for ABC to take in airing, as in 1990, horror TV wasn't exactly at the top of the list of things to make. However, King fans took a real liking to it, and it really did turn into a bit of a Halloween tradition for many, for a while. So needless to say, it certainly had its popularity back then. Although pretty creepy for the time, however, it has aged to be pretty corny, altogether. The acting and dialogue often feels a bit stilted, the visual effects weren't quite touching CG yet, and all in all, it's not entirely scary... bearing in mind this is rated TV-PG. But one thing about it has remained a continued guilty pleasure for many, including myself, and that's Tim Curry's wonderfully hammy performance as Pennywise. He's having so much fun with the role, you can't help but be oddly charmed by him. I know I didn't exactly get deep into detail on the basic plot here, but I feel like just about anyone reading this knows what it's about, and to get into detail would really drag this already fairly long review out. So to conclude it, I will say that although I recommend the 2017/2019 films, there's definitely a really fun, Halloween connection I have to this all the same. It's not quite an annual watch, but it totally could be, even though it's not even really that good of a miniseries. I suppose one could chalk it up to a certain nostalgia, as this represents an interesting risk that sort of opened the doors up for horror TV, or at least allowing drama and sci-fi TV to have a more horrific edge ('X-Files' anyone?). It's a product of its time, but a lot of fun if you have three long hours to kill. 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 Wrapping up Sandler September, we have what I consider Sandler's last great comedy of his golden years. It's completely up for debate, but I find this to be where Sandler peaks in his comedy. His overall range is kinda complete here. We got the goofy Sandler with 'Billy Madison', the sarcastic Sandler with 'Happy Gilmore', the charming Sandler with 'The Wedding Singer', and the character acting with 'The Waterboy'. This brings it full circle where we finally get to see him act a little more serious while maintaining his sense of humor. I'd probably guess that this is about as close as he comes to playing himself. We meet Sonny Kaufax (Sandler), a slacker who refuses to complete his bar exam despite earning his law degree. In the meantime, he's living off compensation from an accident, and working an odd job as a toll booth attendant. In short, he's a bit of a low-life, but comfortable in how things are going; that is until his girlfriend, Vanessa (Kristy Swanson) threatens to break up with him if he doesn't get his act together. On top of that, his roomate, Kevin Gerrity (Jon Stewart) proposes to his girlfriend, Corinne Maloney (Leslie Mann), and he fears being left behind in the dust, not really knowing what to do about his situation. Enter a five-year-old boy named Julian McGrath (Cole/Dylan Sprouse) who shows up at Sonny and Kevin's apartment with a note that claims he's Kevin's son. Kevin, having headed to China on business, is confused by the phone call he gets about it from Sonny, but Sonny offers to help him out until he gets back. In doing so, he pretends to be Kevin in order to obtain custody of little Julian, mostly so that he doesn't have to stay in a group home until Kevin gets back to sort things out. This leads to an unlikely bonding between Sonny and Julian, and through their bond, they learn a lot about each other and themselves along with their individual potential. In the meantime, Sonny also falls for Lalya Malony (Joey Lauren Adams), Corinne's lawyer sister, so there's a bit of a love story here as well. But luckily, the brunt of the film is about the relationship between Sonny and Julian while Layla is more just a love interest to keep Sonny's development going - in other words, what will he do honestly to be with her. The pair are cute together, and it's easily one of the sweetest roles you see Adams ever play. It's also refreshing to see his three friends who are in almost anything with him together in more serious roles; Peter Dante, Allen Covert and Jonathan Loughran as his three best friends, again attributing this role to perhaps something closer to himself. This is another film that gives me the nostalgic vibe for 1999 for a variety of reasons. For one, the soundtrack is about as 90s alternative as a soundtrack can get (save maybe a couple of songs), but above that, I used to watch this one with my friends almost religiously. It was just that movie we'd throw on for something to laugh at almost every time. It's humor isn't so off the wall its crazy, but there's enough of that blended with a more straight-man type of humor, making this great for just about any Sandler fan. Again, I might mention that this is one of the first times we see Sandler really emote, and It shows his range pretty well. Sandler has gone on to impress and un-impress us time and time again. He can shine in dramatic roles like 'Rein Over Me' and 'Uncut Gems'. He's shown great voice acting as Dracula in the 'Hotel Transylvania' movies. But he's also just delivered a bunch of Netflix trash, most of which I've never seen because its reviewed so often as such. One day I'll give them a chance, but I do feel that much like with his counterbalance of 90s comedy, Jim Carrey, he had his time and there's a part of me that just sees him as yesterday's news. All five films I've reviewed this month hold a special place in my heart for different reasons, though, and I do claim this to be the last of the golden years of Sandler, ending those years on a truly sweet and memorable note. Here's about where Sandler really started getting on critics' nerves, and audiences started to get a little bit split on whether or not Adam Sandler was funny or annoying. Being 1998, and being that I was 16 at the time, it was still very much up my alley, and to this day, I have an appreciation for it, and it still gets a good laugh from me when I watch it. It's not quite in the classic vein like 'Billy Madison' and 'Happy Gilmore', but it stands on its own, featuring honestly one of the more charming characters he ever plays. As the film opens, we're introduced to the kindly but seemingly mentally disabled Bobby Boucher (Sandler); the water boy for the University of Louisiana's football team, the Cougars. The team bullies him, but he takes it because all he cares about is whether or not the team is hydrated. So just to forewarn audiences, there's definitely a mean-spiritedness to the film. But don't worry, without spoiling anything, it does lighten up significantly by the end. However the film does start with his being fired by the team's coach, Red Beaulieu (Jerry Reed), as he's such a distraction to the team. Bobby lives with his strict and overprotective mother, Helen (Kathy Bates) who explains her overprotectiveness away with the story of Bobby's father, Roberto (Frank Coraci) who apparently died of dehydration in the Sahara Desert while serving in the Peace Corps before Bobby was born. Even in such a goofy comedy as this, Kathy Bates is one of the best things about it. You believe she loves and cares for Bobby in such a way that it's almost disturbing. In some ways, she brings a bit of her 'Misery' role to the character; ready to kill anyone who messes with her son. Bobby eventually finds a job at South Central Louisiana State University, working for the failing and depressed Coach Klein (Henry Winkler), once again playing the role of water boy. Once the new team starts to dig into him a little, Bobby finally snaps and tackles one of the team members with such force that Klein asks him to play on his team, the Mud Dogs; a team on a forty game losing streak with a handful of alcoholic cheerleaders who have given up. While the main plot revolves around Bobby's newfound football career, there's a whole subplot involving Bobby torn between doing what makes him happy and following the demands of his Mother. While overbearing, she is one of the only people who care for him. But she soon finds competition in Vicki Vallencourt (Fairuza Balk), a rebellious, tough southern girl who has a bit of a thing for Bobby, mostly just because he's such a sweet guy. The real clencher to the whole thing is that Bobby sees Vickie and plays football behind his disapproving mother's back. As mentioned before, one thing that sort of stood out to me this time was just how mean-spirited things got with it. Nowadays, I would think the filmmakers would have trouble getting it off the ground because a lot of it has to do with people making fun of someone with a mental disability. On the other hand, it's not like Bobby doesn't come back with a perfectly decent revenge plan, somewhat equivalent to finally punching that horrible bully of yours right in the nose. These bullies get what they deserve, no more, no less. Again, it bears mentioning that it all ends very positively, and it's kind of a good movie for several different types. If you are a jerk who picks on people, here to watch Sandler, you might learn something. If you're an overprotective family member, you might learn something. If you're the person getting picked on, you might learn something. It's another very split movie where Sandler fans love it for what it is while critics pan it just because it's predictable, harsh and stupid. It is all of those, but it's also a lot of fun, clearly not to be taken too seriously, and most of the laughs you get aren't actually at Bobby's expense. It's just a solid underdog flick done in classic Sandler fashion. When it comes to Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, you're a little har-pressed to think of a lot of cuter couples. Between 'The Wedding Singer' and '50 First Dates', both are rather charming romantic comedies featuring the two falling for each other in one way or another. I never did see 'Blended', but I've also heard that it's not so good, so I may just stick with the first two. In Ridgefield, New Jersey, wedding singer Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler) performs at a wedding where he meets a waitress named Julia Sullivan (Drew Barrymore). Here we learn that Robbie is getting ready to marry his fiancée, Linda (Angela Featherstone), and Julia is anxiously awaiting a wedding proposal from her beau, a successful businessman named Glenn (Matthew Glave). On Robbie's wedding day, however, Linda ditches him, sending him into a downward spiral. He still attends weddings for work though, and eventually develops a solid friendship with Julia, as she helps him through his hard time. Meanwhile, she has finally been proposed to - a wedding Robbie promised to sing at when they first met. Holding to his promise, he starts to develop feelings for Julia, and though things are relatively predictable from here, the execution is interesting. It's one of the first (if not the first) films that call back the 80s, just 8 years after they ended. I remember going to the theater to watch this, and it seemed like a big deal to look back on what the 80s was like. But when you compare it to thinking of 2012 today, using that 8 year gap, it doesn't feel like enough time has passed for it to really matter. I suppose the best similarity nowadays would be 'Avengers: Endgame', as they time travel to 2012 and the setting of the first 'Avengers' film. It felt like time passed, but it didn't feel like a whole new era. It just felt like part of the same long 11-year era. That's just how big the divide was between what was considered "80s" and what was considered "90s" was (although it can't be denied a lot of the 80s spilled over into the early 90s). Back tot he film at hand, however, this was the film that made Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore a new, solid, on-screen power couple of sorts. I personally considered them to be taking the baton from Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan ('Joe vs The Volcano', 'Sleepless in Seattle', and 'You've Got Mail', released the same year as this). Drew is constantly charming us with her sweet, good nature, and Adam is constantly charming us with his sense of humor and music. The film ends with such a feel-good scene involving a new song by Robbie, and at the risk of presenting a spoiler (22 years later), he's accompanied by Billy Idol, who adds the little cherry on top of it all. I did have a bit of a hard time going between which romantic Sandler comedy was better; this or '50 First Dates'. Truth be told, there's a part of me that likes '50 First Dates' just a touch more, but this was the movie that started it all between Sandler and Barrymore, and we are looking at his "Golden Age" after all. I'd personally consider this one of the finest feel-good movies out there. It gets dark in moments during Robbie's breakdown, but it's very much a film that reminds you that when things look their darkest, there's some sort of light at the end of that tunnel. It always leaves me with a charmed smile on my face. Angela Featherstone If you were ever a Sandler fan back in the day, the coin flip tended to be between 'Billy Madison' and this for his best movie - the coin ultimately landing on this most of the time. The humor involved is a little less goofy than 'Billy Madison', leaning a little more on sarcasm, but still keeping enough of that randomized humor we've come to love so much with Sandler films (at least the older stuff). Though I do tend to lean towards 'Madison' a bit more, it makes more sense to recommend this one to the masses for what it is. Happy Gilmore (Sandler) is an aspiring hockey player, and though he's not entirely good on the ice, he has an insanely strong slapshot. We learn through the intro that since his Dad passed away, he became a bit of a trouble-maker with a short fuse, and he holds the record for the only skater in the league to take off his skate and try to stab someone with it. But there is balance in his life, as his kindly, loving grandmother (Frances Bay) shows us his soft side, as he'd do anything for her. That "anything" now involves paying the IRS a lot of back taxes that she owes, or else her house gets repossessed. During a bet with two of the repo men, Happy learns that he can makes some cash hustling people at the driving range when he smacks a golf ball an incredible distance. This eventually leads him to Chubbs (Carl Weathers); a former golf pro who sees Happy's skill, and takes him under his wing to play professional golf. Happy denies him at first, but when it comes to getting back his grandmother's house, he listens to the sound of the potential money he could make on tour. Here, he meets golf favorite, Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) who quickly becomes his nemesis, disapproving of Happy's style, and claiming him as pretty much an insult to the game (like a punk rocker at a ballet). Public relations head Virginia Venit (Julie Bowen) on the other hand is very impressed by Happy's long drive and overall skill, and implores Tour Commissioner Doug Thompson (Dennis Dugan) to allow him to stay on, but while watching his outbursts, and trying to keep them under control. It's relatively predictable how it all goes, but it can't be denied that the execution of it all is hilarious, and it fits very well as a blend of the sports movie craze of the 90s, as well as the Sandler craze of the 90s. It would all eventually come around again with 'The Waterboy', but that's a review for a couple of weeks from now. A few more things that make this one a bit more memorable for people include some celebrity cameos, not the least of which is former 'Price is Right' host, the late Bob Barker - who gets in a fist fight with Happy, providing us with a pretty funny and unexpected fight. But also on board are the late Richard Kiel as Happy's former boss. He'd be most recognized as Jaws in the 'Bond' film 'Moonraker', but he was also the voice of Vlad in 'Tangled'. Let's also not leave out a fellow Canadian, Joe Flaherty, as "Jeering Fan" (or as I like to refer to him as, the "Jackass" guy) or Ben Stiller as a nursing home orderly with a short fuse. 'Billy Madison' didn't have much of that, unless you count Chris Farley as the bus driver, but even that's really just an SNL attachment. I'm not entirely sure what else can be said about 'Happy Gilmore', sadly. It's a great way to see Sandler in his prime, and it's great that the comedic formula does a sort of shift from 'Madison' to 'Gilmore', showing us a decent range for him right off the bat. I'd say that if you wanted to see a more stereotypical goofy Sandler, 'Billy Madison' is the one to watch, but if you prefer his comedy through anger and sarcasm, this is the one to lean towards. Otherwise, on the surface, it's really just another underdog sports movie with a bit of a twist. But still, it yields hilarious results, and a lot of the comedy in this isn't even from Sander as opposed to the dry and seemingly accidental deliveries from Christopher McDonald. So definitely check it out if you are a little curious about Adam Sandler's early work. Hell, back-to-back 'Billy Madison' and 'Happy Gilmore' just to say that you've seen the films that lead to Sandler's production company, 'Happy Madison Productions'. Let's face it, that's a company with more misses than hits, but there are a few titles under their belt that I can say I still enjoy. If it weren't for these movies bringing Sandler into the spotlight as almost a direct competition to Jim Carrey, who knows what could have happened to the randomized comedy I've grown to enjoy so much from Adam Sandler - unless we're talking about 'Zohan'... dammit, that was just too random. Believe it or not, there was once a time when Adam Sandler was considered the creme of the crop when it came to goofy comedies. Nowadays, we've pretty well outgrown him as the goofball, and thanking the Good Lord he's moved onto some serious acting. But at one point in time, he was pretty well neck-and-neck with Jim Carrey for who the better comedian was. 'Ace Ventura' came out in 1994, one year before this one, and each was respectively their big breakout film (at least from my perspective). Those who know me well know that I have a big soft spot for this movie. I remember seeing it in the theater upon its release when I was 12, and to this day, it may take the cake for the most I've ever laughed during a film. It was here that I found my fondness for what can only be described as completely random comedy. The whole time, I'm laughing my ass off, but at the same time going "this is so stupid!" To this day, it remains one of my favorite comedies, and something I like to throw on for a good laugh, or to cheer me up. This is one of those great Rotten Tomato dividers, where the critics give it a 40% but audiences give it a 79%, and I fully side with the audience. The film centers on Billy Madison (Adam Sandler); smart aleck son of the wealthy owner of Madison Hotels, Brian Madison (Darren McGavin). One day Brian has a talk with his son about handing the company over to Eric Gordon (Bradley Whitford) who is a BAD, BAD MAN! Billy is about to miss out on inheriting the company due to his slacking, childlike nature, and the fact that he only graduated because his father paid the teachers to give him decent grades. But the idea of Eric getting the company provokes some seriousness within Billy. He agrees with his Dad that if he can do first grade through twelfth grade all over again, do each grade in two weeks, take the tests, re-graduate, and proove to him that he's not an idiot, he gets to take over Madison Hotels. In truth, it doesn't make much sense that he's able to do what he does in the movie and physically go back to the first grade, and try to see it through to the end. The idea of a grown man in a classroom full of kids who says he's there to be educated can only come across as creepy and weird today, and as something that could probably never happen. The idea here seems to be that his Dad is just that rich - you throw money at anything, and it'll work out in your favor. But for as odd as it all sounds, it really makes for some of the best comedy in the movie. His interactions with these kids are more likened to him being everyone's crazy, fun "Uncle Billy". Once Billy gets to third grade, he meets his teacher Ms. Veronica Vaughn (Bridgette Wilson), who becomes Billy's love interest through the movie, and she's a pretty good example of a strong female character from the mid-90s. She comes along and helps Billy focus on what's important, and some of this may include a scene where she beats the crap out of him. She was also Sonya Blade in 'Mortal Kombat' later that year, so she definitely had this toughness about her. She was a good character to contrast Billy's personality. If you feel like turning off your brain completely for about an hour and a half, this is a good go-to for such a thing. You just sit back and laugh with this movie, and you don't for one second take anything seriously. Aspects of it might be a touch dated, but I can't help but have fun with it. Make no mistake, it is Adam Sandler in one of his silliest roles, so first-timers may not get quite as much a kick out of it. But one has to understand that this was when Adam Sandler was just leaving SNL, and he was such a hit with us kids that a whole bunch of us had his material on CD and would gather friends in a room, listen and laugh. A lot of his material is still openly available, and if you've ever been a fan, I recommend checking some of it out. This probably is my favorite Adam Sandler comedy, and has been since day one. It helped me find my random sense of humor, and I'm forever thankful. Taking place in 1886, we meet adventurer Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman). Frosts specialty is the seeking out and proving the existence of modern mythical creatures, which could lead to his dream of being accepted into the Society of Great Men, lead by Lord Piggot-Dunceby (Stephen Fry). To prove himself worthy, Frost makes his next mission to prove the existence of the elusive Sasquatch, after receiving a letter that claims them to be real. Frost then travels to the Pacific Northwest and soon meets the Sasquatch (Zach Galifianakis), who speaks perfect English and claims to be the one who wrote the letter that lead Frost here. His motivation is to have Frost help him find his relatives, the Yetis, so that he can find a home and not be so lonely anymore. Frost agrees to help, and get assistance from his old lover, Adelina Fortnight (Zoe Saldana), who has a map to the Himalayas, and along the way helps to develop Frost's character. On their tail, however, is a bounty hunter named Willard Stenk (Timothy Olyphant) who has been recruited by Piggot-Dunceby to seek out to kill Frost to ensure the views of the Society of Great Men go unchallenged. Though Stenk provides a constant threat through the film, a lot of the story is about accepting the "different", and looking past one's pride to see the good in that difference. This is perhaps most well-illustrated by the fact that Mr. Link (as Frost calls him) wants to change his name to Susan. On the surface, the simple reason he wants to be called Susan is that he remembers coming across an explorer named Susan who didn't freak out when she saw him, and she was therefore admirable enough to name himself after. It's played for laughs, but at the same time, it's LAIKA once again standing up for certain rights - Mr. Link wants to be referred to as a woman. Something similar comes up in 'ParaNorman' when we find out a certain character is gay, and to me, it's clear that LAIKA is a company that tries to do the right thing. They still have some ground to cover, but they do a better job than many. One thing all of the LAIKA films have had in common up until this point is playing with certain elements of horror. They all have something to fear in them, whether it be having button eyes, zombie attacks, mankind, the list goes on. In fact, "mankind" is a pretty common theme among them, but it's probably nowhere more evident than here. It's not so much about mankind being the hunter, as something like this would usually do, but mankind just being ugly altogether. Nowhere is that more evident than the "Society of Great Men", who are really just a bunch of snobby assholes who want Frost dead just so their conservative views aren't challenged - yeah, LAIKA can get pretty grown up. Of the collection, I'd have to say that this one is easily the most light-hearted (despite all that was just said) and easiest one to show the kids. LAIKA deals with mature subject matter a bit more to simply dub them as "family movies", but this one is also quite a nice story with a likable, well-developed lead. Somewhere between here and 'Boxtrolls', you have the LAIKA films that the whole family can pretty well watch with no real trouble. The others all have at least a little something that's very disturbing, but the storytelling is always great stuff. It's my humble opinion that LAIKA is easily one of the best animation studios out there, and year by year, they are robbed of a potential Oscar (generally by worthy movies), but it seems to go the way of Ghibli - often nominated, never winning, and even Ghibli got theirs for 'Spirited Away'. Regardless of awards, as we wrap up LAIKA month, I can fully admit that I would highly recommend any film within the LAIKA animation collection. 'The Corpse Bride', 'Coraline', 'ParaNorman', 'The Boxtrolls', 'Kubo and the Two Strings' and 'Missing Link' are all super high on my list for beautiful animation, wonderful storytelling, and above all else, not treating their youthful audience as a bunch of goofy, mindless kids. There are mature and even frightening themes within their list, and it may interest one to know that 'The Adventures of Mark Twain', whose Devil figure has pretty well become a disturbing meme nowadays, is theirs as well. LAIKA is a great company, not afraid to "go there", and I can't wait to see what they have in store for their next project. |
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