"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?" Even though it is typed and not spoken, this is the final line of the classic 1986 Rob Reiner film Stand By Me. It is also the perfect line to end the film with because it is absolutely true. I have had many friends come in and out of my life. Some of them left an impression and others I can barely remember, but they all played a role in my life. But I will never forget the core group of guys that I grew up with through my elementary and middle school years. Ironically, my group was very similar to the foursome in the movie. I see a lot of myself in Gordie Lachance, quiet and reserved but willing to step up and be a voice for the group when I needed to. My friend Ralph Chandler was about a year older, the coolest member of our group and could be fearless at times. Because of that I definitely see a Chris Chambers quality to him. My cousin Jason Hodges could be downright crazy and if the four of us ever got in trouble it was usually Jason who had a big hand in things. For that, he definitely reminds me of Teddy Duchamp. My friend Eric Jones was the youngest of the group and was the easiest to pick on, but he had an innocence about him that you just liked having him around, thus he compares to Vern Tessio quite a bit. The four of us spent so much time together and we would spend countless hours playing in the woods near our house. There was a clearing in the woods where you could get down the embankment and sit on the banks of the St. Johns River. This was our place to go to just sit back and talk boy talk, much like the tree house at the start of the movie. We would talk about the latest Nintendo games that were coming out, make trades with our baseball cards, talk about our Star Wars toy collections...and of course talk about the girls who lived in the neighborhood. These times were priceless.
Of course, time moved on, we got older and eventually all went our separate ways. But that's the power that the movie Stand By Me has. Seeing it can bring back all of these memories in an instant. When you have a film that can do that for you, it makes it very special and this one is very special to me and always will be. Stand By Me is based on a novella called "The Body" by Stephen King from his book "Different Seasons". This book also had the story that would become the movie The Shawshank Redemption which is one of my all-time favorites so I would recommend reading "Different Seasons" if you haven't already for these two classic stories. Stand By Me was just recently released on a 25th Anniversary special edition Blu-Ray that is the basis for this review. The film stars Wil Wheaton, Jerry O'Connell, Corey Feldman and the late River Phoenix as the four boys who go on an adventure to find the body of another kid who is missing and presumed killed in a train accident. The boys at first are excited about this opportunity because it is a way for them to become famous if they find the body and bring it back home. They talk about the excitement of being on tv and when they set out on their adventure Vern (O'Connell) even brings a comb along so they can look good for the cameras. What happens in the next hour and a half is one of the great coming-of-age stories to ever be put on the silver screen. Over the course of the two days of traveling, we can actually see the foursome crossing over from childhood into adulthood. The tone of the film starts off very innocent and funny but as we go along each of the members has a growing moment and by the end of the film the tone has shifted dramatically.
This movie works for many reasons but to me the acting is what sets it apart and pushes it to the elite level. Every acting job in this movie is perfect for the role. Richard Dreyfuss is the narrator of the movie and plays the adult Gordie Lachance. We see the film through his narration and onscreen he bookends the movie for us. Keifer Sutherland is wonderful in his first big time role as Ace Merrill, the leader of the gang trying to beat Gordie and his friends to the body. John Cusack has a small role as Gordie's brother Denny who died at a young age. We see him in flashbacks that Gordie has where his parents ignore him but Denny always believed in him and this will play a big part in the end when Gordie has his main emotional moment in the film. While all these smaller roles are well done, ultimately the film rests on the shoulders of these four young boys who were all relatively newcomers to acting. Only Corey Feldman had done significant work prior to Stand By Me, starring in Goonies, Gremlins and Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. While they were young, all four give outstanding performances. River Phoenix would go on to be one of the best young actors in Hollywood and had a long career ahead of him. Unfortunately, he fell victim to drug abuse and died tragically at a young age. But in this role as Chris Chambers you can see all the promise he had. The scene where he and Gordie are sitting up late at the campfire and Chris tells Gordie that he stole the milk money from school is such great acting. The emotion that River Phoenix brings to that scene is something you would expect from an actor who had years of experience. Phoenix did not have that experience but you wouldn't guess it from watching that performance.
Stand By Me is such a great film and I highly recommend everyone see it if you haven't for any reason. Even though the movie is rated R due to the language in the film, I wouldn't see a problem letting anyone over 12 or so watch it. But I think it's a film that adults will appreciate more. While I don't have any kids and may be way off base with this, it seems like kids today spend so much time indoors and don't get out and explore like they used to. That may have a lot to do with the way society has changed and there are a lot of not-so-good people walking the streets. If that is the case, it's unfortunate because so much of our lives at an early age should be shaped by these bonds we form with our friends. To take that adventure and go out and discover something about ourselves, I think there are some things you can only learn by having a group of friends like that. Like the movie, I had my adventures with my friends and I learned a lot....the most notable thing being that I sometimes wish I could go back and relive those moments. When things were a little bit simpler, yet so much more complicated to understand.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The Karate Kid (1984)- ***** vs The Karate Kid (2010)- *1/2
When I heard a couple of years ago that The Karate Kid was being remade, it struck a nerve with me. I had gotten to the point where I was really tired of Hollywood remaking so many classic movies. I think the apex of this trend was when Psycho was remade by Gus Van Sant. There are certain movies that you just don't mess with and Psycho is one of them. A true classic in every sense of the word. This trend continues to this day as now The Bodyguard is rumored to be getting the remake treatment, a film that isn't even 20 years old. It is really sad, the lack of imagination and unique ideas coming from Hollywood studios these days. But The Karate Kid, like Psycho, really bothered me because I think the original is such a great movie and a remake was completely unnecessary. I made a vow that I would not see the remake just out of principle, and I managed to hold out for a year, but I finally broke down and decided to give it a shot. It was staring at me in my Netflix queue for too long so I decided to take the plunge.
While I do not like the fact that this film was made, I wanted to be true to my values and approach the movie with an open mind and I honestly believe I did that. I was hoping for a nice surprise, and while the movie has it's moments and isn't a complete failure, unfortunately it does not hold up to the standards of the original and isn't even in the same league really. It is a true remake for sure as the story, and much of the dialogue, is pulled directly from the 1984 version. I found myself predicting what some of the upcoming lines would be and many times, I wouldn't be far off. There are some notable changes, the most obvious being that the remake takes place in China rather than California as the original did. And to me, this was one of the things I did sort of enjoy about this picture. Some of the scenery and settings are great to look at and it definitely adds an authentic feel to the movie. Most of the actors are Chinese and this helps as well. With this though, comes one of the things I didn't like about this movie. Even though it takes place in China, anybody that "needs" to speak English can. Even the young actor who plays the primary antagonist in the movie. While American audiences aren't usually big on reading subtitles, I believe it would have worked better here and added to the authenticity.
Another positive that I can find in this remake is the actual fighting. The choreography of the fighting scenes is simply amazing, especially the scene where Jackie Chan's character fights all the members of the bully gang. This coincides with the scene in the original where the Kobra Kai attack Daniel during the Halloween party in their skeleton outfits and Mr. Miyagi saves the day. That original scene only lasted a few seconds. The remake scene runs probably two minutes and is Jackie Chan at his best. It's really well done. There are also great visuals during the tournament fighting scenes at the end. No complaints there.
Unfortunately, that's where the positives stop for me. I could go on for quite awhile on the things that I didn't like but I will concentrate on just a couple. First, the acting in the remake is a HUGE step down. Jaden Smith will one day probably be a fine enough actor and I actually enjoyed him next to his father Will Smith in a film I really enjoyed, The Pursuit of Happyness. But here, I just didn't like him at all. There was just no charisma and I didn't like the slight cockiness that he has in this picture. While Ralph Macchio's Daniel could be quite a bit whiny at times, he was much more believable in the title role. Elizabeth Shue sometimes gets a bad rap for her role as Daniel's love interest, Ali, in the original, but I think it's unjustified. She is beautiful and plays the role perfectly fine I feel. Here that role is played by Wenwen Han as Meiying. She is a beautiful young actress and does okay I guess, but there's just nothing special about it to me. That actually may be a little unfair because in the remake the kids are a bit younger than the high school aged students of the original, so the romance angle isn't played in the same way. It's a bit more innocent, but still, it just didn't connect with me as much. The biggest difference though is between the teachers. Pat Morita's Mr. Miyagi is one of the enduring characters of 80's films. Jackie Chan's Mr. Han, other than the fighting scene he has, is a complete letdown for me. I think the movie would have benefited by having a lesser known actor in the role. Something I don't think many people realize is that Morita was nominated for both a Golden Globe award and an Oscar for his Supporting role in the original. The acting was that highly thought of and it was much deserved. Chan doesn't bring the same magic and it really hurts the film.
Something else that I want to bring up are the "bullies" in the two films. In the remake, these kids are pure evil and other than the primary kid Cheng, played by Zhenwei Wang, none of them get developed as characters. This is a contrast from the Kobra Kai who were all developed even if it is done subtly. Go back and watch the original film one time and really focus on the Kobra Kai characters. There are 4 primary members: Johnny, Bobby, Tommy and Dutch. (There is a fifth that hangs around with these 4 but he is never given a name on screen and doesn't fit the bill as these four do) If you watch, you will see distinct personality differences among these four. Johnny is the typical leader of the group. Very cool, good-looking, athletic....and also a true bully, thinking everyone should do what he says. Tommy is the loud mouth annoying member of the group. Dutch is the member who is most likely to do jail time in the future. Very cocky and just cold-blooded. Bobby is the member who seems to have some morals and feels some guilt about the things his group does. Watch the movie and pay close attention and you will see these differences. All of this is missing in the remake and while it is really a small thing, it's things like this can take a movie from just average or bad and make it great.
The biggest thing missing from the remake is the heart that the original has. The training that Mr. Miyagi provides is so much more effective with this than Mr. Han's training. Miyagi and Daniel develop a personal relationship over the course of the film that comes to a head in two scenes in the final third of the movie. The first is when Daniel comes to Miyagi's house and finds him drunk and mourning the anniversary of the loss of his wife and unborn child. This is such a powerful scene and ends with Daniel giving the ultimate respect to his trainer by bowing to him as he leaves the room. It is very touching. A little later it is Daniel's birthday and Miyagi gives Daniel one of the cars he owns and gives Daniel a speech about being responsible. He encourages Daniel to make up with Ali who has broken up with him earlier in the film. As Daniel goes to leave, he looks at Mr. Miyagi and tells him that he is the best friend he has ever had. Once again, a simple yet very effective scene that shines the light on the relationship these two have come to develop. All of this heart is missing in the remake. We get the same scenes but Smith and Chan just cannot pull them off to the same degree as Macchio and Morita and that ultimately is the biggest downfall of this film.
In closing, there are some things I enjoyed about the remake but it is not a movie I will ever watch again willingly. That's not the same with the original which is a film I will watch almost every time if I catch it on. The original was made by Director John G. Avildsen who is best known for the great film Rocky. There are a lot of comparisons between Rocky and The Karate Kid (1984) that can be made. They have a lot of the same feel and both are great movies. Unfortunately, The Karate Kid (2010) isn't in the same class.
While I do not like the fact that this film was made, I wanted to be true to my values and approach the movie with an open mind and I honestly believe I did that. I was hoping for a nice surprise, and while the movie has it's moments and isn't a complete failure, unfortunately it does not hold up to the standards of the original and isn't even in the same league really. It is a true remake for sure as the story, and much of the dialogue, is pulled directly from the 1984 version. I found myself predicting what some of the upcoming lines would be and many times, I wouldn't be far off. There are some notable changes, the most obvious being that the remake takes place in China rather than California as the original did. And to me, this was one of the things I did sort of enjoy about this picture. Some of the scenery and settings are great to look at and it definitely adds an authentic feel to the movie. Most of the actors are Chinese and this helps as well. With this though, comes one of the things I didn't like about this movie. Even though it takes place in China, anybody that "needs" to speak English can. Even the young actor who plays the primary antagonist in the movie. While American audiences aren't usually big on reading subtitles, I believe it would have worked better here and added to the authenticity.
Another positive that I can find in this remake is the actual fighting. The choreography of the fighting scenes is simply amazing, especially the scene where Jackie Chan's character fights all the members of the bully gang. This coincides with the scene in the original where the Kobra Kai attack Daniel during the Halloween party in their skeleton outfits and Mr. Miyagi saves the day. That original scene only lasted a few seconds. The remake scene runs probably two minutes and is Jackie Chan at his best. It's really well done. There are also great visuals during the tournament fighting scenes at the end. No complaints there.
Unfortunately, that's where the positives stop for me. I could go on for quite awhile on the things that I didn't like but I will concentrate on just a couple. First, the acting in the remake is a HUGE step down. Jaden Smith will one day probably be a fine enough actor and I actually enjoyed him next to his father Will Smith in a film I really enjoyed, The Pursuit of Happyness. But here, I just didn't like him at all. There was just no charisma and I didn't like the slight cockiness that he has in this picture. While Ralph Macchio's Daniel could be quite a bit whiny at times, he was much more believable in the title role. Elizabeth Shue sometimes gets a bad rap for her role as Daniel's love interest, Ali, in the original, but I think it's unjustified. She is beautiful and plays the role perfectly fine I feel. Here that role is played by Wenwen Han as Meiying. She is a beautiful young actress and does okay I guess, but there's just nothing special about it to me. That actually may be a little unfair because in the remake the kids are a bit younger than the high school aged students of the original, so the romance angle isn't played in the same way. It's a bit more innocent, but still, it just didn't connect with me as much. The biggest difference though is between the teachers. Pat Morita's Mr. Miyagi is one of the enduring characters of 80's films. Jackie Chan's Mr. Han, other than the fighting scene he has, is a complete letdown for me. I think the movie would have benefited by having a lesser known actor in the role. Something I don't think many people realize is that Morita was nominated for both a Golden Globe award and an Oscar for his Supporting role in the original. The acting was that highly thought of and it was much deserved. Chan doesn't bring the same magic and it really hurts the film.
Something else that I want to bring up are the "bullies" in the two films. In the remake, these kids are pure evil and other than the primary kid Cheng, played by Zhenwei Wang, none of them get developed as characters. This is a contrast from the Kobra Kai who were all developed even if it is done subtly. Go back and watch the original film one time and really focus on the Kobra Kai characters. There are 4 primary members: Johnny, Bobby, Tommy and Dutch. (There is a fifth that hangs around with these 4 but he is never given a name on screen and doesn't fit the bill as these four do) If you watch, you will see distinct personality differences among these four. Johnny is the typical leader of the group. Very cool, good-looking, athletic....and also a true bully, thinking everyone should do what he says. Tommy is the loud mouth annoying member of the group. Dutch is the member who is most likely to do jail time in the future. Very cocky and just cold-blooded. Bobby is the member who seems to have some morals and feels some guilt about the things his group does. Watch the movie and pay close attention and you will see these differences. All of this is missing in the remake and while it is really a small thing, it's things like this can take a movie from just average or bad and make it great.
The biggest thing missing from the remake is the heart that the original has. The training that Mr. Miyagi provides is so much more effective with this than Mr. Han's training. Miyagi and Daniel develop a personal relationship over the course of the film that comes to a head in two scenes in the final third of the movie. The first is when Daniel comes to Miyagi's house and finds him drunk and mourning the anniversary of the loss of his wife and unborn child. This is such a powerful scene and ends with Daniel giving the ultimate respect to his trainer by bowing to him as he leaves the room. It is very touching. A little later it is Daniel's birthday and Miyagi gives Daniel one of the cars he owns and gives Daniel a speech about being responsible. He encourages Daniel to make up with Ali who has broken up with him earlier in the film. As Daniel goes to leave, he looks at Mr. Miyagi and tells him that he is the best friend he has ever had. Once again, a simple yet very effective scene that shines the light on the relationship these two have come to develop. All of this heart is missing in the remake. We get the same scenes but Smith and Chan just cannot pull them off to the same degree as Macchio and Morita and that ultimately is the biggest downfall of this film.
In closing, there are some things I enjoyed about the remake but it is not a movie I will ever watch again willingly. That's not the same with the original which is a film I will watch almost every time if I catch it on. The original was made by Director John G. Avildsen who is best known for the great film Rocky. There are a lot of comparisons between Rocky and The Karate Kid (1984) that can be made. They have a lot of the same feel and both are great movies. Unfortunately, The Karate Kid (2010) isn't in the same class.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
In Defense Of............Kevin Costner
Well, due to a strange work schedule I had this week, I was not able to make any postings all week long but that will not become the norm. I've had ideas for several things I would like to do but finding the time to sit down and put it into words has been a challenge. This posting will be the first of what I hope will become a series of articles where on occasion I will come to the defense of an actor, movie, etc. which I feel are unfairly looked down upon by the general public. Like I said in my first post, I will not bow down and go with the majority of people on an issue just because I want to be part of the "in crowd", that's not me. So I hope that's what this will eventually become, a series of articles where I can defend some of my favorites.
Now that we got that out of the way, I want to open by coming to the defense of an actor who has been in some of the best films I have ever seen and gets a bad rap for reasons I don't believe are justified. That man is Kevin Costner. I don't know how many conversations I have been involved in about movies and if Costner's name comes up it seems like there is always someone there ready to roll their eyes or make a negative comment. What I love is that about 90% of those times if you press these people on why they feel negative towards him, they ALL say something along the lines of "Well, he was in that stupid Waterworld movie. That was the worst movie ever made." So you follow up by asking if they have seen any other films of his. "Well no, he's a terrible actor. Why would I see anything else after Waterworld." I have literally had this conversation more than once before. I don't get this!! Okay, I understand you may have disliked that movie (By the way, I think "Waterworld" is underrated and isn't that bad. Sue me) but how many actors can you name that don't have a dud somewhere?? It's very rare. During one of these conversations I had someone suggest to me that Harrison Ford didn't have any duds. Really??? That's interesting. Because while I love Harrison Ford you wanna tell me that he wouldn't mind having "Six Days Seven Nights" disappear from the resume? And don't even get me started on the most recent Indiana Jones film. I'll take "Waterworld" over that dreck any day of the week. Now, do I think Costner has made some bad films? Absolutely. "The Postman" and "3000 Miles To Graceland" should cease to exist in my opinion. "Dragonfly" and "Mr. Brooks" were movies I was looking forward to but were highly disappointing and would not be recommended by me. But the list of stuff that ranges from good to near perfect far outweighs the bad for Costner in my humble opinion.
I will list my top 10 Costner films, all of which are recommended viewing, and the top 5 of these I would all give 5 stars to, a perfect ranking. Of these, the top 3 would all be in my top 10 films of all-time. I think that highly of these films. In a lot of cases I don't think Costner's acting abilities are what puts the movie over the top, but he certainly does not bring the movies down. With all that said, let's start the list with some honorable mentions. Films that are recommended but not in the top 10. Give them a shot though: American Flyers, No Way Out, Dances With Wolves (Costner's only 2 Oscar wins), Wyatt Earp, Waterworld, Tin Cup, Thirteen Days, Open Range and Swing Vote. Now on to the list.
10. The Guardian (2006) - Costner stars as a veteran Coast Guard rescue swimmer who after a tragic accident involving his crew is sent to become a trainer for new recruits. Ashton Kutcher also stars as a cocky new recruit who Costner must develop and be a mentor to. Cliched at times for sure, but enjoyable for the most part.
9. For Love Of The Game (1999) - If there is something Costner does well, it's baseball films. And this one is sort of the forgotten one of the three baseball films he has made, and that's unfortunate. Here he stars as a 40 year old pitcher at the end of his career, leading his Detroit Tigers team in a late season meaningless game against the New York Yankees. Costner is having a brilliant game that may be his best ever and during the game Costner's character reflects back on his playing career and the romantic relationship he develops with Jane, played by Kelly Preston. This is a hidden gem of a film and very uplifting.
8. Bull Durham (1988) - This was the first of the baseball trilogy and is regarded as a classic. Many consider it the best baseball film period and while I think it's very good, I think that's a bit much. Especially considering I don't think it's even Costner's best baseball film, but I understand the argument for sure. Costner is a veteran minor league catcher who is involved in a love triangle with the new hot shot pitcher played by another favorite of mine, Tim Robbins, and the team "groupie" played by Susan Sarandon. This is just a fun movie and if you like baseball it's a must see.
7. The War (1994) - This is an example of a movie that I love but not because of Costner's performance. Here he is outshined by two youngsters played by Elijah Wood and Lexi Randall who are Costner's children in the film. Costner is a veteran who has returned home from Vietnam and is scarred by his time there. His kids are having difficulties of their own with a family of children who are bullying them. Costner teaches Wood and Randall many life lessons he has learned in Vietnam, including what is worth fighting for. This is an OVERLY sentimental movie but I love where it's heart is at. Yes, this movie made me cry, I ate up the sentimentality. And I'm happy to admit that!!
6. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) - This is another film that Costner gets bashed on a lot. What is the reason I get a lot of times? His accent wasn't right for Robin Hood...........Who cares!!! Really. There's a lot of great action in this film. Alan Rickman steals the movie as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Morgan Freeman is here giving a great performance. This is just a fun film, get over the voice people. Seriously.
5. The Untouchables (1987) - This is the first of the 5-star films for me. Brian De Palma directing. Costner as Eliot Ness. Robert DeNiro as Al Capone. Sean Connery in one of his best roles. What more do you want? Okay, how about 10 of the most intense minutes when Costner and Andy Garcia attack Capone's men inside Union Station. The scene is based on the Odessa Steps scene from the film "Battleship Potemkin". To me, it's on the great scenes in movie history and is Filmmaking 101.
4. The Bodyguard (1992) - Well, here is another controversial one. The Bodyguard won many awards.....Razzies!! Which are given the night before the Oscars to the worst films of the year. That's unfortunate because this is a great film. Whitney Houston is very good in her role and who can argue with the music, it's simply fantastic. Is the ending a little predictable? Yeah, probably. But I really enjoyed the buildup, especially the scenes when Costner takes Houston's family to his fathers cabin in the woods. This is just a good film, sorry haters.
3. A Perfect World (1993) - It could have easily been called A Perfect "Movie", because it's about as close as you can come. This is in my opinion Costner's finest acting performance and here it is instrumental to the success of the film, unlike some of his other movies. Costner plays Butch Haynes, an escaped convict who is on the run from the law and through a series of events ends up with a little boy as hostage. Clint Eastwood plays a Texas Ranger who leads a team on the road in search of Butch and the boy. The film was also directed by Eastwood and why this didn't get more recognition at Oscar time is beyond me. The critics even agree with me on this one as it has a respectable 81% favorable rating on Rotten Tomatoes. If you do not take my word for any other movie on this list, do it for this one. Trust me. If you haven't seen it, do so.
2. Field Of Dreams (1989) - This is the one Costner movie that people seem to enjoy more than others, even those who are not Costner fans. Fathers and sons seem especially pulled in by this film and I know why. I have seen this movie I don't know how many times, and I cry EVERY time at the end. I just can't help it, it means that much to me. For those who have seen it you know what I'm talking about with the ending, so I won't ruin the surprise if you haven't seen it. But this movie is just completely heartwarming. I don't even think you have to be a baseball fan to enjoy it, although it helps.
1. JFK (1991) - If not for the Star Wars saga and The Shawshank Redemption, this would be my favorite film ever made. Once again the critics seem to agree with me as it has an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was one of the few Costner films to get serious Oscar recognition. The movie won for Cinematography and Editing (well deserved) and was nominated for several others including Best Picture, Tommy Lee Jones for Supporting Actor and Oliver Stone for Director. It's ridiculous that Costner didn't get a nomination but what can you do. I can't argue TOO much with the losses since this was the year that another favorite of mine, Silence Of The Lambs, swept all the major awards. But Costner deserved a nomination for sure. The film is based on the true story of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison who is the only person to bring someone to trial for the murder of President John F. Kennedy. Garrison strongly believed there was a conspiracy involved in the assassination and the movie tells the story of his investigation. It's not for everyone as this is a history movie sort of but it is put together so well and features one of the deepest, and strongest, casts I can think of. There's not much else to say, it's a classic, pure and simple.
Well, if you were not a Costner fan I hope I may have inspired you to try out some of his other films. If not, that's cool too. I'd be happy to listen to arguments, just please don't give me the "Well he made Waterworld" argument. It gets old after awhile.
Now that we got that out of the way, I want to open by coming to the defense of an actor who has been in some of the best films I have ever seen and gets a bad rap for reasons I don't believe are justified. That man is Kevin Costner. I don't know how many conversations I have been involved in about movies and if Costner's name comes up it seems like there is always someone there ready to roll their eyes or make a negative comment. What I love is that about 90% of those times if you press these people on why they feel negative towards him, they ALL say something along the lines of "Well, he was in that stupid Waterworld movie. That was the worst movie ever made." So you follow up by asking if they have seen any other films of his. "Well no, he's a terrible actor. Why would I see anything else after Waterworld." I have literally had this conversation more than once before. I don't get this!! Okay, I understand you may have disliked that movie (By the way, I think "Waterworld" is underrated and isn't that bad. Sue me) but how many actors can you name that don't have a dud somewhere?? It's very rare. During one of these conversations I had someone suggest to me that Harrison Ford didn't have any duds. Really??? That's interesting. Because while I love Harrison Ford you wanna tell me that he wouldn't mind having "Six Days Seven Nights" disappear from the resume? And don't even get me started on the most recent Indiana Jones film. I'll take "Waterworld" over that dreck any day of the week. Now, do I think Costner has made some bad films? Absolutely. "The Postman" and "3000 Miles To Graceland" should cease to exist in my opinion. "Dragonfly" and "Mr. Brooks" were movies I was looking forward to but were highly disappointing and would not be recommended by me. But the list of stuff that ranges from good to near perfect far outweighs the bad for Costner in my humble opinion.
I will list my top 10 Costner films, all of which are recommended viewing, and the top 5 of these I would all give 5 stars to, a perfect ranking. Of these, the top 3 would all be in my top 10 films of all-time. I think that highly of these films. In a lot of cases I don't think Costner's acting abilities are what puts the movie over the top, but he certainly does not bring the movies down. With all that said, let's start the list with some honorable mentions. Films that are recommended but not in the top 10. Give them a shot though: American Flyers, No Way Out, Dances With Wolves (Costner's only 2 Oscar wins), Wyatt Earp, Waterworld, Tin Cup, Thirteen Days, Open Range and Swing Vote. Now on to the list.
10. The Guardian (2006) - Costner stars as a veteran Coast Guard rescue swimmer who after a tragic accident involving his crew is sent to become a trainer for new recruits. Ashton Kutcher also stars as a cocky new recruit who Costner must develop and be a mentor to. Cliched at times for sure, but enjoyable for the most part.
9. For Love Of The Game (1999) - If there is something Costner does well, it's baseball films. And this one is sort of the forgotten one of the three baseball films he has made, and that's unfortunate. Here he stars as a 40 year old pitcher at the end of his career, leading his Detroit Tigers team in a late season meaningless game against the New York Yankees. Costner is having a brilliant game that may be his best ever and during the game Costner's character reflects back on his playing career and the romantic relationship he develops with Jane, played by Kelly Preston. This is a hidden gem of a film and very uplifting.
8. Bull Durham (1988) - This was the first of the baseball trilogy and is regarded as a classic. Many consider it the best baseball film period and while I think it's very good, I think that's a bit much. Especially considering I don't think it's even Costner's best baseball film, but I understand the argument for sure. Costner is a veteran minor league catcher who is involved in a love triangle with the new hot shot pitcher played by another favorite of mine, Tim Robbins, and the team "groupie" played by Susan Sarandon. This is just a fun movie and if you like baseball it's a must see.
7. The War (1994) - This is an example of a movie that I love but not because of Costner's performance. Here he is outshined by two youngsters played by Elijah Wood and Lexi Randall who are Costner's children in the film. Costner is a veteran who has returned home from Vietnam and is scarred by his time there. His kids are having difficulties of their own with a family of children who are bullying them. Costner teaches Wood and Randall many life lessons he has learned in Vietnam, including what is worth fighting for. This is an OVERLY sentimental movie but I love where it's heart is at. Yes, this movie made me cry, I ate up the sentimentality. And I'm happy to admit that!!
6. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) - This is another film that Costner gets bashed on a lot. What is the reason I get a lot of times? His accent wasn't right for Robin Hood...........Who cares!!! Really. There's a lot of great action in this film. Alan Rickman steals the movie as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Morgan Freeman is here giving a great performance. This is just a fun film, get over the voice people. Seriously.
5. The Untouchables (1987) - This is the first of the 5-star films for me. Brian De Palma directing. Costner as Eliot Ness. Robert DeNiro as Al Capone. Sean Connery in one of his best roles. What more do you want? Okay, how about 10 of the most intense minutes when Costner and Andy Garcia attack Capone's men inside Union Station. The scene is based on the Odessa Steps scene from the film "Battleship Potemkin". To me, it's on the great scenes in movie history and is Filmmaking 101.
4. The Bodyguard (1992) - Well, here is another controversial one. The Bodyguard won many awards.....Razzies!! Which are given the night before the Oscars to the worst films of the year. That's unfortunate because this is a great film. Whitney Houston is very good in her role and who can argue with the music, it's simply fantastic. Is the ending a little predictable? Yeah, probably. But I really enjoyed the buildup, especially the scenes when Costner takes Houston's family to his fathers cabin in the woods. This is just a good film, sorry haters.
3. A Perfect World (1993) - It could have easily been called A Perfect "Movie", because it's about as close as you can come. This is in my opinion Costner's finest acting performance and here it is instrumental to the success of the film, unlike some of his other movies. Costner plays Butch Haynes, an escaped convict who is on the run from the law and through a series of events ends up with a little boy as hostage. Clint Eastwood plays a Texas Ranger who leads a team on the road in search of Butch and the boy. The film was also directed by Eastwood and why this didn't get more recognition at Oscar time is beyond me. The critics even agree with me on this one as it has a respectable 81% favorable rating on Rotten Tomatoes. If you do not take my word for any other movie on this list, do it for this one. Trust me. If you haven't seen it, do so.
2. Field Of Dreams (1989) - This is the one Costner movie that people seem to enjoy more than others, even those who are not Costner fans. Fathers and sons seem especially pulled in by this film and I know why. I have seen this movie I don't know how many times, and I cry EVERY time at the end. I just can't help it, it means that much to me. For those who have seen it you know what I'm talking about with the ending, so I won't ruin the surprise if you haven't seen it. But this movie is just completely heartwarming. I don't even think you have to be a baseball fan to enjoy it, although it helps.
1. JFK (1991) - If not for the Star Wars saga and The Shawshank Redemption, this would be my favorite film ever made. Once again the critics seem to agree with me as it has an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was one of the few Costner films to get serious Oscar recognition. The movie won for Cinematography and Editing (well deserved) and was nominated for several others including Best Picture, Tommy Lee Jones for Supporting Actor and Oliver Stone for Director. It's ridiculous that Costner didn't get a nomination but what can you do. I can't argue TOO much with the losses since this was the year that another favorite of mine, Silence Of The Lambs, swept all the major awards. But Costner deserved a nomination for sure. The film is based on the true story of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison who is the only person to bring someone to trial for the murder of President John F. Kennedy. Garrison strongly believed there was a conspiracy involved in the assassination and the movie tells the story of his investigation. It's not for everyone as this is a history movie sort of but it is put together so well and features one of the deepest, and strongest, casts I can think of. There's not much else to say, it's a classic, pure and simple.
Well, if you were not a Costner fan I hope I may have inspired you to try out some of his other films. If not, that's cool too. I'd be happy to listen to arguments, just please don't give me the "Well he made Waterworld" argument. It gets old after awhile.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Movie Review - "Legendary" (2010) ***
I find this a very odd choice to do my first "official" movie review but that's the way things work out sometimes I guess. I had some personal issues today that made it a long day and when I had a couple of hours to kill I wanted to watch a movie that I wasn't going to have to think a lot about. Basically I needed something simple. Besides being a big movie fan, I'm also a huge wrestling fan. WWE, the primary wrestling organization going today, has started making films in the past couple of years....with VERY minimal success. "Legendary" was released last year by WWE Films to poor reviews. As of this writing, it has a 17% approval rating on rottentomatoes.com, which is obviously not good at all. But I ended up being quite surprised by the film and found it a pleasant watch.
The film stars WWE superstar John Cena as a former high school state wrestling champion who has been estranged from his family for many years. He often finds himself in trouble with the law, but usually not due to something he creates. He seems to be one of those people where trouble just happens to find them even though they are not looking for it. Cena's character Mike has been alienated from his mother and younger brother since the death of their father who was also a star wrestler. While Cena is the star of the film, the story primarily centers around his younger brother Cal, played by Devon Graye, who when we first see him seems to be a loner and gets picked on by some bullies who also happen to be on the school wrestling squad. Cal decides to join the wrestling team even though he is inexperienced and much smaller than his older brother. Cal seeks out Mike to train him, against his mothers wishes, and is initially turned down by Mike. We start to learn that Cal's primary motive is not to become a great wrestler, but he actually hopes to reunite his brother with the family. Mike eventually decides to take on the role of trainer and slowly Cal becomes a better wrestler and starts winning matches while Mike starts to rebuild the relationship with his mother.
I found this story much more enjoyable then I thought I would. I figured the story would be very predictable and while part of it is there are definitely a few surprises. While most of the acting is via inexperienced performers, there are a couple of more established stars in the film. Patricia Clarkson plays the mother of Cal and Mike and does a fine enough job. The performance is nothing special but it's not offensive either. Danny Glover has a part as the narrator of the story and shows up on occasion to provide cliched speeches to Cal about not giving up and such. Once again, nothing offensive about the role and Glover is usually nice to have around in a movie, but most of his stuff is very much cliched here. Cal has a girlfriend named Luli, played by Madeleine Martin who is someone I am not familiar with but she has a charm about her that I just found enjoyable. It's a small role just to have someone to support Cal along the way, but I liked her.
While this is not a must see film by any means, if you ever have some down time and can't think of anything to watch, you might find some entertainment here. It's a feel good type movie and is geared towards families. There were a few times when I rolled my eyes (the pyro scenes before the last match. cmon) but overall I found a lot here that I liked. It was definitely a pleasant surprise.
The film stars WWE superstar John Cena as a former high school state wrestling champion who has been estranged from his family for many years. He often finds himself in trouble with the law, but usually not due to something he creates. He seems to be one of those people where trouble just happens to find them even though they are not looking for it. Cena's character Mike has been alienated from his mother and younger brother since the death of their father who was also a star wrestler. While Cena is the star of the film, the story primarily centers around his younger brother Cal, played by Devon Graye, who when we first see him seems to be a loner and gets picked on by some bullies who also happen to be on the school wrestling squad. Cal decides to join the wrestling team even though he is inexperienced and much smaller than his older brother. Cal seeks out Mike to train him, against his mothers wishes, and is initially turned down by Mike. We start to learn that Cal's primary motive is not to become a great wrestler, but he actually hopes to reunite his brother with the family. Mike eventually decides to take on the role of trainer and slowly Cal becomes a better wrestler and starts winning matches while Mike starts to rebuild the relationship with his mother.
I found this story much more enjoyable then I thought I would. I figured the story would be very predictable and while part of it is there are definitely a few surprises. While most of the acting is via inexperienced performers, there are a couple of more established stars in the film. Patricia Clarkson plays the mother of Cal and Mike and does a fine enough job. The performance is nothing special but it's not offensive either. Danny Glover has a part as the narrator of the story and shows up on occasion to provide cliched speeches to Cal about not giving up and such. Once again, nothing offensive about the role and Glover is usually nice to have around in a movie, but most of his stuff is very much cliched here. Cal has a girlfriend named Luli, played by Madeleine Martin who is someone I am not familiar with but she has a charm about her that I just found enjoyable. It's a small role just to have someone to support Cal along the way, but I liked her.
While this is not a must see film by any means, if you ever have some down time and can't think of anything to watch, you might find some entertainment here. It's a feel good type movie and is geared towards families. There were a few times when I rolled my eyes (the pyro scenes before the last match. cmon) but overall I found a lot here that I liked. It was definitely a pleasant surprise.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Be Kind, Please Rewind
Just the other day I renewed my Netflix account which had been inactive for the past several months. I’m a big fan of Netflix and their service and have been a member off and on for about the last 3 or 4 years. I like the simplicity that the service brings and now it’s even easier because a good percentage of their stuff you don’t even have to wait for the dvd anymore, you can just upload it straight to your tv if you have a Playstation 3 (my means), a Wii or any of a number of other devices. I really love it.
The reason I bring this up is just to put my thoughts down on what is becoming a dead business in America, the local video store. I drove by a Blockbuster the other day and there were big signs out front “STORE CLOSING-EVERYTHING MUST GO” “UP TO 70% OFF ALL MOVIES”. I decided to stop in and see if I could find any bargains. While I’m primarily a Blu-Ray owner now, I do have about a half shelf of dvd’s still and I added to that a little bit. I think I came out with about 7 movies and it only set me back by $30 and some change. Not a bad little haul. But I started thinking how this may be one of the last times I step into an actual video store and it brought back some memories for sure.
I can’t remember the first time I went to the video store growing up but it was around the late 80’s I guess when Blockbuster was exploding in popularity. I can remember on Friday nights going with my mom or dad to the store and finding a movie to watch. At first I was just a tagalong and my job was to be quiet and not act up in public. Rarely did I have a say in the choice of movie but it didn’t matter, my parents were pretty lenient on what I watched. Occasionally if I had a friend over they might let us pick out a horror movie to watch while my mom and dad got something more to their taste. I can remember many a Friday night wasting my brain away on such “classics” as Sleepaway Camp, Silent Night Deadly Night or The Stuff (kudos if you know what that movie is). But life really changed when I turned 16 and could go on my own!! I had car privileges and could go hang out with friends or go to the local hangout and meet girls or any of a bunch of other cool things…..Did I do that? No. Of course not. But I spent a LOT of time at Blockbuster. (Sports card stores also were responsible for a lot of my gas money, but this isn’t a collecting blog so on with the show). About this time I also got to have my own Blockbuster card and the “responsibilities” that came with it. More on that later. I spent many hours in my teenage years staring at the walls of videos, wondering what was good, what was trash. There’s a saying that you can’t judge a book by its cover….well, the same is true on movie rentals. I rented many a movie that had box art that looked wicked cool, only to turn out to be a waste of time as the movie stunk. Then a classic like The Godfather can have such a simple cover and be such a great film. But that’s what I love about movies, you don’t know what to expect. Sometimes you get a dud, but when you find that special one that really connects with you it can do a lot of positive things. I have even been inspired by movies before which is a wonderful thing. Anyways, I digress. But I have many fond memories of going to Blockbuster, and other video stores for that matter. A lot of times I preferred the local dealer, you could find rarer items there. I was introduced to the Faces of Death series at one of these local places (watch those if you want to lose your lunch one day. Not for the faint of heart).
While I have fond memories, Blockbuster’s and the like caused a lot of headaches too and because of this I’m very grateful for services like Netflix. Ever forget to rewind a tape and you get that nasty look from the service clerk? I think I drove the people working at Merrill Rd. Blockbuster crazy sometimes. Be Kind, Rewind was the motto. Not so much for me. Looking back on that, sorry guys. Also, heaven forbid you forget you had a movie and it goes past the 3 day window. Those people would call you like the IRS and demand their movies back. If I had all the money back that I paid in late fees to Blockbuster I’d be a millionaire probably. That’s an exaggeration of course, but I paid them a LOT of extra money. My parents got stuck with it a lot of the times, sorry mom and dad. Also, good luck getting a brand new movie unless you were there early on the day it was released. Anyone remember the little return bin that was under the counter? People would slide their returned movies in from the outside and you would hear that CLUNK CLUNK. That was a beautiful sound wasn’t it? Everyone would rush over and practically attack the clerk to see if it was one of the new releases. I know that drove the clerks crazy, but hey, that’s their job. Usually it would end up being Bambi 8, the recent direct-to-VHS movie from Disney, but occasionally you would get lucky. If you were desperate you would just stand at that counter and wait for someone to bring their movies back while the clerks stared at you like you were a loser. C’mon, y’all know what I’m talking about. If you were around in those days and were looking for something specific you did the “wait of shame” too. I waited many times. But all of that was part o the experience and there is a miniscule part of me that misses those days. Very miniscule.
As the 90’s progressed, DVD replaced VHS and I got older and started buying most of my dvds. Trips to the video store were fewer and fewer. I had times where I would still go pretty regularly but they would only last for a few weeks or so and then I would stop going again. When Netflix eventually came along and I discovered that, I can’t remember going to a video store after that, unless it was to clean out a place that is going out of business. Things are much easier now. You can get thousands of movies in mere seconds. We can even watch them on our phones now if you choose. Late fees are a thing of the past and the library of films is much larger than what a box store could hold. I love Netflix and everything we can get in regards to movies these days. But every once in awhile I like to remember those days when you would open up a door that has a Be Kind, Rewind sign hanging on it and just stare at those walls and wonder what you were going to rent tonight.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Introduction to the Mind of Mickster
Hello. Welcome to my initial blog in what will hopefully become something long term. I have to admit I am fairly new to this but I'm excited about getting started. What led me to start this in the first place? Well, I have a big time love for movies in general and after posting lots of movie thoughts and reviews on Facebook, it was suggested that I start a blog where I'm not limited by the number of words I can use. I was hesitant at first but after putting some thought into it, I figured why not give it a shot. I would like to personally thank my very close friend Regenia Spangler who was instrumental in pushing me to do this. So if it stinks, you can blame her!! I love you girl.
So what do I want this to be? Well, I will obviously post movie reviews on here, that's a given. But I would also like to turn it into a place where I can just post random thoughts about a specific movie or a general theme in movies. I might post about a specific actor or actress, or a certain genre of movies and what they mean to me. I'm sure it will develop over time but I don't want it to be simply a movie review blog. I hope that some of my blogs may inspire discussion about movies. That would be the ultimate goal of this for me. I can sit around all day and talk about movies that I love and if I get to do that more often, then that's wonderful.
Here is what my blog will NOT be. I am not a journalist or a professional writer by any means. I'm just an ordinary, everyday guy going about his life. I just happen to love watching movies. So if you are looking for something super-intellectual, it's not going to be here. I can send you to any number of respected film critics and you will get much better quality. Roger Ebert is my personal favorite, I love his writing style, but I am not him. I can't even aspire to write like he does. People like him can look deep into a film and see stuff that I can't. I'm just not that knowledgeable about the film-making process. This will be kept simple. Also, I refuse to compromise my thoughts to appeal to the masses. I think too many times, people will say they like something just so they can be a part of the majority. I can't do that and I refuse to do that. Here's an example, I fully respect the place in history that a film like Gone With The Wind has. I have seen it, once, and thought it was a fine movie......You won't find it anywhere NEAR a top 100 film list for me. I saw it, it was okay, I don't have much desire to see it again. Maybe one day. But I'm not going to say it's one of the great films of all time just because the "critical masses" do. That's what I mean. I hope people can respect that.
So that's what I want this blog to be, and not to be. If it sounds like something you would like to read further, I invite you to check back on a regular basis. Please leave comments and let me know what you like or don't like. If you have any ideas, I'm all ears. I'm not sure what I want this to look like and I will grow along with it. I would love it if you came along for the ride.
Mickster
So what do I want this to be? Well, I will obviously post movie reviews on here, that's a given. But I would also like to turn it into a place where I can just post random thoughts about a specific movie or a general theme in movies. I might post about a specific actor or actress, or a certain genre of movies and what they mean to me. I'm sure it will develop over time but I don't want it to be simply a movie review blog. I hope that some of my blogs may inspire discussion about movies. That would be the ultimate goal of this for me. I can sit around all day and talk about movies that I love and if I get to do that more often, then that's wonderful.
Here is what my blog will NOT be. I am not a journalist or a professional writer by any means. I'm just an ordinary, everyday guy going about his life. I just happen to love watching movies. So if you are looking for something super-intellectual, it's not going to be here. I can send you to any number of respected film critics and you will get much better quality. Roger Ebert is my personal favorite, I love his writing style, but I am not him. I can't even aspire to write like he does. People like him can look deep into a film and see stuff that I can't. I'm just not that knowledgeable about the film-making process. This will be kept simple. Also, I refuse to compromise my thoughts to appeal to the masses. I think too many times, people will say they like something just so they can be a part of the majority. I can't do that and I refuse to do that. Here's an example, I fully respect the place in history that a film like Gone With The Wind has. I have seen it, once, and thought it was a fine movie......You won't find it anywhere NEAR a top 100 film list for me. I saw it, it was okay, I don't have much desire to see it again. Maybe one day. But I'm not going to say it's one of the great films of all time just because the "critical masses" do. That's what I mean. I hope people can respect that.
So that's what I want this blog to be, and not to be. If it sounds like something you would like to read further, I invite you to check back on a regular basis. Please leave comments and let me know what you like or don't like. If you have any ideas, I'm all ears. I'm not sure what I want this to look like and I will grow along with it. I would love it if you came along for the ride.
Mickster
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