Day 110: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Director Edgar Wright's adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O' Malley is probably one of the quintessential films for the "nerds" born between the years of 1985-1990 (and I mean that in the absolute best possible way).  Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, released earlier this year, is an original, funny and charming film.  It's full of video game references, comic book style visuals, and humorous, witty dialogue.

Day 104: Paranormal Activity

"Well, whatever it is that's following me, it doesn't feel... it doesn't feel human. It feels like it's... it feels like a monster. I mean like, it wants to hurt me."

In the spirit of Halloween (it's tomorrow!) I thought it would be a great idea to focus on a horror film today. Instead of focusing on one of the classics like The Shining or Halloween, I'm going to write about a recent horror film that I think was slightly underrated by movie critics upon its release. 2007's Paranormal Activity, directed and written by Oren Peli, is probably one of the most hyped-up horror films of the past few years. It was theatrically released a year ago in October 2009 and managed to gross over 100 million dollars, ten thousand times it budget of 11,000 dollars. Because of word of mouth and the internet, Paranormal Activity because the most popular film of the 2009 Halloween season.

Day 98: Shutter Island

"You're as violent as they come. I know. because I'm as violent as they come. Don't embarrass yourself by denying your own blood lust, son. Don't embarrass me. If the constraints of society were removed, and I was all that stood between you and a meal, you'd crack my skull with a rock and eat my meaty parts."

Martin Scorsese is a legendary filmmaker.  His career has spanned across five decades, and he has touched almost every genre of film possible during his time directing.  2010's Shutter Island, his latest film, is a dark thriller set in the 1950's in the sea off of Boston.  Leonardo Dicaprio plays Teddy, a Federal Marshal who is investigating the disappearance of a patient who escaped from a mental asylum on the movie's namesake.  He's accompanied by his new partner, Chuck (Mark Ruffalo) and soon uncovers what he believes might be a conspiracy to turn inmates into mindless killers.  He's also tortured by dreams of his dead wife, Dolores (Michelle Williams) who died in a fire a few years before the film takes place.

Day 92: Hoop Dreams

"People always say to me, 'when you get to the NBA, don't forget about me.' Well, I should've said back, 'if I don't make it to the NBA, don't you forget about me.'"

I decided it might be a little interesting to switch things up again this week. For my last three reviews, I've done a comedy (High Fidelity), an action/adventure epic (Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), and a drama (American Beauty). I thought it would be a good idea to continue the type of variety my readers have possibly come to expect. Thus, this week's post focuses on a documentary, 1994's Hoop Dreams. This film follows two young Illionoisan boys through their high school years as they focus on their dream - getting recruited by a top college and eventually playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Day 80: High Fidelity

 
"What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?"

Like Amelie, a film I reviewed a few weeks ago, High Fidelity is one of those films that are so great because they are so instantly relatable.  John Cusack plays Rob Gordon, the music-loving owner of a Chicago record store.  Two guys work for him, the "musical moron twins" Dick (Todd Louiso) and Barry (the hilarious as always Jack Black).  At the beginning of the film, he breaks up with his girlfriend, Laura (Iben Hjejle), which inspires him to find out exactly what he's doing wrong with his relationships.

Day 74: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

 

"There never was much hope. Just a fool's hope." 

I decide which film I'm going to write about for this site by a fairly simple-sounding process - I check out imdb.com's top 250 movies list and try to get some inspiration to write something about a movie I really enjoyed from it.  It's really a lot harder than it sounds, however.  There are many great movies on the list, but which ones really mean something to me at this point in time?  Which ones can I write about without sounding boring or contrived?  Then I saw this one, the third installment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King.  And I immediately thought to myself, "there we go!"  My goal for this site (although I'm sure the goal of our other writers are different) was to introduce some of our readers to interesting, less mainstream films that they might not have heard of yet.  There is definitely nothing wrong with popular movies (and I'll probably review some), but well...they're popular.  People are more likely to have seen them.  But this film, despite its immense popularity, is one that is important to my development as a movie-goer, and that is really as good of a reason as any to write about it for this blog.

Day 61: American Beauty

"I feel like I've been in a coma for the past twenty years. And I'm just now waking up."

Is there an acting career more varied and successful than Kevin Spacey's? He's starred in critically acclaimed and successful movies like The Usual Suspects and Se7en, more obscure movies like Moon, and this movie, best picture winner American Beauty, which is arguably his strongest work. Written by the brilliant Alan Ball (who also created Six Feet Under, one of the greatest television shows of the 2000s) and directed by Sam Mendes, American Beauty is a brilliant story of self discovery and finding a way to appreciate the beauty of life.

Day 54: Amélie

"Amélie has a strange feeling of absolute harmony. It's a perfect moment. A soft light, a scent in the air, the quiet murmur of the city. A surge of love, an urge to help mankind overcomes her."

Since the dawn of cinema, the films most adored by critics and called "the greatest movies of all time" have been dramas. The Godfather, Schindler's List, and Goodfellas, among other (great) films, are filled with crime, anger, pain, and sadness. 2001's Amélie, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, manages to be a truly special film while focusing mainly on the positive aspects of life and human emotion - love and happiness. Anchored by lead actress Audrey Tautou (who plays the title character) Amélie is lighthearted, funny, charming, and heartwarming all at once, and in a unique way.