MJs Sing-Along Blog: Seahawks won the Super Bowl, Woo Hoo!

[Torgo]

MJ you are Samptari's tool. I spit on Colors, Shawshank, Gump, and Pulp Fiction. We all know that the best picture of 1994 was Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. How dare you snub the obvious choice.

(no seriously, Shawshank all the way baby. The only Acadamy nominee that year I haven't seen was Quiz Show, and Shawshank was clearly the best).

[Mighty Jack]

Shawshank is pretty amazing – it was my pick from the Oscar nominees.

I never really got the Gump love. I don’t know why people went nuts over it and I was probably lulled into a false sense of security after Oscars run of Silence of the Lambs, Unforgiven and Schindler’s -- because I was surprised by its win -- and I guess I shouldn’t have been.

[Mighty Jack]

Unfortunately I will not be able to consider Maborosi for 1995s award. 4 months at the top of the Que and Blockheads never sent it, and I need to close the account so I don't get charged for another month. With that out of the running....





1995
The Usual Suspects (Director: Bryan Singer)
Nominees: Sense and Sensibility, The Flowers of my Secret, Toy Story, Before Sunrise

Oscars pick: Braveheart
Nominees: Apollo 13, Babe, Il Postino, Sense and Sensibility

Oscar winner Braveheart is one of my brothers all time favorite movies. But Mel Gibson's directorial effort failed to light a fire under me. Gibson likes to brutalize his characters and while that seems to foster an emotional response in viewers, it actually drives a wedge between the movie and me. While others are drawn in, I pull away.

I liked Il Postino (internationally released in 1994), Before Sunrise, and the return of Bond in Goldeneye. I even liked Almodovar's polarizing The Flowers of my Secret. I was also charmed by my introduction to Pixar -- Toy Story, the film that changed the face of animation. And while the art isn't as slick as it would become, and the series has arguably improved with each movie, I have a special place in my heart for the first. I was especially tickled by Buzz Lightyear's belief that he was the real deal, something that would be lost in the sequels.

1995 was Jane Austen crazy– Clueless was a modern telling of Emma. Which is my favorite novel from the author. It's a delightfully funny romantic confection, which for a time made Alicia Silverstone a big star. There was also an adaptation of Persuasion, which some really loved. I found it a bit too restrained and dry.

Ang Lee and screenwriter Emma Thompson offered up Sense and Sensibility. Thompson tightens up the story, takes out a few characters and situations while still retaining Austen’s voice. You get the drama, the sadness, the stifling decorum and uptight people of privilege who make life a misery for those they see beneath them. But Thompson also understands Austen's incisive humor and gives us plenty of laughs. Lee's direction is beautifully picturesque, as you’d expect in a period piece like this. But it's his eye for composition and blocking that makes his work distinct and memorable. The only problem I have with it (and it’s Ang's one weakness in general) is that it can get overly melodramatic.

As much as I appreciate all this Austen, I awarded the Felix to another...

The gimmicky The Usual Suspects is a fiendish maze of a crime story that is jaw dropping on first viewing - and reveals several subtle shades, especially in regards to Kevin Spacey's performance, on a second going over. It's a brilliant collaboration between the ensemble cast, the visually arresting direction by Bryan Singer and a nimble script from Christopher McQuarrie. Tying it all together is the unsung hero of the feature, editor John Ottman. It was up to him to piece this complex and devilishly clever puzzle together and make sense of it all. Yeah it's pure trickery and not everyone enjoys the ride, but I do. I think it's a blast trying to figure out what's what -- what's true and what isn't.

Note: I believe most of it was true, just heavily embellished. I think Soze/Verbal -and the filmmakers- got a kick out of pulling a "Rashomon" on us all. I could be wrong, but for me half the fun is in weighing the facts as presented and deciding upon their veracity for yourself. Even then, much of it remains perplexing, as perplexing as 1945/46s The Big Sleep. And as with Bogart & Bacall's Noir classic - sometimes it's enough to simply allow yourself to get swept away and give in to a films irresistible charms - its dialog, tone, performance- even if it does stretch logic.

[Mighty Jack]

1996
Fargo (Director: Joel Coen)
Nominees: Secrets and Lies, Emma, MST3K: The Movie, Sling Blade, The English Patient

Oscars pick: The English Patient
Nominees: Fargo, Jerry Maguire, Secrets & Lies, Shine

In hindsight, knowing that the Coen Brother's eventually received an award, I’m glad Anthony Mingehella (who sadly died too soon) got to have his Oscar triumph. He was truly a talented director and his textured work on the English Patient shouldn’t be dismissed. Whether one enjoys the movie is up to individual taste, but while I thought it was overlong, I also found it well told and moving. And hell I was just happy that idiotic pile, Jerry Maguire didn't win.

Ultimately though, to my mind the only game in town was the wickedly brilliant Fargo. The movie is about a kidnapping gone wrong, and the Coen's manage to take something darkly sardonic, and mix in some warmth and good nature in its 'Minnesota nice' characters - lead by the delightfully charming Frances McDormand as pregnant police chief Gunderson. (and I can not say enough about the passive/aggressive turn by William H. Macey)

As good as I thought it was when I first saw it, Fargo is a movie that has improved with age. Along with a great cast of characters, it displays expert visual and narrative construction (Ethan's Oscar winning script ranks among the finest ever written). I think of it as the photonegative of Blood Simple. Simple is dark, drenched in shadow and practically humorless, Fargo is bright, covered in snow and funny. In both we watch a criminal plan unravel, in both we get some painfully black moments.

The Brother's broke up a nice 4-movie run with the release of the anemic Hudsucker Proxy in 1994. With Fargo they didn't simply bounce back to form, they took their estimable talents and forged what is arguably their masterpiece.

Other nominations: Sling Blade is flawed, but I liked the relationship between the lead characters, and Billy Bob's performance. Emma continues the Jane Austen flood from 95, Gwyneth Paltrow was delightful in the title role, one of her best (though ignored by Oscar) and of course, I had to acknowledge MST3K The Movie. I also gave a nod to Mike Leigh's depressing slice of life, Secrets and Lies. None of these stood the ghost of a chance of wresting the award from Fargo.

[Mr. Atari]

Way to hit it out of the park in both '95 and '96. I couldn't agree with you more.*

I remember seeing Usual Suspects the night it opened with Mrs. Atari (when we were still dating). We knew nothing about it and only picked it because the poster had the lineup on it and we thought it might be a cool cop movie. We went back the next night to see it again.

Even if I put aside my Coen fandom, Fargo was the best film of 1996. The English Patient sucked hard. It was pretty to look at, but dull as paint and completely forgettable. Secrets and Lies blew me away the first time I saw it. As much as I love Fargo and Frances Mcdormand, Brenda Blethyn deserved the Oscar that year. And don't get me started on William H. Macy losing out to the "SHOW ME THE MONEY!"crapfest.




*except for your opinion on Hudsucker. I think it's one of the overlooked gems of the Coens' catalog. Far funnier and better acted than Raising Arizona. I put it on par with Lebowski and O Brother...

[afriendlychicken]

I wish you could have seen "Maborosi." I have an ancient New Yorker DVD of this and "After Life."

I like what you're doing with the 90's. My last favorite year in movies was 1992 and I love your choices for that year. When you can leave Louis Malle's "Damage" and Robert Altman's "The Player" and even "Enchanted April" off of a years best list, you know you have a great year in films.

And the "Three Colors" trilogy is just plain brilliant. It's too bad Keislowski died not too long after their release.

[Torgo]

MST was nominated. Now you're just kissing ass, MJ.

[Mighty Jack]

^ No, I'm just being honest. It's one of filmdoms best comedies. (okay, maybe I'm kissing a little backside)

Mr. A: I didn't like the self consciously quirky Lebowski very much either. Hudsucker was about the time when I started to realize that the brother's were mortal after all. That and acknowledging a few other hiccups (Ladykillers) got my Coen-zealot fan club membership revoked.

chicken: I could have/should have nominated more, but I had tunnel vision in '92. Unforgiven was locked in at the top and it would have taken an act of God to knock it off its pedestal. Because of that I didn't revisit a lot of others as I should have. But I agree with the ones you mentioned -- and I need to catch "One False Move" (I can't remember if I've seen that one).



A new addition to the family...



Gamlet (1964)
I finally got a hold of this Russian take on Hamlet, and I was –to say the least- absolutely blown away.

Director Grigori Kozintsev restores the political aspects that Oliver removed in his version of the play, tightens up and takes out other scenes. He really gets into Hamlet's interior thoughts. Dialog that was often spoken out loud in other plays and movies, is interpreted as inner monologues.

Hearing these words in Russia was strange, but it didn't take long for me to get used to it. No, it's not as pretty and poetic – but the emotional cadences remain. Some famous lines are lost, but all told it didn't hurt the overall effect. The only problem I had was with the subtitling. There is dialog that is not translated. I mean people will be talking and we get no subs? So until Criterion gets the rights to it, I wouldn't purchase the DVD.

Visually it's a stunner. The castle itself is more wide open than in other versions, but it still feels like a prison. The brilliantly staged and photographed appearance of Hamlet's ghostly father is covered by shadow, crumbling architecture and flowing capes.

Performances are all strong, and actress Anastasiya Vertinskaya was an amazing Ophelia. There was a tangible sense of fragility in her that made Ophelia's final scenes heartbreaking.

Despite a few things that are not purely Shakespearean, this was the best filming of Hamlet I've ever seen. There were no lulls, no moments when I wasn't completely enthralled by what was happening on screen. It's a serious challenger to Dr. Strangelove as the best picture of the year – yes, it was that good. And I'm adding it to my list of nominated film.

[Mighty Jack]

1997
Princess Mononoke (Director: Hayao Miyazaki)
Nominees: L.A. Confidential, The Sweet Hereafter, As Good As It Gets, Waiting For Guffman, The Game

Oscars pick: Titanic
Nominees: As Good as It Gets, The Full Monty, Good Will Hunting, L.A. Confidential

This is another superlative year at the movies - From Atom Egoyan's solemn tragedy The Sweet Hereafter to Christopher Guest's classic comedy Waiting For Guffman. Not only that, but James Brooks actually made a movie I liked. While I hated his Terms of Endearment and was cool towards Broadcast News, I dug As Good As It Gets, which features a hilarious idiosyncratic performance from Jack Nicholson.

I thought Titanic was a decent flick, not the best of the year, but decent. I see it as the Gone With the Wind of its time and don't have a problem with it winning. Though for me it was a 2 horse race between L.A. Confidential and Princess Mononoke.

I'm a Noir/mystery enthusiast so L.A. Confidential was a guaranteed win for me... though at first viewing I wasn't sure about it. It's different from traditional Noir and that threw me. It's brightly colored and lit, a lot slicker than the down and dirty crime stories I was used to. But once I got used to it I was hooked. The characters were interesting, sharply written and acted -- I especially liked Kevin Spacey as slick narcotics detective Jack Vinceness. The plot is full of knotty twist and turns. Story and setting-wise, it's a kin to Chinatown.

It's nature vs. industry, with each fighting for survival in Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke. This is a near perfect picture. There's not a missed beat, not a flaw in theme, narrative, or character. Writer-Director Miyazaki delivers his message without getting overly preachy or heavy handed. And I loved the ambiguity, the way the story offers many shades of gray: For example, Lady Eboshi isn't cut and dried villainy; she does good for her people. On the other hand, nature can be volatile and dangerous (I laughed when the wolf grabs the Prince's head and starts shaking it – these aint Disney's happy, helpful singing animals. They'd just as soon eat you than give you comfort). The ending is epic, truly breathtaking.

The blurb on the DVD case compared Mononoke to Star Wars. I think it's more ambitious than that. If you want to compare it to sci-fi, compare it to Kubrick's 2001, because Miyazaki's magnum opus is a film filled with a big idea ending that leaves some folks scratching their heads (though the Hayao faithful and those familiar with Japanese folklore get it). This isn't easy mind candy animation. This is a challenging work of beauty and visionary genius -- and while the pull from L.A. Confidential was strong, I just couldn't bypass Mononoke.


Note: I could not find copies of Hana-Bi or Deconstructing Harry (and am rather astounded how difficult it has been to get a hold of Woody Allen movies.

[Mighty Jack]

I have 3 DVDs coming from the library for 1998, so my next posting depends how quickly they get them to me. I have one more to watch for '99 and after that I'll close another decade. The 90s will end on a very high note -- man have I listed a lot of (potential) nominated features for 1999. While the 80s flummoxed me, with popular movies I couldn't get into -- and the worst season in cinema history (1983) and even years where I lacked confidence in my own picks (I’m still debating 1989 ), the 90s came in like a breath of fresh air. I was comfortable with the 90s, I like my picks in the 90s. I got the 90s!





Wait, let me amend that statement... "I got some of the 90s!"

After this it'll be smooth sailing as I've already seen a ton o' flicks from the 2000s. Though I am planning a few marathon sessions to compare and be certain of my #1 (I have 2 of these lined up for 02 and 08 for sure)

[Mighty Jack]

1998
Dark City (Director: Alex Proyas)
Nominees: Elizabeth, Out of Sight, The Truman Show, Rushmore, Central Station, Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line, Shakespeare in Love, Run, Lola, Run

Oscars pick: Shakespeare in Love
Nominees: Elizabeth, Life is Beautiful, Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line

The 90s gave us one of the great westerns (Unforgiven), and now it gifts us one of the finest in science fiction. Dark City is so brilliantly conceived that it does what Leone's Once Upon A Time In the West did -- it fills me with awe and leaves me breathless.

City is set in a landscape that is pure 40s noir. And as with the genre it has its murder mystery and its femme fatale -- but it takes these tropes and blends in these otherworldly beings who emerge from the darkness and control the very fabric of time and space... and mind!

There are certain denizens of this city who sense a wrongness, they are driven mad over the niggling idea that they have been cast in a heterocosm, and that everything that is, everything they are, is a lie. No, not truly a lie, the memories are real, but they belong to others. The people here then have become the psychological equivalent of Frankenstein's monster.

The film (primarily the director's cut) adds to this unsetting idea in large and small ways. As when we hear a nightclub singer (Jennifer Connolly) and realize that she doesn't have as strong voice as the one dubbed into the theatrical version -- something in the back of our minds tells us, "This isn’t who she is." The movie is so effective in creating an air of disassociation that it prevents some viewers from getting attached to the characters and their plight. Not so for me, I have empathy for them, and I can relate to the thought of feeling ‘out of place’ with the world.

One man awakens and resists these alien builders of reality. It's his task to solve this puzzle. He is our guide through this city. He feels he'll find the answers at a place from his childhood called Shell Beach. And I in turn experienced his urgency, "Get to Shell Beach", I thought, "Find the answer." But what he discovers shocked the ever-loving hell out of me.

Unique, imaginative and thought provoking, Dark City ultimately has its power struggle, and for a moment I wondered if the man would be the hero, or give in to the dark force he has acquired and become something worse than those he opposes. I expected the worse – the worse would have been the predictable and easy path. What was refreshing was that this dark city took a hopeful and positive left turn. It gave us light.

The film is a structural achievement - a visionary tour de force. I am mesmerized over the way director Proyas weaves dialog, music, performance, camera, and lighting… and forms these details into a magnificent whole. It impresses me in the way Hitchcock’s eye for detail impresses me. Or Kieslowski with his visual rhymes and ‘score as storytelling device’, or Dreyer in the way he utilizes movement and vocal inflection to create a particular rhythm and tone. As with the films of these geniuses, everything works in concert - everything is essential. Even the use of quick edits. Though I prefer the old school, slow framing style, I think the frequent shock-cuts add to the fractured nature of the piece. Proyas tapped into this creative wellspring only once in his career. While he made and has made very good movies – he has never, before or since- created one as elevated as Dark City.

While I often read and quote Roger Ebert, I don't always agree with him -- but I agreed with him when he named Dark City as his #1 movie of the year. Ebert also recorded 2 outstanding commentary tracks for the film.

Phew – after that draining outpouring of admiration, I almost don't want to address the other contenders: Though they are wonderful as well.

I dug Shakespeare in Love a lot when it was released. But watching it again, it comes off a rather soft and spongy told tale, and doesn't really get into gear until its final half. I still like the movie, it's a lovely bittersweet romance, but after all these years I've cooled to it, and today I would have been rooting for Elizabeth.



Boasting some of the best dialog ever written, Elizabeth also features one of cinemas greatest performances. Cate Blanchett was robbed. I love Gwyneth Paltrow, and her work was cute and enjoyable in Shakespeare, but compared to the wide arc of development that Blanchett put on display –from doe eyed innocent, to tough as nails leader of a nation- it's not even close as to who the best actress was (and second to Blanchett was Fernanda Montenegro in Central Station). Elizabeth can get melodramatic and if it had won, it likely would have incurred the same backlash as befell Shakespeare. But of Oscar's nominees –actress and film- I would have gone with the virgin Queen.

Not that I would have complained if Saving Private Ryan won. It was an incredible film from Spielberg (especially the opening sequence). Because I've seen the Russian war movie's that inspired Spielberg, it wasn't as ‘genre redefining’ as it was for other American audience members. But it's still a powerhouse and was the big favorite to win the Oscar early on -- Until some heavy politicking from Harvey Weinstein turned the tide in Shakespeare's favor – leaving the Academy with a black eye. Shakespeare was a nice little thing, but to pick it -not on its merits- but because you were wined and dined and glad-handed? That's Hollywood for ya, and it's why I take the Awards with a grain of salt.

In Nicole LaPorte's book about DreamWorks (The Men Who Would Be King) she wrote that Spielberg was encouraged to ‘hard sell’ Private Ryan to voters as Weinstein was doing with his baby, but he elected to let the movie speak for itself. After that idea failed, DreamWorks campaigned hard for their next Oscar contender... and won it all in ’99.

Looking over my nominees –from Wes Anderson's Rushmore to Peter Weir's Truman Show to Soderbergh's Out of Sight- this was a good year for me; I grew attached to these productions and most have found their way into my Blu-Ray collection. I enjoyed revisiting them.


Note: I could not track down a copy of the Dreamlife of Angels

[mummifiedstalin]

I remember seeing Dark City and thinking it was amazing. I was confused when everyone I knew at the time (and the few reviews I read) didn't like it. I obviously didn't see Ebert's review.

And what'd you think of Truman Show? I thought it was actually pretty good, and the last few minutes were somewhat perfect.

[Mr. Atari]

Another home run, MJ. Dark City is one of my all-time favorites.

A close second for me in 1998 was The Thin Red Line. At the time, I knew it didn't stand a chance of winning, but it was the one I was rooting for on Oscar night. It was a better war movie than Saving Private Ryan which, although the first half hour was incredible, really faltered down the stretch.

[Mighty Jack]

I love Truman, listed it among my nomanees. (I have nothing deeper to add because my brain is suffering form a lack of sleep)

Backtracking -- I'm curious what everyone else liked best for 1997? Was it LA Confidential or something else?

[Mr. Atari]

Jul 11, 2012 0:03:18 GMT -5 Mighty Jack said:

Backtracking -- I'm curious what everyone else liked best for 1997? Was it LA Confidential or something else?

After looking through wikipedia's list for the year, nothing really jumped out at me. A couple I liked that you didn't mention were The Apostle and Copland. And so help me, but I liked Good Will Hunting. Still do, in fact.

L.A. Confidential holds up well, and I've seen Guffman more times than any other movie here, and it never disappoints.

If I were to pick one, I'd probably go with The Apostle, but really anything but Titanic is my final answer.

I also need to go back to your 1995 writeup and ask where 12 Monkeys is. I'm sure it was an oversight; or maybe the interwebs gremlins maliciously deleted your paragraphs detailing how great it is, right? RIGHT?