Ok. Before I get into the long winded written intro to this series of Jaws based podcasts, there are a couple things I want to point out. One, you may notice that there are four scores (Lincoln??) above my little set of images below this wording instead of three. That would be because some asshole on this podcast decided to score the film TWICE. Listen to hear who THAT winner was.
Second, if you scroll through the images below, you may notice a shear terrifying one that you more or likely do not recognize. That image….is also explained on this here podcast.
Ok, with THOSE bits of business out of the way, here is the long short of the next month or so of podcasts. Law and I are massive fans of the original film (listen in future weeks to hear if we are fans of the sequels as well), and Nate has only seen the first one. Do the math. We are going to put him through the motions, Aftertaste style, and then hear his response to all four films, one by one, one per week.
Sound reasonable enough? Good, because I’m thirsty.
It came to this. After almost twenty years, and countless inquirees from fans of when the team behind one of the most beloved franchises of all time would get back together to make a new film, the universe formed the foundation for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. With a director who was now respected -and a few gold statues to further prove his worth- and a co-creator who was just coming off closing out his OTHER beloved franchise, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, along with always game Harrison Ford, were here to create a new Indy adventure. And boy were we excited.
Well, at least two of us were. Listen as Law, Nate and I go through the journey of watching the fourth film of the franchise, and Law gets ever increasingly annoyed. We also detail what the next move for our favorite fedora wearing hero could be, and whether we would welcome a return to the screen for him.
I must say. As painful and hard as it was to put these shows together, they sure were a hell of a lot of fun to record. A big thanks to both Law and Nate, as well as that Sneaky bastard Juan Carlos for our kick ass logo.
Stay tuned. More retros coming!
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) (?/10, ?/10, ?/10)
By the time 1989 rolled around, five years after the previous Indiana Jones entry, the film landscape had changed. Steven Spielberg was not the only one turning out blockbusters, as a quirky filmmaker named Tim Burton rolled out Batman, a superhero juggernaut starring Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton.
So how would Spielberg and pal George Lucas retort? By turning their once daring franchise into a sentimental journey for a father’s love and the key to immortality. Join Nate, Law, and I as we sort through Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. As always, some of us enjoyed the journey. While one, was left out in the cold. But which one of us is it this time? Listen to find out.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) (?/10, ?/10, ?/10)
Welcome to the second of Binge Movie Aftertaste’s four part look at the Indiana Jones franchise. As one part of our crew so observantly puts it, at the rate we are going, we should finish up Crystal Skull by 2019. But this week, we are here to talk about Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. And do we have an interesting podcast for your ear holes. Listen as Law and I get once again baffled by the out of planet living Nate Peterson. At one point, he says that he is indeed going with the ride and ‘meeting us in the middle.’ But is he? You make up your own mind.
We hit it all here, as we talk about subjects such as how the film affected how ratings are done today, how it contains perhaps the worst character Spielberg ever put to film, and how two of us like Short Round while the other hates him with a passion. I’ll give you one guess as to who that is.
So what are you waiting for? Download the episode and get ready to yell at your phone. Loud.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) (?/10, ?/10, ?/10)
After months of jump starting this series of podcasts only to have it pushed back, the Binge Movie Aftertaste Indiana Jones Retrospective is finally here. Listen as me, Law, and Nate dissect the first beloved film of the franchise Raiders of the Lost Ark. What is it that makes it so great? Why is Ford’s gruffness part of his charm here? And why oh why does one of us not agree with the other two?
Listen to find out. And don’t forget – we are going to look at the other three as well, so keep checking this space every Friday, as these podcasts will get even more interesting and rant filled as they go on.
This column will introduce you to the most popular movies that are coming out in theaters this weekend and why you should go see them. Which one will you see?
The BFG
Reasons to see this:
No, BFG does not stand for Big F**kin Giant. Well, I guess it could. It stands for Big Friendly Giant. BFG is based on the book by, Roald Dahl. For those of you who do not know who he is; he has written Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Matilda, and James and the Giant Peach to name a few. BFG is about a young girl who befriends a big friendly giant. Mark Rylance lends his voice and motion capture for the BFG. Also starring is, Rebecca Hall, Bill Hader, and Jermaine Clement. Steven Spielberg returns to the fantasy genre to direct. Go see a big f***kin giant this weekend.
The Legend of Tarzan
Reasons to see this:
Didn’t get your jungle fix with the Jungle Book, well come on back to the forest this weekend to see The Legend of Tarzan. Apparently Tarzan and Jane are married and have been living in London. This is news to me. Tarzan and his wife return to the forest, due to some shenanigans going on at the mining camp. Alexander Skarsgård plays Tarzan and Margot Robbie plays Jane. Other cast members include: Samuel Jackson, Christoph Waltz, and Djimon Hounsou. The director is David Yates who has directed Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows: Part 1 & 2, and the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Double BMFML director points for Yates. Swing into theaters to see Tarzan.
Our Kind of Traitor
Reasons to see this:
Where’s Jim Law when I need him? Ok, everyone imagine that he says “Ewan McGregor.” Perfect. McGregor and Naomi Harris(Spectre, 28 Days Later) are an ordinary couple who cross paths with a man named Dima. Dima is a member of the Russian mafia, who is played by Stellan Skarsgård. Dima asks them for their help or else Dimas family will be killed, which then tangles the couple in a web of espionage. Damian Lewis(Homeland) also stars in this thriller. The director is Susanna White, who has directed only 1 episode for Boardwalk Empire, Masters of Sex, Billions, and more. Is this your kind of movie? Then go see Our Kind of Traitor.
The Purge: Election Year
Reasons to see this:
The Purge: Part 3. Frank Grillo returns as Sergeant, who is now head of security for Charlene Roan. Roan, played by Elizabeth Mitchell(LOST) is running for President, and wants to eradicate the Purge. James DeMonaco, who has directed the prior Purge flicks, takes the wheel as director again. So, if you are in the mood for some action, suspense, and a 12 hour period in which all crime is legal, then vote for Purge. Peeeerrrrggggeee
I guess I can officially be classified as ‘the list man’ around the Binge offices. If you listened to that five hour barrage of drunken stupidity known as the Binge Cast from about a month ago -yyeeeppp, THAT one- then you are well aware of my love for The Witch. While giving my verbal review of the film, I proclaimed it to contain one of the most satisfying endings I have ever seen on film.
This proclamation got me thinking. Not only about why I hadn’t paced myself in the beer department, as my final beer was on its final legs at that point-but also this: If The Witch is going to one day make my list of ten most satisfying endings -and after another viewing or two, I wouldn’t be surprised if it did- it will have to go up against these ten bad boys of cinema. The below list contains a little bit of everything genre wise. But after so many times of walking out of a movie theater cursing out writers due to a thrown together ending -hello The Call– I thought I would put the best parts of those final reels to the test.
Warning: All of the titles I mention below have either pictures of their finales or detailed descriptions of them. Proceed with caution.
10) Heat (1995)
Michael Mann has certainly been getting a ton of references in both my podcast appearances and articles of late. But how can he not? The, uhhh, man, has put together some great films, and an argument could be made that 70% of his filmography could have been sitting comfortably in this spot. But in the end, I decided on Heat for two reasons. One, it is one of his most accomplished works in terms of action and dialogue he has ever done. Also, the synergy that came with having both Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino in the same film, at this exact point in their careers, was satisfying in of itself. The way they came together for a cup of coffee right after Vincent Hanna (Pacino) pulls Neil McCauley (DeNiro) over is far from by the numbers. Why didn’t he take him in? Because Vincent wanted to see where he was coming from, and realized in many instances, they were one of the same. That’s what makes the film’s final moments satisfying. Vincent has won. But he knows in a lot of ways, he lost, because he destroyed a part of himself.
9) Seven (1995)
Along with The Blair Witch Project, this film will forever live atop my list of favorite film going experiences (another list?). One, it has one of the most startling -yet brilliantly set-up- jump scares I have ever seen involving a shackled to his bed drug dealer. But David Fincher’s up front, nihilistic film moves along at a leisurely pace for a good while, as Mills (Brad Pitt) and Summerset (Morgan Freeman) investigate a series of vicious murders, with ‘John Doe’ always having the upper hand. That pace changes as soon as Doe turns himself in. We are then on the end journey with the two detectives, as they take Doe to where his final piece of the puzzle will inevitably be put in place. Wrecked with suspense when a van pulls up -perhaps my favorite single moment of the entire movie- the audience is on the edge of their seat as the driver gets out — and leaves a box. I will not say anymore, other than the fact that going to the movies and seeing the ‘bad guy’ win was a very rare thing in the 90s. Yet Fincher’s insistence -at the expense of a defiantly against it studio- of his film’s final few frames put a permanent stamp on our minds. It made us think about not only how fucked up Doe was, but also just what we would do if put in the exact same situation as Mills. And if he had a choice about whether or not to do what he did.
8) Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1988)
Yeah, I went a little against the grain with this pick. But I feel I do have a pretty good reason why. As was outlined on a recent Bingecast Movie Homework, Steve Martin’s Neil Page spends almost the entire film trying his damndest to get away from John Candy’s shower curtain ring selling Del Griffith. It gets so demanding on Neil, that writer/director John Hughes plays a bit of short hand, as he at one point shows Page standing in his cozy motel room, gazing at Griffith, who was unable to afford a room. Griffith is trying to make the best of the situation, talking to himself, while also trying to stay warm in his car as snow falls around him. Finally, we hear Martin’s voice. ‘What did I do to get hooked up with this guy?’ We ask along with him, but are also thankful they did indeed find each other, as it had resulted in some of the funniest comedy bits from the entire 80s.
By the end of the film, Page finally is able to separate himself from Griffith, saying in closing, ‘tell (his wife) I said hi. I feel like I know her.’ ‘Will do,’ Griffith replies, so softly that it is almost cryptic. After a train ride which sees Page waving goodbye and sighing a deep sigh of relief, Griffith meets him at the next station (whoa, he travels FAST!) and proceeds to tell an inquiring Page that his wife has been dead for eight years, and he in fact doesn’t have a home. The moment in of itself is a heart tugger, and the above image is the perfect metaphor for where and how, after all their travelling, they eventually ended up going to Thanksgiving dinner in tandem. Because they worked together in order to do so.
7) Carrie (1976)
I was fortunate enough to grow up with a mother who was not a psychotic, God fearing zealot. Yay me. Sissy Spacek’s Carrie White, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky. In the first film adaptation of Stephen King’s very first published novel, White literally has nowhere to turn. If she doesn’t have kids at school tormenting her about her first period, she was coming home to a mom who was angry about her daughter growing breasts. It is very rare seeing a movie that cultivates in a mother getting killed and then have me deem it ‘satisfying.’ But that is indeed what Carrie amounts to. Living a young life of torment, Carrie finally unleashes her powers and crucifies her mom on the wall with a series of flying kitchen knives.
Margaret White portrayer (and Oscar nominee) Piper Laurie famously declared that she spent the entire filming of Carrie thinking director Brian DePalma was making a comedy. While I have always taken this admission with the tiniest gran of salt, everyone knows the death by knives conclusion wasn’t the REAL ending of the film. But it’s the one that will always live in my memories as its finest moment.
6) The Descendants (2011)
The Descendants, like the majority of Alexander Payne movies, is a film that brings with it a barrel of emotions. One moment, you laugh at George Clooney running -with flip flops on- through a Hawaiian street. The next, you cringe as he meets his wife’s infidelity partner (Matthew Lillard). And finally, you are crying as the two daughters of the film are told -through a heart wrenching montage- that their mother will not make it out of intensive care alive. All the while, older daughter Alexandra (Shailene Woodley) fights with her father, and younger daughter Scottie (Amara Miller) just wants to see her mom.
So, after ALL this, how does Payne leave this family as an audience’s final image? Is it in torment? In constant self-doubt? No to both. We see them curled up on the couch, enjoying bowls of ice cream and watching movies. Together. It’s one of those moments that gets more beautiful the more you think about it, as opposed to seeing as it happens. Yet, I feel it is Payne’s best bit of storytelling of his entire career. Even after everything these three have experienced, they are still a family. And most importantly, they still have each other.
5) The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Perhaps the movie that has come up on the most of these lists of mine, I would be remiss if I didn’t include it here. The entire length of The Shawshank Redemption was spent with Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) in a living hell, being sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. Yet, he finds refuge in fellow inmate Ellis Redding (Morgan Freeman), until eventually letting him know of his dream to end up on a Hawaiian beach, free from it all.
With dank smelling and stone solid walls, along with some real asshole prison guards, the possibility of this happening looks bleak for Dufresne. But thanks to the Rita Hayworth poster in his cell, he is able to concoct a plan that gets him out, and the shot of him looking into the rain and spellings of freedom upon him could have passed for an ending which was indeed satisfying. But that wasn’t all Darabont had up his sleeve. As Dufresne sets up shop on his little island, Darabont swings his camera around to a barefoot Redding, who himself has also finally tasted the sweet taste of freedom. The film may be wrapped a little too tight for its own good. But after being in such a dark and dirty place for so long, I think everyone -from the two characters all the way to their audience- deserved this moment.
4) Jaws (1975)
Speaking of well deserved moments. But this was one that almost wasn’t. Readers of Jaws the book know the ending from the page consisted of the shark getting rammed, thereby sinking to its death. But a 27 year old, ambitious in his on the fly decision-making director named Steven Spielberg would have none of it. After Spielberg concocting the film’s literally explosive climax, author Peter Benchley vehemently opposed, saying there was no way the audience would believe such a ridiculous ending. ‘Peter,’ Spielberg said, ‘if I have them this long, then the unbelievability factor won’t be a problem.’ Benchley still furiously fought for it to be omitted, objecting so much that Spielberg eventually had enough and threw him off the set.
When watching the film now, there is absolutely no doubt about the fact that Spielberg’s inclinations were indeed correct. Jaws had moved at a sort of horror film pace for its first two acts, and after turning on the adrenaline for its final one, a simple ramming of the shark (think Jaws The Revenge‘s ending. Then again, don’t) would simply not do for an audience’s pay off. By having Brody shoot the oxygen tank in the shark’s mouth, Spielberg accomplished two things. One, a final thrill for an audience which was already on the edge of their seats. Two, a sort of arc for Brody in that he has one less reason to be afraid of the water. Whether Benchley liked it or not, Spielberg did in fact have the audience in the palm of his hand. And that audience has rarely left it since.
3) Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Kathryn Bigelow’s follow-up to her Oscar winning war film The Hurt Locker is, in my mind, the far superior of the two. The film focuses on the true life set of circumstances which led black ops to the location of Osama bin Laden. All of this is built on the intelligence gathering of mostly fictional intelligence officer Maya (Jessica Chastain) as after many false pretenses, she finally nails the location down pat. I say Maya is ‘mostly fictional’ because screenwriter Mark Boal has said while she is indeed based on a real person, she is actually the algorithm of ‘many other hard working women.’
Indeed, the film is an at times frustrating watch, as two hours goes by with nary a hint of success on her part. However, it is Zero Dark Thirty‘s final half hour, complete with a brilliantly mapped out onscreen raid -told mostly from their POV- that keeps you white knuckled. And while the ending is obvious from the start, it is still a terrifically gratifying moment seeing that -after so much doubt being brought upon Maya from both outside and inside sources for almost the entire film- she can finally crack a smile in the film’s final moments.
2) Aliens (1986)
Speaking of strong, hard working women (okay, I’ll stop with this column’s natural/unnatural transitions), James Cameron has been known to write a few of his own. Take the two pictured here. In Aliens, Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley goes through hell to protect herself and the little girl we know only as Newt (after saying she didn’t like her name, which was Rebecca). Now in the director’s cut, Ripley is given an even bigger incentive, as she learns her daughter had died from the time she floated off into space until she was discovered by a random space sweep. Supposedly, this plot point was the only reason (well, along with 13 million other ones) why Weaver decided to come back in the first place, and she was none too happy when she discovered the scene of her finding out about her daughter’s fate was cut from the final theatrical cut.
To me, the scene’s exclusion doesn’t take away from the film’s final shot, shown above. After again narrowly defeating and escaping the Queen xenomorph’s clutches, Ripley has a few moments of zen. Curled up with her inherited daughter in front, and wounded but safe father Hicks in back, Ripley is finally free again. Until that damn nihilist David Fincher came along. But that’s another story for another day.
1) Rocky (1976)
Anyone who heard me dissect this puppy with Binge’s very own Luke Norris on our previous series of Aftertaste podcasts knows the exact reason why the ending of Rocky sits comfortably at the top of this list. Nevermind the fact that up until this point, Rocky was already a perfect movie. That a series of moments in the film’s final frames all but sealed itself up as the quintessential Hollywood ending only makes itself that much more powerful. Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa spent almost the entire film self doubting himself in this moment of a lifetime, while also courting what he sees as the woman of his dreams. After proving his worth to the world, and most importantly himself, going the entire 15 rounds while still standing, Rocky had other things on his mind other than the final decision. He wanted what he fought for. Not the belt. But the heart of the woman he loves.
It is a scene that I still get chills typing about to this day. Rocky‘s final moments dictated that the 70s weren’t all about falling for the wrong crowd’s bad intentions. What makes it even more powerful is the film contains an ending that could be looked at as unsatisfying if it had revolved around the fight itself. Yet, the film’s climax manages to propagate that more than anything, winning the heart of your true love is worth much more than winning a fight. Wait, wasn’t this a boxing movie?
So where does The Witch‘s ending fall? It is far too early to tell. But I do have an in depth column of what it could all mean coming up, which I will release as soon as other people have a chance to see it for themselves. Until then, let us marvel at ten times Hollywood actually got their endings RIGHT. Or, did they?
What’s going on, Bingers? Long time no see. Like all of you, I listened to this week’s flagship BingeCastand heard not only Ammon go completely off the rails with his 4 hour drunk segment, but also the lists of those who host the show. You know, that list that was started by one off hand Facebook comment, and has rolled downhill to include everyone here at the Binge offices. Of course, the list I speak of is all our ten favorite films this century.
So, with that in mind -and minus my invitation by those assholes to be on with them- I decided to include my own list of my favorite films of the 2000s. There will be some roll over from the podcast. But also some surprises, because as I was going through the exhausting task of putting this thing together, I came across the films that resonated the most with me at that particular time. Or, they could be films that ended up meaning more to me down the road. In fact, one of these was already a focus of my Revisit column last year.
I want to say one more thing before moving on. I usually split these things up into two separate articles. But this time, I decided to make it one big piece. So, strap yourselves in for a hell of a ride down memory lane.
Honorable Mentions: Inception, Minority Report, Sideways, and Sunshine
10) A History of Violence (2006)
Despite his somewhat bizarre flashes of brilliance leading up to this film, I had no idea what to expect when I walked into a theater to see director David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence. I had no reservations of plot or feelings of anticipation. When I walked out, I felt like I had been taken for one of the most hard hitting rides of 2006, and it was no surprise to see Cronenberg’s name up there as a Best Director nominee come Oscar time.
Still, this spot was a toss up between this and Cronenberg’s other collaboration with Viggo Mortensen, 2007’s Eastern Promises. In the end, I decided to include this for two reasons. One, I LOVE stories about people trying to forget past identities while living what seems to be an ideal life. Second. Well, see the photo above?
9) 28 Days Later (2002)
Very rarely does a movie feel like a two hour grip of the throat. Yet that is exactly the effect director Danny Boyle’s assault on the senses had on my 25 year old self when I stepped into that ominous Berkeley theater in 2002. Its opening scene, an escalation of intensity as animal rights people let out, and eventually get bitten by, a virus carrying monkey, remains one of the scariest scenes I have ever experienced in a movie theater. White knuckled does not even begin to describe it, and I am getting chills just typing about it. The rest of the film rarely lets up, and Boyle’s brilliance is in not letting us know just what in the hell is actually going on. Are they zombies? Or something else? No matter what the attacking, raging monsters in 28 Days Later really are (something that still gets debated to this day), the film’s surprise success is probably more than half the reason why zombies are still in multiple forms of media today.
8) Pans Labyrinth (2006)
This is becoming a recurring theme, so bear with me. But honest to God. When I stepped into that theater in December of 2006 to see Pans Labyrinth, I had no idea of what to expect. All I knew was that this was from the same director of Blade 2 and Mimic. I had not caught ALL of Mr Guillermo Del Toro’s resume up until that point (I have since). But when the first frames of Labyrinth were set in motion, and it was becoming abundantly clear that this was an updated, adult version of those fantasy films I loved so much as a kid, I was all in. The movie makes comparisons to the establishment of an impending war that, quite frankly, I could have done without. But the journey of lead character Ofelia as she finds Pan and, most memorably, cannot pass up the opportunity to eat a juicy looking piece of fruit, is a glorious display of beautifully framed and horrific filmmaking. The movie’s climax, while tragic, puts all of our urgent craves in perspective, and Pans Labyrinth is one of the only films that I had to see again as early as the very next showing.
7) Before Sunset (2004)
Made nine years after their initial meeting in 1995’s Before Sunrise, the saga of Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine’s (Julie Delpy) relationship made an even bigger impact on me than director of both Richard Linklater’s first entry. The idea of showing two people talking for an hour and a half straight may seem boring to some. But I was genuinely anxious to see how their relationship would continue after what has to be one of the most romantic nights ever put to film. The answer? More than a little cynical. Celine is the French cynical sort who points to Jesse’s exploits in his still young life, and even laughs at his keeping their promise to meet her at the same train platform they separated from in Sunrise. But the developments that happen between the two during Before Sunset meant so much to me because I was at such a turning point of my life in 2004. Seeing it with my girlfriend at the time, Jesse’s swooning of Celine’s dancing to the singing of Nina Simone, believe it or not, led to our impending break-up. Now, you can look at this series of events as me being the only person who could spoil one of the sexiest endings to a film in recent memory. But I choose to look at it as a new beginning. The ending of which, me chasing the tail of that perfect Celine, is still impending.
6) Zodiac (2007)
Ahhh, 2007. Almost all my Binge co-horts seem to agree that this was one of, if not the, most satisfying movie years of the entire millennium. It is hard to argue that point, as there were plenty of films to swoon over. But David Fincher’s Zodiac meant more to me than any other film to me that year. First of all, it was his first film since 2002’s Panic Room. A film many find to be disappointing. But he was also taking on a story that took place literally minutes from where I grew up. Fincher, like me, grew up in the California Bay Area, and his directing style of shadows and darkness were never put to better use than when he showed the horror that came with the true life Zodiac case. The question of why he took on a film based on a case that was never solved is a questionable one -and he does in fact draw some Oliver Stone style conclusions by film’s end- but Fincher obviously took the case to heart, and wanted to show us all what he was made of by making his most uncompromising film to date. Unquestionably two films in one, Zodiac possesses some great performances from all involved, the beginning of Robert Downey Jr’s comeback, the darkly comedic irony of having Donovan’s daughter Ione Skye’s character attacked during her father’s song Hurleygurley Man, and the scariest Roger Rabbit voice man Charles Fleischer had been or will ever be on film.
5) A.I. (2001)
I was THIS close to including that dildo factory working Canadian Jim Law’s entry Minority Report in this spot. Mostly because it is probably the most quintessential Steven Spielberg film this millennium has seen so far. But, going by the mantra of this article, I included A.I. because of the effect the movie has had on me in recent years. As I outlined in total detail in my prior Revisits column, A.I. was a movie I didn’t think twice about when I left the theater in 2001. I wanted E.T. Not this robot boy who was one ‘I see dead people’ phrase away from making me hate him. But seeing his inability to grow up, and journey toward the ‘blue fairy,’ as well as the tragedy behind it all, is what makes A.I. give me chills when I watch it today. On the film’s blu ray extras, Spielberg almost arrogantly points out that while the cynical outlook of main character David may seem like the brain child of original screenwriter Stanley Kubrick, it was actually the addition of Spielberg himself. Working through a life of exploits, A.I. has set a new standard of Spielberg viewing for me. One which tells more than a story of not growing up. But the horrors that come with doing so.
4) Drive (2011)
I’m just going to go ahead and get this out of the way. Nicholas Winding Refn is my favorite director so far this century. The man has such a poetic eye for storytelling, that it is like watching a cynical 70s filmmaker in a modern age. After slipping into the directing slot of Drive following the previous director’s untimely exit from the project, Refn crafted a film of what I can only describe as poetic brutality. Its neon colors may be a turn off to most. But that is what Refn is looking for. Refn doesn’t want us to see what is under his main vehicle’s hood until more than halfway into the film, and Ryan Gosling’s character is nothing short of backed into helping Carey Mulligan out of her shitty situation, only to run head first into lead villian Albert Brooks. There are so many things about Drive that work for me that I don’t even know where to start. Let’s just say from its upstart soundtrack to a beautifully choreographed action scene involving Mad Men‘s Christina Hendricks, all the way to its artistically intentional, less propulsive ending, Drive is a film I revisit at least once, sometimes twice a year.
3) Mulholland Drive (2001)
Even though I could be overheard constantly calling myself a David Lynch fan to anyone who would listen, in 2001, I was anything but. I had not seen one episode of Twin Peaks, and Wild At Heart & Blue Velvet were tough for me to register at the young ages in which I saw them. It wasn’t until Mulholland Drive that I started to…get it. Lynch wasn’t out to tell good stories. In fact, nobody ever knew what the hell Lynch wanted to accomplish with his Hollywood ventures. And that’s what I loved about him. Lynch was the first Hollywood ‘rebel’ whose work I started seeking out, and with Mulholland Drive as my newly realized starting point, there was nowhere to turn but straight forward. I remember walking out of this screening and telling my girlfriend at the time that I enjoyed everything about it except that blonde girl who really couldn’t act. Little did I know, this was Naomi Watts, who was on the brink of breaking out. It wasn’t until my second or third viewing when I began to realize her overacting in the film’s opening scenes was completely intentional. She was wide eyed about her chances to make it in Hollywood. And it was this optimism that would eventually catch up to her.
One of the most brilliant things about Mulholland Drive is that it is almost two films in one. Its first half is a series of exploits, some darkly humorous -a botched hit, a discovered liaison with Billy Ray Cyrus, The Cowboy- some just dark -a nightmare that takes place in a breakfast diner-. But its second half is an unrelenting film noir of constant exploration. Just what does it all mean, exactly? Part of me wishes Lynch had gone through with his plans to turn the film into a TV series. But the other part of me is just happy to have what he fed us. Not with a spoon mind you, but with a double sided butterfly knife.
2) The Dark Knight (2008)
I feel I need to give a deft explanation of why I have included Christopher Nolan’s much hyped second entry in his Batman film series so high on my list. No, I am not one of those IMDb’ers who grace that page with higher than high reviews of the film, and continue to do so at other places. What works so well with The Dark Knight, to me, is the overall synergy of events that surround it. First, the creepy, Crow like stigma which surrounds the late Heath Ledger’s Joker performance is admittedly a huge factor. Just what was it about this character that made him go so far over the edge? Did Jack Nicholson REALLY warn him about the dangers of the role beforehand? And how the hell could he have given an admittedly brilliant performance under such dire circumstances? Believe it or not, this part of the film’s mystique is fascinating to me, and I believe the answers to these questions could someday make for an even more fascinating documentary.
But the beginning of 2008 was not about superheroes. It was about the fear America was living under, while fearing retaliations to our country’s presence in several other countries as a result of 9/11. My daily trips to work and school in the Bay Area’s BART system was spent in a constant state of fear, and what Nolan did so well with The Dark Knight was outline that it does not take one person pretending to be a hero in order to resolve it. It is the fear that we inhabit which feeds our drive towards success. In addition, the film’s beautiful cinematography, its dark blue pallet, its switching from character to character without leaving its audience in a state of flux, and its brutal handling of Rachel Dawse’s demise which is what sets the film apart for me. Plus, after years of being told he could not direct action, Nolan lets loose with a practical effects driven truck and trailer flipping scene that is just as stunning today that it was then. The Dark Knight is one of the only films that I can watch out of order, and I constantly make it my lone watch for Nolan’s entire series, as I feel it is the only time he got all of Batman’s nuances right. And the beauty of it is, not all of it was his doing.
1) Almost Famous (2000)
This was a tough decision for me. Almost Famous really duked it out with The Dark Knight for this spot. But in the end, I went with Famous because of one reason, and one reason only: it is almost perfect. Almost Famous, much like The Dark Knight, was the perfect synergy of everyone involved being on top of their game. Jason Lee, Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson, Patrick Fugit, director Cameron Crowe. ALL of them would never be better than how they are here. Crowe had carved out quite a niche in telling romantic stories that felt real and close to the heart. But I would argue he had not until Famous, nor has he since, found the perfect formula. Hudson is not only stunning to look at, but also delivers lines like ‘you are home’ with such heartfelt compassion that it is hard not to love her. Of course, Crowe’s way of crafting the perfect soundtrack is proven correct here, and the only thing I could point to as being wrong is Frances Mcdormand’s mom character, who at times walks the line of being a caricature. But, we all have moms. And with Almost Famous, we have the perfect mesh of awesome 70s music and beautifully done storytelling.
Or as I like to call it, the podcast that almost wasn’t. After getting Jason to finally leave the alcohol table and Nate Peterson to get up at 3 AM to record the second (and final?) part of this retrospective, I forgot a sort of important part of recording a podcast. 40 minutes into blabbing about Back to the Future, I realized I forgot to hit the record button.
Not only do we get into this story, Jason, Nate and I do have other business to attend to, which consists of dissecting the two sequels to a movie that was not originally destined to have one. Lots of questions are asked and (not really) answered in this complete breakdown of Back to the Futures Part 2 and Part 3.
Some of which are:
Why is Crispin Glover not here, and how much is he missed?
How much of the future did they get right?
Why does Doc Brown peel off his face?
How the hell did Ohh LaLa not catch on?
How big of an asshole is Biff?
How stupid of a McGuffin is that stupid Sports Almanac?
Why can’t Lea Thompson catch a break when it comes to her make-up jobs?
Speaking of Thompson, what the hell is she doing in 3?
What are the chances of a Back to the Future remake?
How many times can we get Jason to screw up Mary Steenburgen’s name?
Why do I now have the tendency to go play the TellTale game?
Plus, listen as Jason gets more and more slurred and drunk as the podcast goes on. After two plus hours (actually almost three if you count the lost 40 minutes) you can imagine how much his mic was holding him up. A little over two weeks into the year, I don’t think the craziness that comes with this podcast will be topped.