Movie #235 - Gone in 60 Seconds

Gone in 60 Seconds
2000 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 58 min
Director: Dominic Sena
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Angelina Jolie, Giovanni Ribisi, Scott Caan, James Duval,  Will Patton, Delroy Lindo, Timothy Olyphant, Chi McBride, Robert Duvall, Christopher Eccleston, Vinnie Jones

I guess car theft is a little lighter content-wise than kidnapping.  Although, all these crime movies in a row are overwhelming.

So Nicolas Cage is an ex-car thief and his brother, Giovanni Ribisi, is an idiot who tries to become a car thief and gets in over his head.  Cage pulls together his old thieving buddies from back in the day -- including Angeline Jolie, who looks like a crack whore in this movie, no joke -- and attempts to complete the job for him, so Christopher Eccleston won't kill him.  (Yes, Christopher Eccleston is in EVERYTHING lately.) 

But Delroy Lindo and Timothy Olyphant (also in EVERYTHING. G is his letter, man) are the cops who used to try to catch Cage and they're onto him.  Also, a car named Eleanor is Cage's nemesis. It's a long story but basically, he can't steal this one particular model without something bad happening. Of course, it's on the list and he saves it for last.  Will he make it in time?

Car chases ensue, but this ain't Fast and Furious.  It's a very markedly late 90's thrillfest and, as such, it's not so bad.  Absolutely do not watch this movie if you're looking for content.  Just watch it for the pretty cars.

Movie #234 - Gone Baby Gone

Gone Baby Gone
2007 - Rated R - 1 hr 54 min
Director: Ben Affleck
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Casey Affleck, Ed Harris, Michelle Monaghan, John Ashton, Amy Ryan, Amy Madigan

Between the Godfather trilogy and this movie, I needed a time out. So many heavy plotlines! I'm begging for a comedy right now, folks.  This isn't it.

I do like this movie though and I got to be reminded of how much.  Nepotism in casting aside, Casey Affleck carries the movie well.  And as always, you gotta love Ed Harris. 

The movie starts out with a missing girl, taken from the home in the middle of the night.  The first hour is spent looking for her. The second hour isn't... but we end up learning so much more about what happened, all the same.  I can't give away much more than that, without ruining the ending.  Disguised as a crime drama, this movie really asks you to consider your own morals.  Is it right? Wrong?  Can you shoot a child molester in the head at point blank range and live with it? And then ending will probably piss you off. Maybe.  It all depends on your own moral code, I guess.

Movie #233 - The Godfather: Part III

The Godfather: Part III
1990 - Rated R - 2 hr 42 min
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talie Shire, Andy Garcia, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, Bridget Fonda, Sofia Coppola

Yup, don't think I ever seen this one.  Also did not realize it was released 16 years after Part II. Huh.  I was alive when this came out. Still had no idea.

This is probably my least favorite of the movies and that's mostly just because they can't all be perfect.  There has to be one that's the "weak" one, right?  And it's also not all Sofia Coppola's fault, although her acting is atrocious.  It's nice to see the Corleone family try to go legit, but it's sad to see all that bad-assery evaporate from Michael.  In his personal life, it's too little too late and in his business life, it's pointless.

You can't go legit if no one else will let you.  And you'd think they'd have figured out by now that you can keep killing each other all you want but it never ends.  There's always someone to pick up the gun.  Having all those efforts be in vain, however, stays true to the story. And for that, I do like the end.  It's sad and empty, but believable.

Now I want to read the books.

Movie #232 - The Godfather: Part II

The Godfather: Part II
1974 - Rated R - 3 hr 20 min
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, John Cazale, Talia Shire, James Caan, Abe Vigoda, Danny Aiello

I probably remember this movie of the three best, and as a sequel, it certainly stands on its own.  The only sequel to win Best Picture at the Oscars, I think.  That's saying something, for sure.

So Michael Corleone is growing into his role, while we also flashback to 1901 and thereafter to see his father grow into his own role. At first, I didn't know why the flashbacks were here, but as the story progressed (leading to Michael's ultimate blood betrayal), I could understand why we see these two stories blended together in one movie.

And it's a looooooooooooong one too!  Two discs! Still, I really enjoyed the journey. Character-driven pieces like these (when they're well done) are always a treat.  And this family provides so many characters and so many interwoven tales, that I can see why this has become an iconic trilogy.

Movie #231 - The Godfather

The Godfather
1972 - Rated R - 2 hr 55 min
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Abe Vigoda, Talia Shire

I have to admit something shameful.  *Somehow* I made it to almost 30 without watching this movie sequentially. I don't know how this happened, but it did.  I've long thought I'd seen the movie, got the gist of it anyway, and then I watched it today.

It is so freakin' good. What the hell is wrong with me?

So I got sucked into the drama of this Italian mob family and I'm totally blown away by how young everyone freakin' is and how insane the plot of this darn thing is... holy cow! If only I could write something this complicated... Yeah, I've got a brand new respect for Mario Puzo and basically everyone who even breathed near this movie.

Sweet Jesus, that was good.  And man, I'm embarrassed that I have to admit this publicly. Geez!

Movie #230 - Go

Go
1999 - Rated R - 1 hr 42 min
Director: Doug Liman
Starring: Katie Holmes, Sarah Polley, Desmond Askew, Nathan Bexton, Scott Wolf, Jay Mohr, Timothy Olyphant, William Fichtner, Taye Diggs, Breckin Meyer, James Duval, Jane Krakowski, Melissa McCarthy

Here's a favorite from college. A tale of a would-be drug dealer and her assorted disaster-facing friends.  The cool thing about this movie is the multiple perspective approach, rewinding the film to tell the tale from many points of view.  The would-be drug dealer, the "bait," the drug user (which affords an awesome grocery store dance scene), the actual drug dealer on his Vegas vacation with friends, and a pair of actors who wind up trapped in a sales pitch.  It's weird, it's random, and it's probably better on drugs, but I've always liked this movie for it's unconventionalness. (Is that a word? ... says the writer)

So it may not be intellectual but it will make you laugh. Or possibly scare you that the future of my generation is not a hopeful one.  I think enough time has passed that we've redeemed ourselves from these kind of antics and proven that we're not all on drugs. 

Anyway, a great ensemble cast piece that's just fun to watch... like a train wreck, you just can't look away.

Movie #229 - Gladiator

Gladiator
2000 - Rated R - 2 hr 35 min
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Richard Harris, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, David Schofield, John Shrapnel, Tommy Flanagan

Obviously, with a Latin teacher in the house, this is a favorite around here.  What I like most about this movie -- aside from the realistic interpretation of the time period -- is its ability to appeal to different tastes.  It's not just an action film, or a historical film, or a drama film.  It has a unique blend of elements that allow you to get pulled into the story line, root for the main character, and escape to another world for a couple of hours.

It's long, for sure, but it doesn't drag.  That's another bonus in my book.  You really don't mind sitting through two and a half hours, because that's what you need for a thorough telling of this story. 

One critique is the clear-cut bad guy vs. good guy.  No one roots for Commodus.  Maybe you shouldn't, but I always like a movie with a multi-dimensional rivalry and a little bit of gray area.  But I guess there's something to be told for this movie's traditional standpoint.  Stories from that time were indeed clear-cut, so it makes sense this one would be too.

A favorite, since my very first watch. A+

Movie #228 - The Girl Next Door

The Girl Next Door
2004 - Rated R - 1 hr 48 min
Director: Luke Greenfield
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Nicholas Downs, Elisha Cuthbert, Timothy Olyphant, James Remar, Chris Marquette, Paul Dano

Admittedly, this is not an award-winning film.  It's not even that good.  It has some charm though, and it's kinda funny at points.  Plus, Elisha Cuthbert is far less annoying in this movie than in any given episode of 24.

So fine, upstanding young high school senior falls in love with niece of next door neighbor, who (of course) turns out to be a porn star. Of course.  He gets wrapped up in underground porn industry dispute, trouble ensues, and extreme measures are needed to sort out his problems.  It's not that original, and it is a tad bit unbelievable, but it can be mildly entertaining. 

Yeah, it's not great, but it's not terrible.  Not sure why it's on the wall... Must've been on sale.

Movie #227 - Ghostbusters II

Ghostbusters II
1989 - Rated PG - 1 hr 48 min
Director: Ivan Reitman
Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, Peter MacNicol, Harris Yulin, David Margulies, Kurt Fuller

Yay, they're back! Even Slimer is back!

This movie finds the Ghostbusters in some legal trouble that's quickly solved by a ghostly attack. Cool.  Sigourney Weaver is in trouble again, or her baby is, and this makes me worry for her future.  This poor woman! Will it ever stop?

On a side note, the baby on a ledge scene now makes me nauseous, thanks to motherhood.  Seriously.

As a sequel, this movie holds up well.  It revisits these well-loved characters without overkilling the jokes or self-indulging too much.  They face new problems and come up with even bigger solutions. I cite the "Libby" hijacking incident--a step above and beyond the Stay Puft marshmallow man.  But strangely, it works.

It was fun to watch these back to back, something I'd never done before.  Good times were had by all... or....me. Yay.

Movie #226 - Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters
1984 - Rated PG - 1 hr 45 min
Director: Ivan Reitman
Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, William Atherton, Ernie Hudson, David Margulies

Classic.  Really, this movie is a classic.  I'm not sure how "technical" all that ghostbusting equipment really is (though I'm guessing most of it's imagined), but they make it seem like the real deal, in terms of how they attempt to explain and use it.  Scientific or not, you really want these guys to find and "bust" some serious ghost ass.

Watching the movie this time, I was impressed and surprised at how good the effects are.  They're not as good as they would be today, but for 1984, they're not bad at all.  Actually, the "streams" are decent and, as long as the creatures aren't moving, most of the ghosts/demons look okay.  It's not CGI, but it definitely doesn't distract you.

Anyway, what I love about this movie is the campy approach.  They don't take it too seriously and they embrace the weird concept.  A movie like this was ahead of its time, considering the ghost tv show craze that's happening now. Did they make it trendy to hunt for ghosts? I don't know about that, but they did make it look almost fun.

Movie #225 - Ghost Town

Ghost Town
2008 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 42 min
Director: David Koepp
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Tea Leoni, Aasif Mandvi, Alan Ruck, Kristen Wiig, Dana Ivey

This one's pretty funny. Ricky Gervais does irritable better than anyone else, so he works in this role.  Greg Kinnear needles pretty well himself, so he works well in his role. Perfect.  And who doesn't love a heart-broken Tea Leoni character?

So Gervais sees ghosts that want his help, it annoys him, but Kinnear convinces him to help him stop his widow (Leoni) from marrying a guy who's wrong for her... at least in his eyes.  Of course, Gervais gets attached, against his better judgment, and things go horribly wrong.  Unless he can learn to be less of a jackass and win her over.

It's pretty cut-and-dry rom/com, but it has enough flair to make it seem original and appeal to guys as well.  Call it paranormal romance or sci-fi rom/com or whatever you want. But it's definitely a fun one to watch.

Movie #224 - The Ghost and the Darkness

The Ghost and the Darkness
1996 - Rated R - 1 hr 49 min
Director: Stephen Hopkins
Starring: Michael Douglas, Val Kilmer, Tom Wilkinson, John Kani, Bernard Hill, Brian McCardie, Emily Mortimer, Om Puri

I really enjoyed this one, much more than the first time I watched it.  Actually, I barely remember my first viewing, so this was almost like the first time I guess.  I also did not realize that this story is based on true events.  Apparently, two lions really did kill around 130 people in Africa in 1898 and really are stuffed and mounted in a museum in Chicago.  Who knew?

So Val Kilmer plays the bridge engineer, whose staff keeps getting eaten, and Michael Douglas is the rogue lion-killer sent in to help him kill these things.  There are a few things that seem weird to me. 1. Val Kilmer is a British officer...without a British accent.  2. Male lions don't hunt, female lions do. 

Of course, these lions act against almost all natural lion-like habits.  So, in a way, I guess it doesn't matter if they're male or female.  It's more weird, but okay. True story. I guess I can't argue.

Anyway, it's a really good story and really well told in this movie.  Except for Val Kilmer's accent.