Movie #307 - Independence Day

Independence Day
1996 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 25 min
Director: Roland Emmerich
Starring: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Randy Quaid, Vivica A Fox, Harvey Fierstein, Adam Baldwin, Brent Spiner, James Duval, Lisa Jakub

I saw this in the movie theater way back when and loved it.  It's cheesy and very Roland Emmerich-esque, but it's just so much fun to watch that you can't help but enjoy it.  The cast is great - president Pullman, Smith as a marine, Goldblum as a failed scientist, Fierstein and his effortless dramatics.  And Brent Spiner as the weird, crazy-haired scientist in the alien lab - it's just too much.  I love it.

We all know how much Emmerich likes to destroy the world and, although some of his later attempts weren't so bad, this has got to be the best one.  The aliens are creepy in their calculated silence, the people featured at the center of the action are diverse and interesting, and there's just enough personal tragedy and sacrifice to make it seem "real."

Alright, so it's not very "real."  But it's a nice balance of victory and loss, a perfect Hollywood blend of comedy and tragedy.  And the effects aren't so bad either.

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 #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 #169 - Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko
2001 - Rated R - 1 hr 53 min
Director: Richard Kelly
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Duval, Patrick Swayze

This movie is messed up.  But also awesome.

After all, "Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?" Right?

So here's itty bitty Jake Gyllenhaal (and Maggie too!) in the 80's and all sorts of crazy, seeing man-sized rabbits and whacking bronze statues with an axe.  This is probably the best cinematic teenage angst ever made, but it's also so much more than that.  Is Donnie Darko schizophrenic, is he just in-tune to what we don't know? How does he predict the things he does? And how the help did he get up high enough to put the axe in the dog's head?  What kind of name is Donnie Darko, anyway? These are the questions this movie makes me ask. 

Then you get to the end and you wonder, how much was real? Is there a time loop? Alternative universes, parallel timelines? And if the jet engine still falls, is the plane still going to crash? Yikes.

Anyway, it took me a couple of watches to really get what's happening here.  And it's possible I still don't completely get it... hence all the questions.  But it took this watch for me to notice Seth Rogen has a bit part. Watch it and see if you can find him. I love this game.

If you haven't seen this one and you don't like dark, psychological (not scary, but definitely twisted) movies, you should probably pass.  If you like that kind of stuff and you want something to think about, put this in your Netflix queue.