I recently issued a challenge to the latest incarnation of my Digital Movie-making class: tell me what are the five films you love the most and the five films you totally, absolutely despise.
The ensuing discussions were heated, interesting, argumentative and just plain fun. In return, one of my students asked me “what are YOUR film selections, teacher?”. Out of my answer to that question, comes the next blog post.
My 5 (plus 2) favorite movies:
1. “The Godfather” series, directed by Francis Ford Coppola (1972-1990). After spending a couple of summer nights watching these movies back-to-back, I realized how monumentally complex these films are. They are more than a novel taken to the big screen. They are very intricate stories, which chronicle the rise and fall and rise and power struggles of your friendly neighborhood mafia brotherhood, the Corleone family. I challenge anyone of you to see these movies and not think: “wouldn’t it be great to be part of this family!”. Of course it wouldn’t, but in these films, the grim and dirty dysfunctional reality of the Mob family life is distorted and turned into an average, normal way of life. The acting is superb and every scene is an acting workshop. From the opening sequence in “The Godfather”(1972) with Brando, all the way down to the final moments where Al Pacino’s daughter is assassinated in the climactic scenes of “The Godfather 3” (1990), this is what movies are all about.
2. “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968) directed by Stanley Kubrick. It took a philosophy course in college, for me to fully appreciate and understand what this movie was about. This is the standard upon which all science fiction is measured against, and often found lacking. The movie’s message goes far beyond what any arcade-style action sci-fi thriller can possibly depict. See the sequel, “2010”, only if you want the meaning behind the original movie’s symbolic monolith explained in a very plain and drab way.
3. “What Dreams May Come” (1998) directed by Vincent Ward. Proudly, I can say this is the first movie that made me cry and continues to do so. If any movie depicts what I humbly believe happens to us after we die – and before we come back again- this is it. Beautiful scenarios, superb graphics and great acting by Robin Williams and Cuba Gooding Jr round-up an amazing cinematic visual experience.
4. “Airplane!” (1980) directed by the Zucker brothers and Jim Abrahams. I saw this movie as the second in a double-feature “movie night” at a friend’s house, and this movie taught me the meaning of the expression “laugh until you cry”. We were in stitches and rolling in the floor, scene after scene. True, my perception of this film may be enhanced by the movie we saw before this one: “The Elephant Man”, which is its’ total opposite in tone, style and content. However, the jokes in Airplane come fast and furious; I remember reading that they were timed them at a joke every 30 seconds, or so. If you like zany screwball comedies where the puns are all over the place, but the humor does not insult your intelligence, this is it. Forget the sequel. Unknown to me then, the writer/producers – the Zucker brothers- also created a classic which I worship, released before this one: “Kentucky Fried Movie”. Any student of cinema who wants to find out what is real comedy, must study these movies.
5. “Star Wars” or as it is obnoxiously known lately, “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope” (1977). Directed by George Lucas. This movie has it all: action, adventure, a Saturday-morning-serial plot, great acting and what then was an original and inventive script. I went gaga over this movie, and my favorite characters were Han Solo (I wanted to look like him) and Darth Vader (I wanted to be and sound like him, asthmatic breathing and all). The special effects are groundbreaking to this day, done the old fashioned way. I’ll take good model photography over CGI and green-screen anytime. The religious cult that has developed around Star Wars, and the never-ending sequels, are an insult to cinema and a con-game which collects victims by the hundreds each day.
And since this is the blog version of my article, I’ll indulge in two more movies:
6. “Mad Max” (1979) directed by George Miller. This was the first post-apocalyptic movie I ever saw in theaters! My mother actually took me to see this one. Given the film’s depiction of a post-apocalyptic society crumbling to the core, as well as the constant car crashes – a good part of this movie is “road rage” on steroids – she spent ¾ of the movie covering her eyes in horror. Yet, somehow, she saw I was starry-eyed and let me stay until the movie finished. Mel Gibson’s first role is probably his best ever. I hear talk about a fourth chapter of this saga being in the works, as well as an animated series; but it’s all Gibson-less. I will probably pass on the sequels or reboots for this one.
7. “The Pink Panther Strikes Again” (1976) Directed by Blake Edwards. I consider myself lucky, because through my life I’ve been introduced to great and classic movies by my friends. My date at the time – and her entire family – were obsessed with the “Pink Panther” films. Thus, if I wanted to spend quality time with this family, it was a requisite to sit down to repeated showings of these films. And what great days they were! If you want to understand what a classic comedian looks and acts like on screen, studying Peter Sellers in the role HE CREATED as “Inspector Clouseau” is a must. You see, Peter Sellers executes comedy with the elegance and grace of a ballet dancer, and nothing like the moronic take-off done by Steve Martin. Any “Pink Panther” film with Sellers on it is equivalent to a lecture on cinematic comedy. If you want to see a good sample of Sellers’ work in the “Pink Panther” series, look no further than here. You can’t help but fall in love with Clouseau. I did. Then, I fell down the stairs just like he does.
And now, just like “Siskel and Ebert” used to do in their show, allow me to bring out Aroma the Educated Skunk, as I present to you:
The three movies I despise the most, so far.
1. “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy (2001-2003). Directed by Peter Jackson. I must confess, I saw all of them. Friends dragged me to see them. As a result, they are no longer my friends. I was not impressed or amused by these movies, except for the soundtrack which is epic in nature. Movies about people who walk lengthy distances just to throw a ring on a pit of fire, and then walk back are really not my cup of tea.
2. “Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen” (2009) Directed by Michael Bay. They fell, and fell, and they couldn’t get up. This is the first movie where I have actually sat in the theater, staring at my watch and counting the minutes for the movie to end. Not even a movie I saw in Fine Arts Cinema, which was entirely in Cantonese and without subtitles, did that to me. Those are two hours I am not getting back.
I’ve followed Transformers all the way since the original animated series, and even the most poorly scripted cartoon episodes have a plot that puts this movie’s storyline to shame. The death of Optimus Prime has been done to death (no pun intended) in the original series, but in a more successful, emotional and passionate way. If you don’t believe me, look at this. At times, the film acts like a painful re-tread of moments from the franchise’s twenty-five years. For fun, try to spot Megan Fox’s most imposing physical attributes throughout the movie: her toe-thumbs.
3. “King Kong” (2005) Directed by Peter Jackson. I refer, of course, to the remake. A movie about an anatomically incorrect giant ape who falls in love with a woman the size of his thumb: sounds like a great plot! Peter Jackson and Jack Black together? A match not-made in heaven. Watch out for the climactic scene where they’re all atop the Empire State building. Normally, people standing at such high altitudes would have some difficulty breathing. much less utter corny dialogue. Given the intensity of the wind, the girl’s clothes should be on top of her head after 30 seconds! Miraculously, it all stays in place. Except my sanity.
Feel free to comment, agree or disagree! I want to hear what you have to say.
Mind Drops 