Some Movies I've seen Recently

Summer movie season used to be my favorite movie season of the year, but as I mature I'm finding it harder and harder for films that are made for my sensibility. I've stayed away from most let's say forgettable blockbusters, however I did see a few that stuck out in my mind.

Up: Pixar's strongest feature yet featuring the adventures of a retired widower who flies his house with balloons to the island of Paradise Falls. A film that is full of bizarre giant birds and talking dogs with mechanical voices may not sound like really poignant stuff, but the film takes unexpected emotional turns while keeping with a clever sense of humour. By far the best film I've seen this year. 4 stars out of 4

The Hangover: A film that is very much about its journey rather than its destination. "The Hangover" takes a premise that has been done before about three guys who wake up the next morning and not remembering a single thing that happened the night before. They find many strange things, and the one thing they do notice is that one of their friends are missing. This is probably the funniest film I've seen this year along with "I Love You Man" and probably full of as many surprises as you would see in a great thriller. 4 stars out of 4

Drag Me to Hell: Sam Raimi's exercise in horror is my idea of a fun time at the movies. Poor Alison Lohman plays a bank clerk who denies an evil gypsy an extra loan on her house, and she is then cursed to be "dragged to hell". Raimi has such a smart subversive sense of humour, it was just fun watching a horror movie, that was all about the scare factor. The premise is thin, but Raimi makes it all worthwhile. 3.5 stars out of 4

Jeremy and the Movies: The Return of the Blog

For those of you, who were beginning to lose faith, do not worry, I have returned. I had to take a long sabbatical from my blog writing to focus on more pressing issues in my life, but now I am back and better than ever. I intend to continue writing in my blog on a regular basis with a few changes in mind. Those changes will become evident in the weeks to come, however one big change is that I've decided to forgo my usual "Director of the Month" series. However do not worry, if you think I've simply chosen to ignore masters such as Bunuel, Bergman, Fellini, Chaplin, Scorsese and others, think again. I just wanted to explore their work on a wider canvas, and by doing away with my Director's series I hope to do that more.

As for now, I thank those loyal readers for sticking with me these past few weeks, and do not fear, I shall return to my old glory very soon.

Taking a bit of a breather

I haven't blogged in couple of weeks, but this is just to let you know I haven't left. Life's been busy lately, and has taken me away from my beloved blog for awhile. This stretch will probably continue for the rest of June. I hope to at least finish my tribute to Steven Spielberg within the next few weeks. I'll blog as much as I can this month, but be patient, I'll be back to full time blogging in no time.

Indiana Jones: A Boy's Life

Indiana Jones is one of my favorite creations. People can scoff all they want about the movies, that they are loud, or implausible, or just an exercise in style, you can't change my mind about the way I feel about him. Indiana Jones was conceived originally by George Lucas and was brought to life by his best friend Steven Spielberg and actor Harrison Ford. I can't say what kind of person you have to be to enjoy Indiana Jones, other than you must have the mind of a ten year old boy inside you somewhere. Indiana Jones is meant for boys who yearn for excitement and want to see the good guy be really good and the bad guys be really bad. The films reflect what it means to have fun at the movies, they are children's adventure stories which contain the the crowd pleasing ingredients for a really good Saturday Matinee that doesn't stop for a "To Be Continued" ending. They are fast, funny, and exciting, and the hero does what you expect him to do.

Some people have never liked Indiana Jones, I think he's a riot, and I'm a flutter with excitement whenever I see him on screen, here's a look his four films that should be required viewing for any youngster.

Raiders of the Lost Ark: The first, and for many the best in the series. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is the greatest comic book movie ever made, even though he was never a comic book before this, although you could swear he was. Indy traces the mysterious Ark of the Covenant which boasts the power of God. The Nazis want it to rule the world, Indy wants it in a museum. Indy meets old flame Marion (Karen Allen) who still holds a grudge for him leaving her, but she becomes his partner in crime. Indy and Marion become immersed in a snake pit (remember he really hates snakes), among other things. Indy fights a Bond-like super human near airplane propellers, and let's not forget the famous car chase featuring some of the best stunt work ever put on screen. A film where all the fun is put on screen for us to enjoy.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: This has always been my favorite title for an Indiana Jones movie. This is probably the most misunderstood film in the series. It has been criticized for having a much more whiny heroine than Marion, it's depiction of an ancient cult was attacked for being racist, and perhaps most of all, it was thought of as too dark and gloomy compared the the crowd pleasing "Raiders". To those detractors I say lighten up, it's "The Temple of Doom", not "The Temple of rainbows". I have a fondness for this particular film, sometimes I actually do think it's the best of the bunch. Think of it as if Indy were trapped in the same temple at the beginning of "Raiders" for the entire movie. This was probably the one Indy film that scared me. It wasn't any of the gory parts like when a man's heart is ripped from his chest, but when my hero Indy is brainwashed and is no longer Indy. He is lost and for a child that may be upsetting. But then of course things work out, Indy comes back. Spielberg has often disregarded film as being too dark for him, and I do wish in time he comes to appreciate just how fun and exciting it really is.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: Perhaps the most Spielberg-influenced Indy film, which no doubt makes this the most emotional. Indy searches for the Holy Grail with his estranged father (Sean Connery). For some this turns away from the more edgy "Temple of Doom" to the more safe material of "Raiders". Having just rewatched the film, I must say the father/son relationship was quite touching and balanced nicely with much of the action. It's easy to see why many people regard this film as their favorite of the series. Like in all of the films, you can really sense the fun that was being had behind the scenes. Connery and Ford work beautifully together.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: If we can just get past the "nuked the fridge" portion of the film already please. It's true, I admit I enjoyed this movie more than others. If you look at the facts, this was actually a well-reviewed film, most fans thought differently. Indy is now older, he's the same age as Harrison Ford is today, he has lived through a war, his father is now gone, and it seems he has become reluctant to do anymore adventuring. A new era, now poses a new enemy, Russians become a factor as they try to get Indy to help them find the mysterious Crystal Skull. Indy must come out of retirement, but let me just say it's a joy to see him. Last year I stated that this film was the most fun I had at the movies, and it's still true. Indy is an old fashioned hero, he's indestructible, perhaps that was the real problem new audiences had with it. Watching it along with the other films of the series, I am confident in time, it will be as well regarded with them.

Indiana Jones makes me feel young each time I see it. Whenever I hear that iconic music or that silhouette with him and his fedora, I can't help but feel goosebumps. Indiana Jones is a character that will never change as long as he is in the hands of his creators. He'll never be a brooding, complex hero struggling with personal issues, he's a romantic, a globe trotter, an adventurer, he's everything we want to be when we're young. The world is too troubled, and too serious as it is, and sometimes when we go to the movies, we crave that escape from it more than anything. Thank you Indiana Jones for letting me escape.

Favorite Movie Moments

1. Jaws: Quint's monologue about delivering the "bomb" and then talking about his crew being killed by sharks. A scene that sets the mood for the frightening climax.

2. The General: In a perfectly executed scene, Buster Keaton avoids being hit by canon fire by a turn in the tracks, making the canon ball to hit the train ahead of him.

3. Swing Time: "Never Gonna Dance", perhaps the most poignant number Astaire and Rogers ever did.

4. Late Spring: A father and a daughter share a final night together on their final trip before she is to be married. As the father falls asleep, the daughter drifts over to an empty jug with a gentle sublime look, it's one of Ozu's finest hours.

5. 400 Blows: The freeze frame image at the end of the greatest coming of age film ever. The character reaches the ocean as he looks back once more at a past he ran away from.

6. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: The first appearance of Indy. Say what you want about the rest of the film, the fact is, Indy always knew how to make a dramatic entrance. Audiences were waiting 19 years to see their hero again and Spielberg did not disappoint.

7. Saving Private Ryan: Captain Miller refuses to talk about his wife and her rose bushes. In a calm before the storm scene between Tom Hanks' Captain Miller, and Matt Damon's Private Ryan, Ryan tells a funny story about the last time him and his brothers were together, and when he asks the often guarded Miller about his home life he tells him "that one I keep just for me". We never know the story, but we understand how special it must be.

8. Munich: An Israeli assassin refuses to cover up a naked woman he has just killed. In Spielberg's most controversial film, we see how revenge can lead to the dehumanization of decent people. Spielberg has always been about the strength of goodness in people, when it begins to slip away from us, that's when we start acting like animals.

9. The Terminal: The janitor sacrifices his freedom for his friend. Speaking of humanity! In what could have been a silly sequence, becomes the most heartfelt scene in the film. An Indian janitor at the airport decides to go out to the runway and delay a plane in order for the film's hero (Tom Hanks) to set foot in New York. Cornball? Yes. Effective? Yes.

10. Schindler's List: Schindler's silent decision. At some point in the film, it is never said but German entrepreneur Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) decides to save 10,000 Jews. Schindler is the perfect Spielberg subject, an ordinary man with the means to change the world, does so, his motives are never explained, probably because they never have to be.

Initial Thoughts on Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg is one of the those filmmakers I grew up with. It was summer of 1993, I was 12 years old and going to see "Jurassic Park". That was really my first real movie experience. Before then most movies I saw in the theatre were a bit of a blur, I don't quite remember what it felt like to see those movies. "Jurassic Park" changed that for me, I was jumped out of my seat at the moment the T-Rex first appeared, and I didn't let go of it until the closing credits. Throughout the weeks that would follow, I would go see "Jurassic Park" numerous times.

Time has now passed from that summer of my youth, I can't say I have the same fondness for "Jurassic Park" as I once did, however my admiration for its director has only grown. After falling in love with that film, I wanted to see everything Spielberg did before then. 1993 became my Spielberg retrospective, I watched everything from "Duel" to the present day. When "Schindler's List" was released later that same year, I begged my parents to go see it, but they forbid it saying it was too adult for me, and I probably would get upset by the realistic violence. I like to think they would've been wrong, but they probably weren't.

By the time I finally saw "Schindler's List" I was well educated in the Spielberg canon of films, not to mention his colleague's such as Coppola, Scorsese, and Lucas. As years went by, I was maturing and so was Spielberg; his films weren't merely thought of as popcorn entertainment, but became more thought provoking.

These past few weeks, I have revisited some of Spielberg's greatest films, along with some I would say are grossly underrated. There has been much talk of his earlier successes such as "Jaws" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark", but I was even more intrigued by his recent work like "Minority Report", "War of the Worlds", and "Munich" all of which are based in a certain genre but are strengthened by Spielberg's own point of view. "Munich" is as much a suspenseful thriller as it is a philosophical debate about "eye for an eye" revenge, not to mention a great film pertaining to terrorism as it is seen today.

You could also see a philosophical approach in his most amusing films such as the unfairly maligned "The Terminal", a film I wouldn't be embarrassed to call Spielberg's most heartfelt film after "E.T." The film is a love letter to the cinematic heritage that is as old fashioned as D.W. Griffith, and gets more charming each time you view it. It's a film about the art of patience, but the brilliance of it comes from Spielberg's use of space and the cinematic language, it's effortlessly beautiful.

I often wonder about the critics of Spielberg, those who seem to punish him for his unsubtle sentimentality, and those who only like him when he goes back to his "Jaws" roots, and tries to scare us. Then there are those who think his movies are just fluff and he's a journeyman director who attempts to be serious only to silence his critics.

To me these criticisms put Spielberg in too much of a narrow box, and he is far more interesting than that. To say that the man has no talent is blasphemy considering when you compare his films to the ones by his many imitators. Spielberg works very much in spectacle, but I believe he also learned some stuff from the personal filmmakers. Spielberg puts his auteur stamp on everything he does, not only that, but he has impeccable skills worthy of the greats. I'm not saying the man is perfect, he's made his share of flops, but he remains nothing if not interesting. Spielberg is for the regular movie going public, as well as the cinephiles everywhere who have grown up with his films, and with him as well. I will look forward to what he plans next, chances are it will be interesting.

Planting the Space Seed

The word “Star Trek” probably means different things to different people. To some, it may be the holy grail of science fiction which has influenced every other movie of its kind since then. To others it is the ultimate of fandomonium where followers dress up as their favourite characters, can recite Klingon lingo, and know the order of every television episode by heart. Others might see it as a corny campy sixties show with a hammy lead actor and lame special effects.

When I think of “Star Trek” I think of myself almost reluctantly embracing the series, I never really watched the series as a kid, but have found myself growing fonder of it as I grow older. At its best “Star Trek” was a hopeful look into the future and contained some intriguing, often profound science fiction stories worthy of Ray Bradbury or Rod Serling.

The new “Star Trek” as envisioned by director J.J. Abrams wants to invite those not familiar with its universe in on the fun, however by doing that, he seems to have turned the originality of the concept into a more mundane series of events.

Abrams’ “Star Trek” begins with the birth of James T. Kirk when his father is killed almost at the exact moment by a time traveling Romulan spaceship. Without his father Kirk (Now Chris Pine) grows up to be a rather distraught young man with some rebellious tendencies. He’s taken in by a new father figure, that of Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood) who gets him to enlist in Starfleet.

Meanwhile on the Planet Vulcan, we get to see the emergence of Spock who as a young boy is conflicted by having both a Vulcan father and human mother. As a man Spock (Zachery Quinto) suffers from severe emotional repression by being taught not to tap into his human side.

The fun of the film comes as with all origin stories by seeing how all your favourite characters meet, and the young talented cast is all game. No one is left in the dirt here, I particularly liked Karl Urban’s dead on interpretation of DeForest Kelly’s Dr. McCoy, it’s a nice homage to both character and actor. There are also nice shout outs to some of the original television and movie series, perhaps the most affecting coming from the appearance of Leonard Nimoy as the older Spock.

However despite all these nice touches, director Abrams fails to lose us in the world of “Star Trek”. Part of the original appeal of “Star Trek” was the actual space explorations “To seek out new life and new civilizations....etc”, also the nice character nuances. For a film that boasts attention to character I found very little of it in here. There are choppy moments of real nuance from the actors, but don’t be fooled; Abrams can’t wait to show off the expensive eye candy right away.

I constantly was at odds with “Star Trek”, I wanted to enjoy it, but it seemed to have a certain agenda that didn’t fit with me. The action sequences seemed muddled and incoherent, the spectacle is lost by the fast editing, and I don’t even remember how the “Enterprise” the most iconic image from the series was revealed to us.

In the end, “Star Trek” never becomes anything more than fast food entertainment, you come in, get a thrill, and you leave forgetting what you saw. I enjoyed the actors but wish I could’ve believed their environment more. The world I was transported to was incomplete, here’s hoping it will look like something I could believe in the next time around. 2.5 stars out of 4