We all love a good movie. One that puts a smile on our faces, stimulates our brains, and even delivers a little daily inspiration. But when watching films, nothing is sweeter than the added bonus of an unexpected (yet very welcome) song and dance number, despite the fact that the film in question isn't really of the musical-genre variety. The following are the best examples of cinematic and musical spontaneity (please note that some of the videos in the links aren't of the best quality, but since they were the best I could find, any complaints from you will be automatically thrown in my "I Don't Care'" file).
20. "Anything Goes"- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
After the jaw-droppingly iconic opener from 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark, it'd be tough for Steven Spielberg to top when he came around to doing the India-bound prequel, The Temple of Doom. Of course, even though he couldn't come close to the sheer excitement of the intrepid archaeologist's escape from booby traps and a giant boulder, he did manage to create a brilliantly-choreographed, Bubsy Berkeley-inspired opening credits scene featuring nightclub singer Willie Scott (Spielberg's future wife Kate Capshaw) singing, in Chinese, the 1930's hit "Anything Goes" in a crime lord's club (named "Club Obi-Wan", in fact).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L5UY3oVJBY
19. "Ninja Rap"- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
I don't care what you say. This was making the list, by hell or high water. The very scene may well have permanently impacted the lives of millions of kids (mine included) from the early '90s, quite possibly for the better. Just click the link and inhale the Vanilla.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEUaE2pUR_U
18. "All You Need is Love"- Love Actually
There's nothing like a little Beatles to brighten up an already beautiful day, and for new newlyweds Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Juliet (Keira Knightley), having just kissed at the altar, the lovebirds are pleasantly surprised by an impromptu rendition of the Fab Four's classic by the church choir, orchestra, and several instrumentalists popping out of the congregation.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8616065499336167042&ei=psKaS_z8OoSwqQK8t7DmDA&q=love+actually+all+you+need+is+love&hl=en&client=safari#
17. "You Never Can Tell"- Pulp Fiction
Quentin Tarantino's Oscar-winning indie classic probably had no more iconic moment than the '50s-style dance contest featuring wild child mob wife Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) and her hitman date Vincent Vega (John Travolta), set at the fictional 1950's-esque restaurant Jack Rabbit Slim's. Partnering up for a twist dance-off to Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell", the two heat up the dance floor with their decidedly retro (yet still very cool) dance moves, including the infamous "Batusi" made popular on the old 1960's "Batman" television series.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik-RsDGPI5Y
16. "Stuck in the Middle with You"- Reservoir Dogs
In Quentin Tarantino's debut film, we see the aftermath of a jewel heist gone wrong, and while most of the thugs are around the city, trying to figure out what the hell happened, a kidnapped cop (Kirk Baltz) is left alone with psychopathic hitman Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen). What follows is a highly disturbing and shocking landmark scene in the gangster genre, set to the hip sounds of Stealer's Wheel's one-hit wonder "Stuck in the Middle with You".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLTqecGbdCc (WARNING: Graphic video)
15. "Waltz of the Flowers"- Caddyshack
Even though the Bushwood Country Club only allots fifteen minutes for the unkempt, raucous caddies to inhabit the swimming pool, that's more than enough time for them to cause complete mayhem. Beginning one of the funniest sequences in movie history is this random, utterly ridiculous synchronized-swimming ballet set to "Waltz of the Flowers" from "The Nutcracker".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEJICxdi6nE
14. "Dueling Banjos"- Deliverance
What seemed like a simple men's-weekend-out in Appalachia turned into something very, very different, and setting the creepy, ominous tone for John Boorman's highly disturbing Deliverance was the terrific bluegrass banjo battle between city slicker Drew (Ronny Cox) and local inbred teenager Lonnie (Billy Redden).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tqxzWdKKu8
13. "Stayin' Alive"- Saturday Night Fever
All it took were a low-angle camera tracking shot, leather shoes, a cocky swagger, and the Bee Gees to instantly turn John Travolta into a true household name, cementing his status in Hollywood... with just the opening credits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okpCx87orOA&feature=related
12. "Tequila"- Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
At the mercy of dozens of surly bikers in a middle-of-nowhere dive bar, manchild Pee-Wee Herman (Paul Reubens) attempts to curry their favor by dancing (rather awkwardly yet assertively) in lift shoes to The Champs' "Tequila" in Tim Burton's surreal classic Pee-Wee Herman's Big Adventure. It's now highly difficult to listen to the song without imagining a skinny little man in a gray suit dancing in front of a bunch of rowdy biker dudes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BodXwAYeTfM
11. "Johnny B. Goode"- Back to the Future
Having been thrown back in time to 1955, '80s-based time traveler Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) has just successfully saved his parent's future marriage at their high school's prom night. Having replaced the house band's injured guitarist, Marty begins playing Chuck Berry's (future) classic "Johnny B. Goode" to the delight of the teenagers, but gets a little too carried away by breaking out wildly anachronistic heavy-metal guitar riffs and sliding across the stage on his knees, much to the mass confusion of the young baby boomer audience.
http://www.tu.tv/videos/michael-j-fox-johnny-b-goode-_1
10. "The Inquisition"- History of the World: Part One
Seeing as how comedy legend Mel Brooks helped craft my sense of humor, it was only natural that one of his movies (two, actually) popped up on this list, the first being the lavish and gloriously un-P.C. Broadway-style number from his time-hopping farce History of the World: Part One. Now most Catholics would agree that the Spanish Inquisition was NOT one of the proudest moments in their history, but only Mr. Brooks could mine comedy gold from such circumstances, where Grand Inquisitor Torquemada (Brooks) prepares to either convert or torture captive Jews, but in the sunny, toe-tapping spirit of Bubsy Berkeley and Esther Williams. Grand anarchy at its best.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5McSEU48Y8
9. "Jai Ho"- Slumdog Millionaire
He won the millions, and he found his girl. Now how does Indian street urchin Jamal (Dev Patel) celebrate? Why, a Bollywood-style dance number, of course! Finishing off Danny Boyle's grand, Oscar-winning rags-to-riches drama is the spectacular Bollywood-inspired dance by the film's lead actors and dozens of extras, set to A.R. Rahman's "Jai Ho".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki2GtVDOw8o
8. "Tiny Dancer"- Almost Famous
In Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical comedy-drama Almost Famous, we witness early-'70s teen William Miller (Patrick Fugit) touring with fictitious rock band Stillwater as part of a freelance journalism piece on the band. While coasting down the highway with the band and various groupies in the tour bus, the silence is broken by the group spontaneously singing along to Elton John's "Tiny Dancer". A sweet, memorable moment from a terrific movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qn3tel9FWU
7. "Puttin' on the Ritz"- Young Frankenstein
Third-generation scientist Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced "FRAHNK-en-SCHTEEN") has recently followed his famous grandfather's footsteps by creating a cobbled-together Monster. But in an attempt to allay the townspeople's fears, Frederick (Gene Wilder) sets out to prove how much of a "man about town" his Creature is, by setting up a top hat and cane act to Irving Berlin's "Puttin' on the Ritz". A classic scene from a classic Mel Brooks film, made all the funnier by the Creature's (Peter Boyle) slurred, screeching attempts at singing ("Pudditondarizzzzzzz!!!").
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ-aRwEbp5I
6. "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"- Monty Python's Life of Brian
After being crucified by mistake and having been abandoned by his craggy mother (Terry Jones) and his revolutionary friends, biblical-era Brian (Graham Chapman) is clearly depressed at the prospect at dying slowly on the cross. But fellow crucificee Mr. Cheeky (Eric Idle) cheerfully informs him there's always reason to look on the bright side of life, prompting a highly optimistic and upbeat musical number amongst countless other crucifixion victims, in this epilogue to Monty Python's extremely irreverent religious satire Life of Brian. The pull-away shot of a group of doomed crucified people singing their hearts out and whistling makes it all the more ridiculously funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlBiLNN1NhQ
5. "Old Time Rock and Roll"- Risky Business
Left at home while his parents are away, Joel (a very young Tom Cruise) is given newfound freedom, breaking into his folks' liquor cabinets, turning on the stereo at full blast, and dancing across his living room wearing only a pink dress shirt and underwear to Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll". A scene that has been endlessly parodied and referenced in the intervening years, and quite possibly the scene that put Cruise on the map.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilaUVGjMkJo
4. "You Make My Dreams"- (500) Days of Summer
In the brilliant, postmodern "anti-romance" (500) Days of Summer, we witness greeting card writer Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) attempt to win the heart of the adorable and iconoclastic Summer (Zooey Deschanel). One night, the two finally consummate their relationship, after which the the following morning, a triumphant Tom dances down Los Angeles, with seemingly the entire city celebrating with him, to Hall and Oates' "You Make My Dreams". A terrific and sublime moment, it perfectly encapsulates Tom's joyous state of mind, capped by his seeing Han Solo in lieu of his own reflection. Now who WOULDN'T want to feel like Han Solo?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tJoIaXZ0rw
3. "Shout"- National Lampoon's Animal House
I dare you to find five people who can't associate The Isley Brothers' "Shout" with the greatest gross-out college comedy of all time. I dare you. This scene not only repopularized college toga parties, but even sparked the real-life career of Otis Day and the Knights, whose then-fictional band was created specifically for the film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RrAadYcbrE
2. "Twist and Shout"- Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Playing hooky from high school and bring along his girlfriend (Mia Sara) and best friend (Alan Ruck), there seems to be no thing that cool high school senior Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) can't sweet-talk or charm his way into. That includes sneaking onto a float during Chicago's Von Steuben Day parade, and lip-synching to Wayne Newton's "Danke Schoen" (much to the impressed bewilderment of his friends), after which he sends the Windy City into a frenzy with The Beatles' "Twist and Shout". Though the late, great John Hughes has made many great, immortal movies, no scene could sum up the spirit of his films better than this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUrOMB-iBLk&feature=related
1. "Bohemian Rhapsody"- Wayne's World
Finally, this list could NEVER be complete without the inclusion of the opening credits sequence of the legendary Queen's magnum opus "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the now-classic Mike Myers comedy Wayne's World, where public access hosts and party boys Wayne (Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey) cruise down Aurora, IL with their three rocker buddies in Wayne's car, banging their head's to a cassette tape recording of "Rhapsody". Sheer bliss ensues, largely owing to the fact that "Rhapsody" is without a doubt the greatest song EVER, and Wayne's World merely cemented the song's immortality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9umpJj3D4d8
And just for shits and giggles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLqsdPUfnno. Just TRY not to laugh your ass off in sheer embarrassment and pain.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Review: "THE WOLFMAN"
You can't beat the original Universal Studios horror classics. You just can't. While the special effects are undeniably archaic when viewed today, and while they may not be as scary to contemporary audiences as they were to audiences in the 1930s and '40s, there's just an air of class, sophistication, and elegance that horror films of today experience too rarely.
I mean, when you compare the oldies with the newbies, there's just no contest! Sure, the 1999 version of The Mummy was cool in a visual sense, but compared with the great Boris Karloff in the original 1932 film of the same name, Arnold Voosloo's Imhotep would probably fare better staying in the tomb.
The same goes for vampires. Though we're currently experiencing a glut of films, books, and television shows preoccupied with bloodsuckers, the likes of tame, teenybopper vampire fads like Twilight or Cirque de Freak couldn't hold a candle to Bela Lugosi's 1931 classic incarnation of Dracula.
And of course, werewolves have become a hot commodity, what with Twilight, Underworld, and Harry Potter re-popularizing those furry nightstalkers, though never to the legendary extent of 1941's all-time classic, The Wolf Man. Starring horror great Lon Chaney, Jr., Wolf Man quite possibly ignited the modern Western world's fascination with werewolves.
But unlike Dracula and The Mummy, the original Wolf Man never had its own straight-up remake, though plenty of lycanthrope-themed films did come out of the woodwork later on (1981's An American Werewolf in London being possibly the best contemporary werewolf movie to date).
But, as is the trend in modern Hollywood, everything needs to be remade (especially horror films), and so the original werewolf classic was finally "reimagined" for the 21st century, this time under the helm of fantasy/adventure director Joe Johnston. And at the risk of sounding cliched, this Wolfman's bark is seriously better than its bite.
In 1890s England, rumors have been floating around that an accursed beast has been stalking the woods and murdering scores of villagers. One such unlucky and eviscerated fellow was Ben Talbot, the son of reclusive nobleman Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins) and the brother of Shakespearean actor Lawrence Talbot (Benicio del Toro).
Lawrence, having been living and performing in America for many years, returns to bury his brother and patch things up with their estranged father. Though there's no love lost between Lawrence and John, the younger Talbot has vowed to Ben's fiancee Gwen (Emily Blunt) to get to the bottom of Ben's death. His search takes him to a local gypsy village, which is suddenly under attack by a shadowy monster. Lawrence is attacked by the beast and bitten on the shoulder.
Surviving the encounter, Lawrence recuperates at his father's estate, only to notice that the bite wound has healed and/or disappeared in less than a day. Superstitious villagers are keen to lock Lawrence up, believing him to soon become the next incarnation of the beast. Sure enough, at the next full moon, Lawrence transforms into a snarling, animalistic, and rampaging "wolf man", leaving countless bodies in its wake. On the run after turning back into his peaceful human self, Lawrence must evade the authorities, an expert Scotland Yard inspector (Hugo Weaving), all while trying to figure out his inhuman malady and the uncertain motives of his mysterious father.
I walked into The Wolfman with low expectations, not only considering my tepid response to the trailer and commercials, but by the indisputable fact that nothing could surpass the 1941 original. I was pretty sure that Wolfman 2.0 would merely be a brainless, enjoyable waste of time focused on blood 'n guts goodness and campy performances.
For the most part, my prognostications were true. Though I respect director Joe Johnston's mostly kid-friendly, visuals-focused career (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Hidalgo, Jurassic Park III, and the terrific retro superhero flick The Rocketeer), his venture into R-rated horror fares just as well (or is that poorly?) as almost every other modern-day monster movie.
If there's anything about The Wolfman to truly deserve admiration, it's the fact that it doesn't take itself too seriously. Unlike the dreadful Hugh Jackman "horror homage" film Van Helsing, the new Wolfman displays a hefty amount of intentional camp, almost paying homage to the melodrama of the original film.
It also helps that the film is gorgeous to behold. Instead of trying to go "high-tech period film" like Van Helsing unfortunately did, Wolfman lovingly recreates Victorian England as a dark, cloudy, even spooky environment, truly paying homage to the old Wolf Man's frightening atmosphere and ambiance.
And the make-up work by the prolific Rick Baker is astounding. Matching the original Jack Pierce make-up work worn by Chaney, Jr. but clearly revamped thanks to the movie magic of today, Baker does a grand job bringing the Wolfman back to life (interestingly, Baker won the Best Make-up Oscar in 1981 for An American Werewolf in London).
The actual Wolfman scenes are appropriately brutal, with every imaginable kind of human organ flying up on the screen (and a hell of a lot of jump scenes). Though at times he looks like a coked-up Chewbacca, this hairy mongrel is a convincing creature of the night.
However, when the scenes revert to plain old Larry Talbot, the dramatic bite is much less intense than the horror's. The script by Andrew Walker and David Self is drab and by-the-numbers, and we feel little to no sympathy for the characters, especially Lawrence and Gwen. Considering the R-rating and the potential for great character drama, a bit more intensity would've helped.
So would better/more memorable performances. Oscar winner del Toro is a fine actor, and on some occasions, he captures the fear and vulnerability of Lon Chaney's Talbot, but for the most part, del Toro sleepwalks through the role.
Thankfully, the ever-reliable Anthony Hopkins is here to chew every single piece of scenery on display. Grizzled, creepy, and wonderfully hammy, Sir Anthony does a fine job as the daddy with many secrets, with a performance that overshadows the frankly boring Freudian drama between Lawrence and John.
The talented Emily Blunt is unfortunately relegated to pretty window dressing as the grieving fiancee, and the always-awesome Hugo Weaving sadly doesn't get much room to breathe as the intrepid detective on the Wolfman's trail.
It's never really wise to try to one-up a cinematic legend. As most remakes have proven, it's best not to mess with the classics, and although The Wolfman isn't indescribably dumb or insulting like most horror remakes, it just doesn't cut the mustard when it comes to delivering consistent scares or convincing performances. A good waste of time, but nothing to truly howl at the moon about.
Letter Grade: "C-"
Review: "ANTICHRIST"
After viewing Danish director Lars von Trier's Antichrist, I was experiencing two extreme emotions: first off, my stomach was churning. I felt sick to my stomach, almost to the point of feeling physically ill. I rushed to get an antacid in hopes of relieving my sudden gastrointestinal distress.
The second emotion was that of confusion. I was literally left scratching my head, nearly burrowing a hole into my head with my fingernail. Now, I've been stumped by the meanings and subtexts of films before. I was maddened by the abrupt ending of Cast Away. The works of David Lynch left me flabbergasted. And I saw Donnie Darko three times, never to find out what was going on. But Antichrist became the new heavyweight "What the Fuck" champion of the cinematic ring.
A source of controversy since it premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, where several viewers either fainted or walked out, Antichrist is truly a personal work for director von Trier, a filmmaker famous for previously practicing the avant-garde Dogme 95 moviemaking style, where practitioners followed strict rules to maintain the core "essence" of filmmaking without so-called bells and whistles of conventional cinema.
Even though the movement was ended in 2005, von Trier still maintained a reputation for creating subversive, unconventional, and seriously weird movies, such as the minimalist Dogville and the depressing Dancer in the Dark. Though not even close to being a man known for big-budget blockbusters, von Trier still amassed a cult following for his dark, stylistic vision.
Well, if you want dark and stylish, Antichrist goes to the extreme, and then some.
Willem Dafoe and British actress Charlotte Gainsbourg play a married couple (known only as "He" and "She" in the press notes) grieving from the accidental death of their toddler son. While He (a therapist) does a better job hiding his grief, She is crippled with emotional distress. Unable to help Her with conventional therapy, He takes his wife out into the woods, up to a cabin known as "Eden".
It's there that He walks Her through the grief process, hoping to help her overcome her fear and her massive sense of loss. But as the process grows more and more trying, the couple begin to experience strange visions, extrasensory phenomena, and other frightening happenings that exacerbate the couple's fears, fragile psyches, and eventually drives them to insanity.
Antichrist is definitely not your dad's psychological thriller. Hell, it's probably not even YOUR psychological thriller. Dark, bleak, and sometimes extremely confusing, Antichrist can probably be best understood by von Trier, and no one else. It makes sense, as the film was reportedly conceived while von Trier was experiencing a long bout of depression. Seeing how intensely personal his movie is, it shouldn't really be any surprise that no real answers are given at film's end, but instead lying completely open to interpretation.
But at the same time, that's the exact thing that hinders the Antichrist experience. The overuse of symbolism, the abundance of talking/dead animals, and the maddeningly ambiguous ending only produces questions that may never be answered. Does the horrific, sexually explicit violence serve as a metaphor for the suffering of women? Or does conversely serve as a metaphor for misandry? Is the film a straight-up horror picture, where nature truly comes alive to torture the two main characters? Or do the frightening, vicious proceedings mostly take place in His and Her minds? Regardless of how many times one may view the film (and I would regard such a person as one with seemingly no gag reflex), it seems as though Antichrist will always be a puzzle wrapped in a mystery wrapped in an enigma.
But if there is a definite positive to be taken from the film, it's the excellent lead performances by Dafoe and Gainsbourg. Dafoe, an actor whom this reviewer holds in high regard, is magnificent as the grieving father and therapist who eschews modern psychiatry and prefers to take a natural, old-school method into taking control of the mind.
But all the kudos should go to Gainsbourg, who's heartbreaking, vulnerable, and ultimately frightening as the emotionally crippled mother who succumbs to her baser, animalistic instincts in the worst way possible. It's a daring and virtuoso performance, and one that should definitely catch the attention of Stateside filmmakers.
As stated earlier, Antichrist is incredibly difficult to categorize. One school of thought would call it an examination of loss, grief, madness, and carnal instincts. Another would consider it a allegory to the plight of women (or even men). And a third school of thought would just call it one of the biggest mindfucks of all time. But while Antichrist gains high marks for its terrific performances and masterful technical attributes, in the end, its inherent ambiguity, lack of focus, and its indecisiveness of whether it wants to be an arthouse film or a shock-value extravaganza hurts the film in the long run.
Letter Grade: "C"
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