Archive for the ‘Lists’ Category

Last month I mentioned in my review of Inception (see previous post) that one of my favorite parts of the movie experience was Joseph Gordon Levitt’s performance and that amazing hotel hallway sequence. As a result I took a little time to reflect upon his transition from child actor to bona-fide adult thesp.

It is in that spirit that I submit, 10 5 Things I Hate Like about You Joseph Gordon Levitt

1. He has grown into to looks. Many a moon have passed since he was alien-boy on 3rd Rock from the Sun, a show I admit to passively watching. Nowadays, JGL has a Keanu/Heath thing going on. Not too bad.
2. 500 Days of Summer. I finally saw this in its entirety last week and overall I am glad I took the time to catch it. Favorite scenes: dancing in the park and the party near the end of the film.
3. He gives a great interview. For this I am citing the same interview from The New York Times for these items.
4. He either lives (or frequents) NYC. Thereby increasing my likelihood of having a celebrity sighting.
5. A lot of other sources like (and love him) as much as I do. For evidence I refer to this post from totalfilm.com.

There are a bunch of other things I can probably come up with but I leave it you to the readers to offer any suggestions.

The 40 Biggest Stinkers of the Decade (10-1) – Inside Movies.

It must be obvious to readers of this blog – I love romantic pictures .. especially those that are adapted beautifully from some great bits of literature. I was browsing the BBC America site this evening and followed this link:

http://bbcamerica.com/content/382/index.jsp

Mind you it is a Miramax advert for the upcoming DVD release Cherie starring Michelle Pfeiffer, it is something I thought you might like. Click on the images and read the short synopses of books and their novel adaptations.

The season is upon us – the  film season for adults.  As much as I enjoy some of the gloss big blockbusters, I am really looking forward to these offerings of the season:

• The Young Victoria – I like Emily Blunt and I love historical dramas
• An Education
  
• Bright Star (will try to catch this weekend)
  
• Nine (the Musical) – this film is more or less a curiosity, everything and the kitchen sink is in it … I cannot wait to see how it all comes together – hopefully
• The Road - I have been waiting for this film for a while for the following two reasons 1) Viggo Mortensen and 2) I have started reading the book and would love to see the transfer of the bleak work onto the screen
• Whip It - I love the “quirkiness” of Drew Barrymore in front of the camera and I anticipate that she works her same magic behind it as well
• Precious – am bracing myself for severe depression
• Invictus – Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman at it again; throw in Matt Damon for good measure = I’m sold!
• A Single Man - hopefully this is the film that will prove to a wider audience the talent and more importantly the range of Colin Firth; another interesting note: Tom Ford, he of the fashion world is at the helm
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - obvious curiosity aside, I looked at the trailer and was genuinely intrigued. I usually run hot and cold with Terry Gilliam, but this looks like one that I have to see in my cinema.
• Sherlock Holmes - I have my reservations about this movie (Guy Ritchie) but I love the Sherlock Holmes story and it has been sorely missed from the big screen for some time.

And here are some family film offerings:

• Where the Wild Things Are
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
• A Christmas Carol

As you can see my list is MUCH longer than my summer picks. So far I have seen CoCo Before Chanel – a worthy enough film if not a bit plodding and slow in parts.

… I will try to keep you posted as to my progress in seeing these and probably several other films from now until the end of the year.

Last night (9/23) I went to see U2 perform … awesome as always. After the concert, I thought about how I could tie in the concert to movies – et voila! Here are my favorite films that have U2 songs in the soundtrack (ordered by date):

1. City of Angels – If God Will Send his Angels
2. The Devil Wears Prada – City of Blinding Lights
3. About a Boy – Zoo Station
4. Ne le dis a Personne (Tell No One) – With or Without You

and one song in a movie I did not particularly like: Batman Forever – Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me

The season three finale of The Tudors aired last Sunday.  Frankly, it left me a little disappointed. Not because of the historical inaccuracies, mind you.  In fact, I fully respect the creators’ decisions are made mostly for the sake of entertainment and not to inform or teach.  That is why I have tuned in for the past three seasons. Overall, the season felt like a holding pattern for the telling of the closing chapters of Henry VIII’s life.

As I reflected on the show over the past week, my thoughts diverged and expanded to the treatment all aspects of the Tudor dynasty have received on film.

My first recollection of watching a film about the Tudors was when I was in high school.  Our European History teacher thought it was a good idea to integrate films with our history lessons.  As a result, I saw Anne of a Thousand Days (1969).

Beyond that, I created a mini Tudor filmography of films that standout for me.  This list is definitely not inclusive; I am just featuring those films that resonated with me in capturing the spirit and intrigue of the Tudor dynasty.

Lady Jane (1986):  a very good solid dramatic piece that showed nothing was sacred in Tudor England., not even the life of minors.  An interesting bit of trivia:  Helena Bonham Carter, the lead of this film would 17 years later portray one of Henry’s wives, the infamous Anne Boleyn in a 2003 television adaption (starring Ray Winstone as Henry).

The Private Life of Henry VIII (1932):  a bit stagey but Charles Laughton is worth watching.

Elizabeth (1997): Richly produced gave a wonderful glimpse into the life of a youthful, vibrant Queen Elizabeth I, a sound departure from the prevalent and popular portrayal of the “Virgin Queen.”

Young Bess (1953):  Another film that looks at the early life of Elizabeth I, as portrayed by Jean Simmons.  Not much is said about this film.  Nevertheless, I like it if for nothing more than the central performers, Ms. Simmons and Deborah Kerr’s turn as Catherine Parr, Henry’s sixth wife.

Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939):  An entry from Hollywood’s Golden Year of 1939.

One recommendation of a film I did not see in full:  A Man for All Seasons (1966).  I fascinated by the idea of martyrdom, especially in this case since More and Henry so admired one another.

The above listed movies are good in their own right; however, my favorite Tudor adaptation is the television miniseries of Elizabeth I (2005) which aired on HBO.  I feel that the story of the Tudors is much better told in a serialized format (mini-series, television series or documentary).  One possible reason is that the historical record of the drama and intrigue in the Tudor court is so rich.  As a result, in a feature length film, a lot of information is either glossed over or simply omitted due to the compression of time required of movies.  In serialized formats, there is enough time to cover the details in a manner satisfying to the viewing public.

One benefit of watching all of these shows/movies is that I started investigating the real history of what happened from 1485-1603.  In fact, a simple Google search yields many websites that have looked at the history of the Tudors in cinema and television.  One article of note is provided courtesy of The American Historical Society.  I recommend that you look at this.  In addition, Tudors and Stuarts on Film: Historical Perspectives is a collection of essays edited by Susan Doran and Thomas S. Freeman, and is currently available in hardcover.

This is taken directly from WENN news (via the Internet Movie Database):

Butch & Sundance Top Bromance Poll

Paul Newman and Robert Redford have topped a new Internet poll listing the top 10 Movie Bromances of all time.

The pair’s Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid roles beat Lethal Weapon’s Murtaugh and Riggs, portrayed by Danny Glover and Mel Gibson, on RoddysRockinReviews.com’s online countdown.

Naming Newman and Redford’s portrayals number one, the website claims Butch and Sundance are the “Bromance of Bromances,” adding, “When things in their wild world goes awry the two have so much devotion to each other that they face their imminent doom together without even blinking.”

Point Break’s Bodhi and Johnny Utah, played by Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves, Star Trek’s Spock and Captain Kirk and Top Gun’s Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Iceman (Val Kilmer) also make the new top 10.

Personally, I could not agree more!  Butch and Sundance is one of my favorites all-time.

What do you think?  Did the public get it right?  What other bromances did the pollsters miss?