Following from Casino Royale...
Challenge of the Super-Friends (various, 1978)
Like everyone who was a boy in the 70s, the Super-Friends hold a special place in my heart. I remember the later years more vividly, but the mnemonic holy grail of Super-Friends was the Legion of Doom season. I wasn't into superhero comics quite yet, so I didn't know who many of those villains were (Black Manta did leave an impression though - what a voice!). So I snapped this up right away when it came out. Dated? Sure. Pure Silver Age madness? Definitely. And on the basis of those crazy nonsense plots and large geeky cast of of characters, I heartily recommend it. Plus, it's after the Marvin years and before the Gleek years (if you understand this sentence, you understand this sentence.) Plus plus, a couple of episodes have commentary from comics luminaries Mark Waid and Geoff Johns. Geekfest!
Chasing Amy (Kevin Smith, 1997)
I'd get the Kevin Smith movies if only for the commentary tracks where he and Affleck take shots at each other, but Chasing Amy also happens to be a favorite of mine. Somehow, and this is hard for me to understand given her squeaky voice, Joey Lauren Adams gives one of those performances that just makes me fall in love with a character. And if you're gonna get me to sit through a romantic comedy, you need me to fall in love with the female lead. Despite the ridiculousness of Ben Affleck turning a gay girl straight, I really identified with the situation Kevin Smith was talking about (and it was thematically autobiographical for him). So a big thumbs up for me despite the rudimentary camera work, etc.
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Andrew Adamson, 2005)
Got it cheap and thought why not? If I'd listened to my Lord of the Rings-fervent friends, I never would have, but I'm glad I did. It's not a perfect film, by any means, but it rewards repeat viewings. Similarly, I wasn't terribly excited after seeing Fellowship of the Ring, but I really got into it with the extended edition. Narnia isn't LofR, it's a totally different creature, and it's too bad that it invites the comparison (like all fantasy films will from now on). It didn't remind me of Tolkien's epic, or even Harry Potter, so much as Fables or Labyrinth. That's not bad company. It is very appropriate for Andrew Adamson to have directed the mixed mythology world of Narnia, because he also directed the first two Shrek films, which had a similar venue (but a totally different take on it). Visually, it's quite beautiful, and the final battle recalled an illustrated Ivanhoe I had as a child. Do I wish the kids had been a little more interesting? Yes. But the real stars are the talking animals here, especially the lion and the beavers. I have never seen such beautifully rendered CG animals, and you can actually believe they can talk without it seeming cartoony, and some wrenching intense moments where they are concerned (parents be warned).
Cincinnati Kid (Norman Jewison, 1965)
Part of the Steve McQueen boxed set I'd gotten for Bullitt, but one reason I didn't regret that purchase. I don't know what it is, but there's something about card shark movies (and pool shark movies too). Cards may be hard to stage visually, but director Norman Jewison builds the tension (and also provides a very good commentary track), and despite it being a movie star vehicle for McQueen, it doesn't have a Hollywood ending. It's actually got balls.
Clerks (Kevin Smith, 1994)
Back in '94, I subscribed for the first and last time to our independent movie theater's semester programming because it featured almost exclusively films I wanted to see, including Ed Wood, Quiz Show, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and Clerks (a lot of black and whites that year, it seems). I loved Clerks! It looked like it'd been filmed with convenience store cameras and had a vulgar wit that transcended its amateurish acting and low production values. I have since purchased every chapter of the View Askewniverse story.
But what did YOU think? Next: Clerks 2 to Contact.
Challenge of the Super-Friends (various, 1978)Like everyone who was a boy in the 70s, the Super-Friends hold a special place in my heart. I remember the later years more vividly, but the mnemonic holy grail of Super-Friends was the Legion of Doom season. I wasn't into superhero comics quite yet, so I didn't know who many of those villains were (Black Manta did leave an impression though - what a voice!). So I snapped this up right away when it came out. Dated? Sure. Pure Silver Age madness? Definitely. And on the basis of those crazy nonsense plots and large geeky cast of of characters, I heartily recommend it. Plus, it's after the Marvin years and before the Gleek years (if you understand this sentence, you understand this sentence.) Plus plus, a couple of episodes have commentary from comics luminaries Mark Waid and Geoff Johns. Geekfest!
Chasing Amy (Kevin Smith, 1997)I'd get the Kevin Smith movies if only for the commentary tracks where he and Affleck take shots at each other, but Chasing Amy also happens to be a favorite of mine. Somehow, and this is hard for me to understand given her squeaky voice, Joey Lauren Adams gives one of those performances that just makes me fall in love with a character. And if you're gonna get me to sit through a romantic comedy, you need me to fall in love with the female lead. Despite the ridiculousness of Ben Affleck turning a gay girl straight, I really identified with the situation Kevin Smith was talking about (and it was thematically autobiographical for him). So a big thumbs up for me despite the rudimentary camera work, etc.
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Andrew Adamson, 2005)Got it cheap and thought why not? If I'd listened to my Lord of the Rings-fervent friends, I never would have, but I'm glad I did. It's not a perfect film, by any means, but it rewards repeat viewings. Similarly, I wasn't terribly excited after seeing Fellowship of the Ring, but I really got into it with the extended edition. Narnia isn't LofR, it's a totally different creature, and it's too bad that it invites the comparison (like all fantasy films will from now on). It didn't remind me of Tolkien's epic, or even Harry Potter, so much as Fables or Labyrinth. That's not bad company. It is very appropriate for Andrew Adamson to have directed the mixed mythology world of Narnia, because he also directed the first two Shrek films, which had a similar venue (but a totally different take on it). Visually, it's quite beautiful, and the final battle recalled an illustrated Ivanhoe I had as a child. Do I wish the kids had been a little more interesting? Yes. But the real stars are the talking animals here, especially the lion and the beavers. I have never seen such beautifully rendered CG animals, and you can actually believe they can talk without it seeming cartoony, and some wrenching intense moments where they are concerned (parents be warned).
Cincinnati Kid (Norman Jewison, 1965)Part of the Steve McQueen boxed set I'd gotten for Bullitt, but one reason I didn't regret that purchase. I don't know what it is, but there's something about card shark movies (and pool shark movies too). Cards may be hard to stage visually, but director Norman Jewison builds the tension (and also provides a very good commentary track), and despite it being a movie star vehicle for McQueen, it doesn't have a Hollywood ending. It's actually got balls.
Clerks (Kevin Smith, 1994)Back in '94, I subscribed for the first and last time to our independent movie theater's semester programming because it featured almost exclusively films I wanted to see, including Ed Wood, Quiz Show, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and Clerks (a lot of black and whites that year, it seems). I loved Clerks! It looked like it'd been filmed with convenience store cameras and had a vulgar wit that transcended its amateurish acting and low production values. I have since purchased every chapter of the View Askewniverse story.
But what did YOU think? Next: Clerks 2 to Contact.
Comments
And I love Chasing Amy, too, and find Joey Lauren Adams's character to be similarly charming, but damn, I have to fast forward through that song every time. That one's definitely a "director's girlfriend" moment if ever I saw one.
I've got a number of performances I've fallen in love with over the years, and I think that a lot of it has to do with a naturalistic performance. It makes me believe that girl is real.
Quirkiness also seems to be an important component. Perhaps because real human being are quirky.
Case in point the 2nd Super-Friends DVD with a documentary featuring many, including Paul Dini scarfing down sugary breakfast foods like mad!