The Wind Rises, Fantasia and The Newsroom

Sometimes you just get on a roll, and that's why I love these long weekends.

11/28/14 The Wind Rises, nominated for Best Animated Feature, 2014

As I crossed The Wind Rises off of my list, I marked a milestone: I have watched and reviewed all of the 2014 nominees and winners except for The Square which has not been released through NetFlix or the library. It's possible it won't be either, so I am calling it a victory. I can only hope that the 2015 nominees fall of my list as quickly. Back to the movie: The Wind Rises is an animated feature by the Japanese director and artist Hayao Miyazaki (who also directed Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, among others). The movie is loosely based on the life of Jiro Horikoshi in the middle of the 20th century at the dawning of the age of the airplane. Horikoshi is obsessed by air flight and perfecting the flying machine, fighting the lack of technology in Japan at the time. In fact, his inspiration is an Italian engineer who appears to him in his dreams. Anything that has to do with re-telling Japan's military history (Horikoshi eventually designed the Japanese Zero used in World War II) is fraught with controversy, from those who want to deny events to those who want to embellish. Miyazaki uses his characters to occasionally criticize the Japanese government of the 1930s for being backwards, using oxen to haul airplanes out to the field, for buildings that are outdated. Miyazaki also introduces a love interest to Horikoshi, Nahoko Satomi, a young woman we meet early in the story, who captures Horikoshi's heart. The movie shows Jiro as he evolves from a young student, then an apprentice and into one of the lead engineers for Mitsubishi. Even though Jiro and his colleagues are designing planes for military use, that is only alluded to, dogfights and bombings are not shown or really discussed (although using the planes to bomb China, England, the US is referenced by Jiro's friend, Honjo). The animation is beautifully done, with wonderful colors and details; when I saw the preview (which was all I saw before the Oscars), I really thought this would win: a story of imagination and love, lovingly told. Who knew it was going to go up against the fan favorite Frozen? Unfortunately, The Wind Rises does not have anthemic song. The soundtrack sounded very European to me; I guess I would have expected something more traditionally Japanese, but it worked considering Jiro's reverence and respect for European engineers. Originally in Japanese, the version available to me was in English (although there was an option for Japanese) and it was voiced by some well-known actors. Joseph Gordon-Leavitt was Jiro; Emily Blunt voiced his fiancee, Nahoko; John Krasinski was Honjo, Jiro's best friend; and Martin Short played Kurokawa, Jiro's boss at Mitsubushi who is blustery and comical, made more so by his animated hair. Even though the movie is animated, I don't know if it would hold the attention of younger kids, perhaps teenagers might appreciate the animation and the historical take; the movie was rated PG-13, and I'm guessing it is because of the incredible amount of smoking, mainly by Jiro. A LOT of smoking. If you are looking for an out of the ordinary animated film, this is finally available on NetFlix and possibly your local library.

11/27/2014 Newsroom, second season

I finally got the second season of The Newsroom as it is in now in the third and final season. It was created by Aaron Sorkin who created one of my favorite series of all time West Wing. The Newsroom has the same kind of fast, witty banter; characters who speak a lot faster using bigger sentences than most normal people ever do. There is a core of characters with several who move in and out of the storyline. Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) is the anchor on the Atlantis Cable News primetime show; MacKenzie McHale (Mac) (Emily Mortimer) is the executive producer; Charlie Skinner (Sam Waterston) is the President of the News Division. The main plot line for the second season is told in flashback, which when it is done badly, is annoying; I liked it here, it was used well, and slowly revealed all the details you need, and a couple of red herrings along the way. I love the wit and the interplay, Olivia Munn's Sloane Sabbith is great: the lines roll off her tongue, she has great facial expressions and goes toe to to with McAvoy. Waterston just looks like he is having the time of his life; and he wears bow ties. Jane Fonda makes an appearance as the owner of the network (in case you didn't catch any irony, she used to be married to Ted Turner, founder of CNN), and she seems to be enjoying playing the role of the foul-mouthed, independent minded owner. I have really enjoyed the series and part of me is very sad that it is ending, but then I'm kind of glad they are quitting while they are ahead and while it is somewhat believable. I can't really divulge too much because there are little twists through all of the episodes. If you're looking for something to watch over the winter holiday, check out seasons one and two of The Newsroom.


11/29/2014 Fantasia, 1940 and Disney Fantasia: Live in Concert, 2014, Minnesota Orchestra, two special Oscars, 1940 National Film Registry

Orchestra Hall November 2014

We've all seen bits and pieces of Fantasia over the years, if we haven't seen the whole thing. I have seen the whole thing (on the big screen) and I just saw some excerpts over the weekend, with live accompaniment by the Minnesota Orchestra. At first I thought I was going to experience THE WHOLE THING with the orchestra, which might have been cool, but at over two hours, that would have been a long time for me. So, anyway, Fantasia didn't win any competitive Oscars, but Disney and conductor, Leopold Stokowski, were awarded special Oscars by the Academy and it is on the National Film Registry. I enjoy classical music, but I know a lot of people find it inaccessible, pretentious, boring or all three, and I think that pairing classics like "Night on Bald Mountain" by Mussorgsky, "The Rite of Spring" by Stravinsky and works by Beethoven, Bach and others with funny or dramatic animation can bridge those gaps. There isn't really a story or plot for Fantasia, it's a collection of vignettes, usually featuring anthropomorphic animals, set to music, some well-known, some not well known. In the film, Leopold Stokowski  leads the Philadelphia Orchestra (for most of the works) and for the Minnesota Orchestra performance, Sarah Hicks was the energetic and engaging leader. The Minnesota Orchestra Board should keep her for a long time; she's amazing. Disney does not disappoint in the animation, the colors, the characters (the dancing hippos will not be forgotten), the emotion (there are some very percussive moments as well as gentle interludes); sometimes the transitions don't work, and I don't know if I'm being clouded by the performance I just saw or if that is how the movie was as well. And maybe it doesn't matter if the transitions don't work. I think if you watch Fantasia with your kids, you can break it up into 20 minute sections (or however the music breaks out), but otherwise, they may get bored. It is a Disney classic, so you should probably watch it at least once.

Three strong and different directors: William Wyler, Clint Eastwood and Terry Gilliam

As a rule I don't watch movies more than once, especially since I've started this project. I have over 850 (it doesn't seem like that number is coming down AT ALL) movies to review (more with the coming Oscar season). However, if I don't have a good enough recall of the movie, or my feelings about the movie, to write, then I'll consider re-watching. The fact that I happened to re-watch three movies over the past week or so was just a strange coincidence.

11/16/14 Wuthering Heights, Best Cinematography B&W, 1939 National Film Registry

Other winners from 1939 have been covered in previous entries, but that was an amazing year for movies. The year of Gone with the Wind, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Wizard of Oz, Stagecoach and Wuthering Heights. Films with Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, James Stewart, Judy Garland, John Wayne and Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon. Wow. I was lucky enough to see Gone with the Wind, Wizard of Oz and Wuthering Heights on the big screen. This review is for Wuthering Heights, most recently seen on my beloved 20 year old television. Whenever I think of Wuthering Heights, the first thing that comes into my mind is the song by Kate Bush ("Wuthering, wuthering, wuthering heights; Heathcliff...), then the book by Emily Bronte, and finally the movie. William Wyler directed, he also directed Mrs. Miniver (reviewed below), Roman Holiday and The Best Years of Our Lives (to name just a few). Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon star as Heathcliff and Cathy, star-crossed lovers if there was. David Niven and Geraldine Fitzgerald are brother and sister, Edgar and Isabella Linton. The movie tells the story of Heathcliff and Cathy, but it does not copy or mimic the book totally, and unless you're one of those literalists, you'll be fine and should enjoy the movie on its merits. The movie is told using flashback, with the housekeeper, Ellen (Flora Robson) telling an unwanted visitor, Mr. Lockwood, the story of why Heathcliff is so miserable. Heathcliff is a street urchin who Mr. Earnshaw finds in the city and brings home to his estate in Yorkshire, Wuthering Heights. His two children, Hindlay and Cathy are not immediately thrilled with this new addition, although Heathcliff and Cathy quickly build a friendship. Hindlay doesn't like Heathcliff, and that dislike eventually turns into a bitter hatred. Even though Mr. Earnshaw tried to treat Heathcliff as part of the family, Earnshaw's death dramatically shifts the family dynamics. Hindlay shows himself to be a true tyrant, driving Heathcliff away; Heathcliff asks Cathy to come with him, but while she loves the romanticism of their relationship, she fears the unknown and really doesn't want to leave the comforts and familiarity of the estate.  Heathcliff leaves a pauper, but returns many years later as a well-to-do lord of the manor, in fact, lord of Wuthering Heights. He tries to win Cathy back, but she is flighty and tempted by the security and wealth of Edgar Linton. Heathcliff seems driven by a desire for revenge for his treatment by the Earnshaws and Linton; in fact, he marries Isabella seemingly out of spite, there doesn't seem to be any love on his part. Cathy is the only person Heathcliff loves, but he just can't make that work; her death leaves a large hole in his blackened heart. Olivier plays Heathcliff with a moodiness that reminded me of his Hamlet or Maxim de Winter in Rebecca, but it works, I think, because he really is a dramatic, gloomy character whose heart has been broken. Merle Oberon as Cathy was good, but I don't now if she was overwhelmed or overshadowed by Olivier and Niven or if that was what Wyler wanted. On the other hand, I think Vivien Leigh, who wanted the role, would have been too much. Oberon is far less known to audiences today than Leigh, but she was in many movies through the 1930s. Color film was available in this period, because it obviously was, but Wuthering Heights is served very well by the black and white cinematography (Oscar-winning) and the moodiness of the moors comes through and is a key element in the film, as well as in the Bronte novel. This would be a good movie to watch with the fire blazing this winter as well as a great book to read.

11/22/2014 Mrs. Miniver, Outstanding Motion Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Writing, Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, B&W, National Film Registry, 1942

Whenever movies about the English spirit during World War II are discussed, you almost always see a clip from Mrs. Miniver, at least that's how I heard about it. The movie was directed by William Wyler, and stars Greer Garson (Pride and Prejudice, and the voice of the narrator in The Little Drummer Boy), Walter Pidgeon (Forbidden Planet, Advise and Consent), Teresa Wright and Dame May Whitty (both nominated for Best Supporting Actress, with Wright winning). At first the movie seems very slow paced and you kind of wonder when stuff is going to happen. The script sets up the idyllic life in the English village, with everyone knowing everyone else. There is a storyline that has been used in Downton Abbey, with the stationmaster, Mr. Ballard, naming his rose after Mrs. Miniver, and competing directly against Lady Beldon (Dame May Whitty), which is unheard of as she has been unchallenged for over 20 years (in Downton the Dowager faces competition from the gardener). Mr. and Mrs. Miniver have three children, two younger ones and an older son who is at university, Vin. Through one of those movie moments, Vin and Carol Beldon (Teresa Wright) meet and eventually fall in love, even though Vin is not a fan of the class system and the hierarchy of which Carol's family is a part. The war kind of creeps in to the Minivers' lives, compared to other stories about war, the violence and destruction is initially not seen; even the battle of Dunkirk, which was a major event for the British, was told as Mr. Miniver and other men got their boats ready to go rescue the men and women at Dunkirk, and as he comes back, utterly exhausted. Vin does his part by enlisting in the air force, and his stationed at a base near his family. Then, the bombing the started, and then everything changed. You felt the claustrophobia of the bomb shelters, and the fear of the children. It was pretty intense for a movie that didn't really have the special effects that we are so used to in movies today. At the flower show, a moment that seemed so pastoral and so 'typically' English turns sad and harsh in a matter of seconds. The village is bombed and death and destruction fall on the families in the village. While I did feel that it took a little while for me to get into the movie and the family, about 40-50 minutes into it (it's over 2 hours) I was there, all in; rooting for the village and remembering an exhibit I saw years ago in London at the War Museum about life during the war. It was also interesting to me to remember that the movie was made in 1942 - during the war, the writers, the director and the cast had no idea how the war would end; it was made before America joined the war, so America was 'neutral' for a little while longer. The last scene gave me shivers. This is another movie I am surprised does not get more airplay on television; instead of those Hallmark movies that are just muck and saccharine, they should show movies like Mrs. Miniver. It's got family values, patriotism, two love stories. Just my opinion.

11/23/14 The Fisher King, Best Supporting Actress, 1991

This is another movie that I saw years ago, didn't like, but didn't really remember a whole lot, so I thought I should watch it again with fresh eyes. I'm glad I did. Terry Gilliam (of Monty Python fame, and originally from Minneapolis) directed, and Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges starred in this modern variation on the quest for the Holy Grail. I saw it as a quest for redemption (I don't know if those two are connected at all, I'm not as deeply versed in Arthurian legend as some). Bridges plays Jack Lucas, an obnoxious radio disc jockey who regularly insults his audience; and Williams is Parry, a homeless man. The men are connected by a series of coincidences. Lucas incites one of his listeners to go on a rampage at a restaurant and the listener kills Parry's wife. This drives Parry into a catatonic state and removes him from his previous life as a university professor and turns him into a man on a quest for the Holy Grail. Lucas finds himself on the wrong side of town being attacked by a couple of guys and Parry and his friends rescue Jack. Parry shows a view of his life, and Jack feels a sense of guilt and a need to help and save Parry. Jack has also lost his job at the radio station and now works in a video store with his sort of girlfriend, Anne (Mercedes Ruehl in her Oscar-winning role). Parry is obsessed with a young woman who is very awkward and a loner, Lydia (Amanda Plummer - I don't think I've ever seen her in a 'regular' role); and he follows her all over New York City. Eventually, Jack fixes up a date for Lydia and Parry. It sort of goes well, until Parry has a setback and experiences a vision of a demon that haunts and terrifies him. Parry has a quest to find what he thinks is the Holy Grail that is at the home of wealthy New Yorker, but he is unable to complete it, so Jack tries for him. Jack is still seeking redemption for his part in the death of Parry's wife. When I first watched this, I only recall not caring at all about the characters; I don't know if I was turned off by Jack Lucas's self-involvement, or I was too immature to understand Parry's character or didn't quite understand Gilliam's style. I'm MUCH older now, and get that some characters have to start out as assholes so they can grow and evolve and become people you care about (Lucas) or appreciating Williams as Parry, struggling with mental illness with breaks of lucidity. I also have a much better liking of Gilliam's films (Brazil being my favorite, and the one kept drawing comparisons with here) and his little quirks and tendencies. What I usually take away from Gilliam's films, but not so much here, is the color, I always enjoy just looking at them, Brazil, The Adventures of Baron von Munchausen (also with Williams) and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. The only 'visual' that I picked up on was the Red Knight that haunted Parry, 'he' was portrayed in bursts of color, fire red, often standing out in the darker background. If you haven't seen the movie in a while or have never seen it, I would recommend it. Williams was nominated as Best Actor but lost out to Anthony Hopkins, playing a psychopath in The Silence of the Lambs; 1991 was the year of psycho- and sociopaths, with Robert DeNiro nominated for his role in Cape Fear and Warren Beatty for playing gangster Bugsy Siegel in Bugsy. 

11/26/14 Draft Day, not yet nominated 2014

When I say that Draft Day is not yet nominated, I say that wistfully like maybe it could be nominated for something, but knowing that is probably never going to happen. Draft Day covers roughly 12 hours before the NFL draft and the draft itself, focusing on The Cleveland Browns and their quest to escape mediocrity. I'm not sure what we Cleveland Browns fans would do if that ever happened, but this was just a movie. The movie was filmed around Cleveland, and they had great weather (Cleveland looks so much better in the sunlight) and there are some beautiful views of downtown, MY downtown. (Sigh). Kevin Costner plays Sonny Weaver, Jr., the General Manger of the Browns and son of a legendary coach; Jennifer Garner is Ali Parker, who also works for the Browns. Ellen Burstyn is Weaver's mother, who is kind of shrill and annoying; Frank Langella is Anthony Molina the owner of the Browns (perhaps it's just coincidence, but A M are also the initials of former Browns owner, Art Modell - a man long despised for moving the Browns to Baltimore in the mid-90s). Weaver is so desperate to have a good draft, that he makes some very suspect moves, moves that drive his new coach (Dennis Leary) crazy, almost give his owner a heart attack, but as Costner often does, just tells everyone to trust him. This movie gives viewers a look at a process that is covered in the press, but with a peak behind the curtain; I don't have any firsthand experience with this, aside from my Fantasy Football drafts, so it seemed somewhat plausible, and then it didn't. Weaver is wrestling with his decisions - go with the number one rated player or go with another player who has a stronger moral center and work ethic. He fakes to the right, then goes to the left. I liked the ending, and as a Cleveland fan, I was rooting for Weaver, but will this go down as one of the great sports movies ever? Hardly. Probably won't even make the top fifty, BUT, as a movie about one of the most beloved underdog franchises and cities in the country, it was a fun watch. I got it for a dollar from the library. Go Browns!!

11/27/14 Unforgiven, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Film Editing, #68 on AFI, National Film Registry, 1992

I was going to say I picked a lot of movies exceeding two hours, but I didn't pick this one; it just happened to be on television on Thanksgiving. But it was long, made longer by the commercials. This is third movie in this selection that I re-watched. I remember liking it the first time, but I couldn't remember enough to write about it. Eastwood starred in and directed Unforgiven; Eastwood played William Munny, a retired gunfighter who is now struggling to maintain his family farm with his two young children on the prairies of Kansas, sober and law-abiding.  A young man, the Schofield Kid, comes to ask Munny to help him take the bounty for killing two cowboys in Wyoming who brutally scarred a prostitute. Now, I have to point out that I am known for being directionally dysfunctional, but I find it hard to believe that someone in Kansas, even if it was the northwestern tip of the state, would head to Wyoming on horseback. Maybe that's worrying about a silly detail, but it kind of bugged me. Anyway, back to the story. Munny initially turns the Kid down, saying he doesn't do that anymore, but I think the struggle with his porcine residents changed his mind, so he heads out after him, stopping by the farm of his friend and fellow gunfighter, Ned Logan, played by Morgan Freeman. Ned and Will decide to catch up with the Kid and after some bickering about splitting the bounty three ways, the trio head off to Big Whiskey, Wyoming; Ned and Will also figure out that the Kid is near-sighted, kind of a bad thing. Meanwhile, back in Big Whiskey, the town is run by a tough, no-nonsense sheriff called Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman), who turns out to be quite sadistic to people he doesn't like, like gunfighters coming to town to collect the reward money. English Bob (Richard Harris) is one of those men; English Bob has a reputation that has crossed the ocean, and he's very sure of himself. Somehow, and I may have missed this, but he gets caught totally unawares by Little Bill when he gets into Big Whiskey; Bill kicks the crap out of him with barely a rejoinder from English Bob. He gets tossed into jail and has to listen to Bill taunting him and tearing down his mythology to Mr. Beauchamp, a journalist following Bob. After a while, Bill sends English Bob out of town, threatens him to never come back, and then co-opts Beauchamp to listen to his boasting. The movie was over two hours long, and it could have been comfortably trimmed by removing English Bob; to me, the only thing that was accomplished was to show what a sadistic son of a bitch Little Bill was, which could have been demonstrated in other ways, which it was on Munny and Ned (just an observation, Hackman played a similar character, in The Quick and the Dead, John Herod). It was a waste of a talent like Harris. Will and company finally get to Big Whiskey and Little Bill finds out and beats the crap out of Will (do you see a pattern?); the trio pulls back so Will can recover from his injuries. They eventually set out to complete the task at hand, killing the two cowboys, but killing isn't as easy as it used to be, especially with the men being sober and having a few years of normalcy in their past. After several missed and non-fatal shots, they finally kill Davey-Boy, but it's too much for Ned and he heads back to his wife and his farm. Unfortunately, Ned doesn't make it back, and he is tortured by Little Bill for information on his two conspirators. The Kid and Will finish off the other cowboy, Quick Mike; collect their reward, and then find out that Ned didn't make it back home. Will finally takes on Little Bill and his deputies and hangers-on. The movie won for Best Picture and Best Director and while I think the movie was good and Eastwood did a good job directing, I don't think the competition in this year was as tough as in other years, like 2013 for example. Movies like Howard's End, The Crying Game and Scent of a Woman were among the movies released that year. I'm not saying they were bad movies, I'm just saying there was no Dallas Buyer's Club or 12 Years a Slave. Hackman beat newcomer Jaye Davidson from The Crying Game, Jack Nicholson from A Few Good Men and Al Pacino in Glengarry Glen Ross (which is a movie that you don't hear a lot about these days). Since I've started this project, I have gotten a better appreciation for westerns, so I don't sneer at them like I used to, and I didn't sneer here. I liked the movie the first time I saw it and I liked it the second time. Eastwood is a flawed character, and you want Munny to get out of this situation in one piece, and I admired his loyalty to his friendship with Ned. Eastwood said this would be his last western, and it was only the third Western to win Best Picture, Cimarron and Dances with Wolves are the other two.

Blazing Saddles, Transformers: Age of Extinction, St. Vincent

Well, I have crossed nothing off of the current Oscars list, but I'm hoping that I may have taken two off of 2014 nominees by watching St. Vincent and Transformers. Time will tell, I guess. I'm not sure what my problem is; I started a new job three weeks ago, and I didn't really change my schedule or my commute, but you would think I changed time zones or something. I'm going to use that as my excuse for now.

November 2014, Blazing Saddles, National Film Registry, 1974

I really like Mel Brooks' films, some I really love, like Young Frankenstein and History of the World, Part 1. I watched Blazing Saddles on the recommendation of a friend only to find it was on one of my many lists, so yay me. Blazing Saddles is set in the Old West and stars Cleavon Little as Sheriff Bart, Gene Wilder as Jim the Waco Kid, a drunken gunslinger, Harvey Korman as Hedley Lamarr, the greedy State Attorney General and Mel Brooks in the role of the Governor and an American Indian who speaks Yiddish. As in most Mel Brooks movies, there are a lot of running gags, like people mispronouncing Hedley Lamarr as 'Hedy' Lamarr (the actress). Wikipedia says that the movie is full of intentional anachronisms like Nazi soldiers, bikers  and toll booths (the screenplay was co-written by Brooks, Richard Pryor, Andrew Bergman, Norman Steinberg and Al Uger) and some over the top stereotypes, I mean it is Mel Brooks and Richard Pryor for crying out loud, but I don't know how well this plays in the 21st century (the epithets thrown around, especially in the direction of Sheriff Bart, who is black, come to mind), in fact, Mel Brooks has said he probably could not make the movie today. Anyway, Lamarr is trying to buy up land along the new railroad, and the frontier town of Rock Ridge is in the way (everyone living there is named Johnson). Different hijinks folllow, including the famous scene of Alex Karras as Mongo punching a horse (don't ask). I just didn't laugh as hard as I wanted to, and I really wanted to. I still love History of the World and would pick that as my favorite Mel Brooks movie, although apparently it has not been deemed worthy of preservation.

November 2014, Transformers: Age of Extinction, not yet nominated, 2014

Only in a misguided attempt to be prepared and not have to cram in three hours of robots at the last minute in the event of a nomination for sound, effects, etc., did I watch this. Otherwise, I think I may have passed on the latest installment of the Autobots versus evil man versus evil Decepticons, etc. etc. Michael Bay and James Cameron must have gone to the same film editing class, as in don't edit, leave it all in. UGH. 165 minutes of...something. 165 minutes = over two and a half hours, time I will never get back. Damn you, Optimus Prime. Actually, he's the only one I like and can identify. Age of Extinction is a reboot of the Transformers franchise sans Shia LeBeouf, but with Mark Wahlberg as the human interface between the Autobots and the other humans. I really don't like it when people and some kind of convoluted narrative get in the way of the bots. I just want action, I did not care about some story about a struggling inventor, Cade Yeager (Wahlberg), his daughter and her Irish boyfriend (whose accent sometimes sounded Australian) and their fight to outsmart Kelsey Grammer as a CIA agent (the CIA is not supposed to operate on American soil, but we'll save that for another day). Grammer is in cahoots with Joshua Joyce (Stanley Tucci), an inventor who is looking for the Autobot/Decepticon genome (yeah, I know). Joyce actually turned out to have a lot of the funny scenes (this isn't a comedy, but it's not very well acted/written, so some of the humor is just because it's so bad, but his stuff is funny on purpose, I think). If you followed any of that, you are better than me. And I have no idea about the Dinobots, they're introduced at the beginning and then come back at the end and there you go. Ta-da. WTH? There is some good action, which is all I want anyway, just give me Optimus and Bumble Bee and I'm happy. Don't clutter it with people. Did I mention it's almost 5 hours long? If this doesn't at least get nominated, I am going to be so pissed.

11/15/14 St. Vincent, not yet nominated 2014

St. Vincent stars the inimitable Bill Murray as Vincent, a grumpy, curmudgeon withe a drinking and gambling problem and a bit of a secret life. Melissa McCarthy and Jaeden Lieberher as Maggie Bronstein and her son, Oliver are Vincent's new neighbors. Vincent loves the horses, his whiskey and his prostitute/stripper/girlfriend, Daka (Naomi Watts), and not much else. Maggie and Oliver are trying to start a new life, which is complicated because Maggie is starting a new job and cannot be there for Oliver at the end of the school day. Oliver winds up hanging out with Vincent, for a price, and they slowly form a bond as they bet on the races, Vincent teaches Oliver how to fight back against the bullies at school, and Oliver shows Vincent that not everyone believes he's a big grouch. Vincent has a secret that he only partly shares with Oliver (I'm not going to spoil it for you), but as Oliver is researching an assignment for school, he learns more about Vincent and 'nominates' Vincent as a saint. My friend and I really enjoyed the movie, but I think we were under the impression from the previews that it was a laughfest and we were kind of surprised when it turned out to have just as much drama as comedy. That is not a bad thing, but I wanted to warn you in case you think this is all out comedy. Bill Murray is really great as Vincent, showing a gruff side, but also a connection with Oliver and a tenderness with his wife as well as Daka. There are a few scenes where Murray just cuts loose, dancing to the juke box at his local pub (if I can move like that at 64, I want some kind of award), and it must be awesome to have that kind of freedom. The way he acts/talks with Oliver seems natural, like you could imagine him saying and doing those things. When Murray is on, he doesn't seem like he's acting at all. McCarthy, who is coming off of some not very successful films, is good here, she doesn't have to carry the movie or be outrageously funny; she's a good foil for Murray. Jaeden Lieberher is a new face, and as Oliver, he is unfailingly polite, but vulnerable and kind, and I hope to see him in more roles. I was surprised by Naomi Watts as Daka, at first I found her annoying, but then she grew on me. She wasn't one dimensional and developed through the course of the movie. The movie had good dialog, a good story and some interesting subplots and the acting was good, especially by Murray and a good soundtrack; I have to think there might be a nomination for story or acting either in the Golden Globes and possibly the Oscars. We'll see. Regardless, try to see this one while it's still in the theaters.

Rio 2, The Lost Weekend and Orange is the New Black, Karen Armstrong

Before I go into some quick reviews, I want to relish this moment - The Cleveland Browns are in first place. Unless you have been a long suffering Browns fan, you have no idea what a big deal this is. So, here's me savoring the moment.

Ok, back to work.

11/7/14 Rio 2, not yet nominated, 2014

I liked Rio, didn't love it, but I liked it. I didn't see a reason to make a sequel, but, clearly, there are no new ideas, so let's just make part 2, part 3, ad nauseum. Rio 2 picks up after the original with Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), a Spix's Macaw from Moose Lake, Minnesota, and his mate, Jewel (Anne Hathaway), living in a preserve in Brazil. After seeing a news report about other rare Spix's Macaws possibly existing in the forests around the Amazon River, Jewel thinks it would be great to take the family back to her home and experience the wild, to get away from TV, iPods and modern conveniences. Blu, who is used to comforts, is a little less sure, so unsure that he brings his GPS. The sequel brings some of the characters from the first film, but they seem little more than the pickle on the side of your deli sandwich, Rafael (George Lopez), a toucan; Pedro, a red-crested cardinal (will.i.am), Nico a yellow canary (Jamie Foxx). Probably my favorite character, also brought over from Rio is Nigel, a sulphur-crested cockatoo played by Jermaine Clement (part of Flight of the Conchords) who is the evil character in the animal kingdom, and he is surrounded by incompetence, including his friend, Gabi a poison dart frog (Kristin Chenoweth). The humans are populated by Linda, the woman who adopted Blu back in Minnesota, her husband, Tulio, who is an ornithologist on a mission to save endangered birds like the Spix's Macaw. Miguel Ferrer is the voice of Big Boss, who has no regard for the wildlife and is happy to send teams of loggers to clear the forests. Jewel and Blu (and their three children) find other Spix's Macaws and it turns out it Jewel's family. As she reconnects, Blu has to adjust to birds who are truly wild and don't understand his use of a fanny pack or reluctance to sleep in the trees, and Jewel's dad (Andy Garcia) thinks he's a ninny. As Blu tries to fit in, or at least get Jewel to go back to their comfy setting, the birds' habitat is threatened by Bog Boss; and Nigel tries to get revenge on Blu. There is a lot of singing throughout the movie (I suspect a song may be nominated for an Oscar), some funny moments, especially the climax scene, but I didn't think it was a great movie. It made a lot of money, and I saw some reviews when the movie came out that thought it was wonderful (so, possibly Best Animated Feature?). Eh. I am probably not the target demographic, so maybe you should take my opinion with a grain of salt. I borrowed it for free from my public library, so it didn't cost me anything other than 101 minutes on a Friday night (that's kind of sad, isn't it?). I think this would have been a good short, and I think something that followed the misadventures of Nigel and Gabi (or just Nigel) could be fun. Your kids might like it and you can read the paper and not miss a thing.


Oh writer's block, how I hate you. Sorry for the delay in completing this entry, but I am finding it very hard to complete the task at hand. I'm going to try now or I'll never get out of this hole.

11/9/14 The Lost Weekend, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, National Film Registry, 1945

The Lost Weekend won four Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor, which is no small feat to be sure. The Lost Weekend tells the story of Don Birnham, a writer with a drinking problem and a long weekend where he feigns sobriety, falls into a deep abyss of alcohol, and then seems to beat the demons and gets back to writing. All in six days. When I look at some of the movies I've watched during this little project, I have been surprised that so many of the movies have such dark themes. I think most people think of the big MGM musicals or westerns. Or maybe that was just me. Anyway, that was just a thought I had. Ray Milland is Don Birnham and Jane Wyman is his suffering girlfriend Helen who tries to encourage Don to give up the booze and focus on his writing. Billy Wilder directed and co-wrote the screenplay which was based on a novel. I try to watch the movies without inflicting my 21st century framework on them, but sometimes it's hard. The treatment of alcoholics, and addicts in general, has definitely come a long way; we see Don in the Alcoholics Ward in a hospital and the methods seem archaic and almost barbaric; Don's fit of the DTs seems overwrought, but perhaps it was not. I still think Days of Wine and Roses with Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick is one of the best representations of the 'hook' of alcohol and its (sometimes) devastating affects, with no happy ending. The Lost Weekend is not one of my favorite Wilder films; it's recognized as a classic by its listing on the National Film Registry, but I don't know if it holds up over time.

An interesting bit of trivia: Miklos Rosza was nominated for Best Score but he lost...to HIMSELF for the score of Spellbound. Miklos had an affinity for the theramin, made popular by the Beach Boys and Star Trek.

Orange is the New Black, season 1, 2013

One of the reasons I got so behind in writing and watching movies is I got  Orange is the New Black form the library, and since it had a list of holds, I couldn't renew it. So, I pushed through roughly 13 hours of television. I also wanted to watch it while the book was still fresh in my mind (yes, it was actually based on Piper Kerman's book). The series received a lot of press and hot reviews and I wanted to see if it was all true. And...I don't know. At first I really didn't think it was all that great and I found some of the characters annoying, not funny and not interesting, just annoying. Probably about midway through, I started to slowly change my opinion, but not totally, just for some characters. I've been trying to figure out how to explain, and I still don't know if I can. The first thing that I can point to is that there are a lot of things different between the series and the book. I understand, you have to create story arcs and broaden characters to expand possibilities in case the series is picked up for another season (it was). But, I liked the book and I thought Kerman told a good story, not just her story, but she shed light on some of her fellow inmates and what it's like in prison. Having said all of that, it took me a long time to warm up to the Piper character, like the last two episodes. She really serves as the conduit  for the other stories. Two of my favorite characters (as well as many viewers, I think) are Suzanne 'Crazy Eyes' Warren. Uzo Aduba takes what could have been a one dimensional cartoon character and gives her a depth that made me want more of her storyline (granted this didn't really happen until half way through, but it was worth the wait). The other character is Sophia Burset, played by Laverne Cox; Sophia is a transitioning transgender female who is in prison for cred card fraud. Again, this could have been a stereotypical character that just pandered for easy jokes. While I admit I didn't fall in love with this series the way some have, I really loved the fact that there were so many diverse characters in one show; women of all colors, races, ethnicities, sizes played by women of different acting backgrounds: the esteemed Kate Mulgrew as 'Red', Annie Golden, 'Norma', who has had a singing career, acted on Broadway as well as in films; Lea DeLaria who plays 'Boo' who is better known in LGBT circles as a comedian; and the list goes on. So, I gave you a lot of background, but not a lot of the story. Basically, Piper (Taylor Schilling) is convicted of selling drugs and sent to federal prison; oh, by the way, she was named by her ex-girlfriend, Alex (played by Laura Prepon); Piper is dropped off at the prison by her boyfriend, Larry (Jason Biggs). The episodes follow Piper as she gets used to prison life, the mildly awkward bit of being in prison with her ex; and trying to keep her relationship with her boyfriend alive. Telling you anymore would spoil it. I am looking forward to Season 2 on DVD, but I still say you should read the book.

Captain America 2: Winter Soldier, not yet nominated, 2014

I already reviewed Captain America: 2 Winter Soldier after I saw it in the theater. But, I could not resist when the opportunity presented itself to watch it with my friends. And I could point out all the parts that featured Cleveland, or what I could pick out, anyway. I cannot wait until The Age of Ultron comes out in May. Avengers, assemble!

11/11/2014 Karen Armstrong, Talking Volumes at The Fitzgerald Theater

Karen Armstrong is a religion historian from England who has a way of taking 6,000 years of religious history and distilling it into something that almost anyone can digest. Her first book, A History of God, looks at the three monotheistic religions comparatively and in context. I have listened to her on different occasions, a few times on Kari Miller's show on Minnesota Public Radio, "Talking Volumes". When I heard she was coming to St. Paul to talk about her new book, I grabbed a ticket as soon as I could. I had a great seat in the orchestra section at the Fitzgerald Theatre (where I saw Mary Black at the end of October). It was an incredible evening. Armstrong discussed a little about her new book, Fields of Blood, which looks at the role of religion in wars, and takes on the idea that religious zealots are at the heart of these conflicts, when in fact, that may not be the most accurate portrayal. She also discussed Islam and gave some background and insight into Islam and how in many ways it has been corrupted to suit a political purpose. She also talked about the Charter of Compassion, which is a project Armstrong spearheaded after winning the TED prize in 2008. She spoke at length about compassion and how it is needed more these days. The recording will be available on MPR, and I will try to post the link when it's ready. About a year ago, I was fortunate to hear Temple Grandin for the same radio series. I feel very lucky to live in a metropolitan area where these types of events are available and embraced by the community. That sounds so touchy feely, but it's true. Now, if only progressive music had an audience here, I wouldn't have to go to Chicago or Milwaukee, but it's okay.

Woody, Yul, Mike & Sulley, and Mary & Roisin - sisters, kings, monsters and singers

I figure if I wait long enough, I'll accumulate enough variety for an interesting blog entry. I hope that is true in this case. I feel a little more pressure since I've been passing out the link to the blog like candy on Halloween this week.

10/25/2014 Hannah and Her Sisters, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, 1986

Woody Allen has a great way with dialogue and bringing out character nuances. Hannah, played by Mia Farrow, is the oldest of three sisters and married to Elliot, played by Michael Caine, who won a Best Supporting Actor for his role. Barbara Hershey as Lee and Dianne Wiest as Holly, also in Oscar-winning role (Best Supporting Actress) played Hannah's younger sisters. Woody Allen is Hannah's ex-husband, a neurotic and psychosomatic television writer. The movie is chock full of characters, some only appear for a few minutes, others for one act, and another handful throughout the story. Sometimes this drives me nuts, it's like an embarrassment of riches (I always think of Gosford Park or any other Robert Altman film) and you don't get enough of a character that you might like, and you may get too much of a character that doesn't really move the story forward. Hannah is experiencing a resurgence in her acting career, while her sisters struggle to find their place in the world. Lee is living with an emotionless automaton (Max Von Sydow)  whose only passion is his stuffy, pretentious art. Holly is a recovering drug addict who moves from one job to another as she tries to start her own acting career. Elliot is wrestling with his feelings for Lee, which they eventually act on to an unexpected end. Holly launches a catering business with her friend, played by Carrie Fischer, and a loan from Hannah. Elliot is convinced he is going to die so he quits his job as a television writer and seeks enlightenment from a variety of religions, breaking the hearts of his Jewish parents. Through it all, the connecting tissue of the film are three Thanksgiving dinners where the family comes together united by the singing performances of their parents, played by Lloyd Nolan and Maureen O'Sullivan, Farrow's real mother. See what I mean by a lot of characters? The movie blends drama into the comedy, and the comedy isn't side-splitting laughter like in Bridesmaids, but it definitely is funny. This was Wiest's first Oscar win (her second was also for an Allen film Bullets over Broadway) and she is so good; Michael Caine won his first Oscar for his role as Elliot; when you look at the other nominees for that year, either the voters split over Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe in Platoon or they went for the comedy over the drama from the other movies. Not that he is not a great actor, he has such a breadth and depth of film work, but I kind of think the Platoon actors should have shared it, since they were two sides of the same coin. I did not find this at the library, in fact, I've had a hard time finding Allen's movies there at all, but Netflix had it. I would recommend it if you are interested in Allen's films, want to see some great actors and see a well-told story.

10/26/2014 The King & I, Best Actor, Best Art Direction - Set Decoration, Color, Best Costume Design - color, Best Music - Scoring of a Musical Picture, Best Sound Recording, 1956

I realize that what I am about to say may be considered blasphemy, but I really didn't love The King & I starring Yul Brynner as the King and Deborah Kerr as Anna (rhymes with car). I didn't even really like it. It did have beautiful set and costumes, which were both recognized by being award the Oscars for those categories. I also will not dispute that Yul Brynner was a larger than life presence on the screen, but I got tired of the constant shouting and bellowing by his character, the King of Siam. 1956 was quite the year for performances, including Kirk Douglas as Vincent Van Gogh in Lust for Life, Rock Hudson and James Dean in Giant and Sir Laurence Olivier in Richard III; my vote would have been for Douglas. On top of all the shouting, the damn movie was over two hours long and there was one point where I thought about hitting my hand with a hammer to end the pain. I was only familiar with a couple of songs "Getting to Know You" and "Shall we Dance?". Anna is a very strong character, which is nice to see, but otherwise, eh. And of course, some of us remember Yul Brynner performing in the stage version for many years. I'd like to say you should see it to have a cultural reference for those songs or whatever, but if you have something else to watch, watch that instead. My apologies if anyone is offended.

10/27/2014 Monsters University, not nominated 2013

Monsters University is the prequel to Monsters Unlimited; and it stars Billy Crystal and John Goodman reprising their roles as Mike and Sulley as they make their way through Monsters University to earn a degree in Scaring. Even though the movie was not nominated, there was a lot of pre-Oscar buzz and it made a boatload of money. The movie is an homage to the underdog and the nerd (kind of an animated Revenge of the Nerds). The monsters are great, including Randy (from the first movie, voiced by Steve Buscemi); Dean Hardscrabble, who is dean of the university and as daunting as Dumbledore, played by Helen Mirren, and many more. Mike REALLY wants to scare kids, that's his dream, but the fact is, he's not very scary, not compared to his soon-to-be best friend, Sulley. Mike is at risk of being kicked out of the Scare program at school when he comes up with an idea to compete in come campus games and assembles a group of misfit monsters. Sulley, who is scary without really trying, doesn't do well at the actual classwork and is threatened with losing his place as well. Hijinks ensue, and the nerdy monsters have an uphill battle, but they don't quite give up the ghost. If the kids haven't seen it, and I'm guessing they probably have, put it on when you don't want to watch (insert favorite sports team) lose and get humiliated.


10/28/2014 Mary Black and Roisin O, Fitzgerald Theater

This was my third time seeing the legendary Mary Black, and unless I get back to Ireland, probably the last. She was focusing on songs that featured in her autobiography, Down the Crooked Road. As with a lot of singers that I like, there is an abundance of songs I want to hear, and if I get even half of them, I feel lucky, especially with a career like Mary's. Of course, I can't remember every song, because it's like a blur, but she did "The Golden Mile", "Caroline Rua", "The Moon & St. Christopher", "Don't Say Okay". The audience seemed to be mostly long-time fans and the audience was respectful and supportive, like old friends, but at one point a woman just a few rows behind me shouted out a request for a song (heaven help me, I'm drawing a blank at the moment), and Mary handled it like a pro and asked the woman who she wanted the song for and she replied "My children." It was quite a nice moment, one you can really only have in a small theater like the Fitz or the Dakota. The night ended with "Only a Woman's Heart" (which is always a great singalong and she brought out Roisin O to help and they blended a little of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" which was awesome).

When Mary (we're on a first name basis) came two years ago, she brought a new artist from Ireland, Roisin O, with her. At that time, Roisin seemed a little nervous and did several covers, including a beautiful Joni Mitchell cover (again, cannot remember the title), but the audience was very supportive. Well, two years later, Roisin emerged a much more confident singer who was comfortable with the audience, making jokes and switching from guitar to keyboards, and then borrowed Mary's band for the last song. This time she did many more songs from her album (pictured above which she signed for me :)) "The Secret Life of Blue". I'll admit, I'm very partial to female singer-songwriters (Dar Williams, Mary Fahl, Angel Snow, etc.), and I like finding someone new to listen to. "Let's Find Some People" is an upbeat song, and Roisin got some laughs when she introduced "You Owe Me a Drink" by saying there are two things that the Irish like to do, drink and go to Mass. She did a song called "Hold On" which she wrote about a friend who had bipolar disorder and sometimes as a friend all you can do is let them know you're their. It was a heartfelt introduction and the song is hauntingly beautiful. She's got a big and soulful voice which really came out when she joined Mary for "Only a Woman's Heart". If you can catch Mary and Roisin on their remaining dates, definitely GO. If not, Roisin has made occasional visits to the East Coast (Minnesota may be too far inland for a solo visit - for now). As for the album, I listened to it on constant repeat for two days straight and just love it. The songs take on a different tinge with her full band, and "Tea Song" is so unique with Brian Murphy from her band singing co-lead. There are moments where I hear a little Kate Bush in her voice. Find Roisin on Spotify or Amazon or at her next concert.