To Infinity and Beyond - The Toy Story Trilogy

4/29/16 Toy Story, Special Oscar, #99 AFI, National Film Registry, 1995

4/30/16 Toy Story 2, nominated for Best Original Song , 1999

5/2/16 Toy Story 3, Best Animated Feature, Best Score, 2010

It feels kind of superfluous to do reviews of these movie because you have probably seen them all, possibly even ten or twelve thousand times. You're probably thinking that I hated them or was bored or didn't care. Yes you are, and that's okay, I have built you up to have certain expectations, mainly I'm a crabass. But...you'd be wrong. I actually liked the movies more the second time around (maybe third or fourth for the original Toy Story). In case you have been under a rock for 20 years, Toy Story (and the sequels) are about Andy's toys, featuring his favorite, Woody (Tom Hanks); Buzz Lightyear, the new kid on the block (Tim Allen); Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles) and many more, and their adventures when they are out of sight of their human. The toys' actions are the products of some very vivid and creative imaginations - the way the toy soldiers 'march' and do reconnaissance; Little Bo Peep, Slinky, etc.  In the first Toy Story, Andy gets a new present for his birthday, Buzz Lightyear, "To infinity and beyond", which seems to threaten Woody's place at the top of the pecking order. In addition to the mild rivalry between Woody and Buzz (Buzz is very naive and has no ill fillings towards Woody), it turns out that the family is moving to a new house. Things get interesting as toys prepare for the move, Woody and Buzz end up at the neighbor's house; Sid is probably a psychopath in training as he enjoys torturing toys. Woody and Buzz eventually make it back in time to be reunited with their friends and Andy. Of course, I am leaving out all of the action, mainly because I have two more reviews to write. Surprisingly, Toy Story didn't win any competitive Oscars, but it has been recognized as one of the top 100 films by the American Film Institute and as a film worthy of being on the National Film Registry.

Toy Story 2 is probably my least favorite of the three, although I still loved the interaction of the toys. I think Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head are my favorites; Don Rickles and Estelle Harris are perfect spuds. I just wasn't drawn in by the story, which is Woody gets stolen/toy-napped by an unscrupulous toy store owner who is going to sell him as part of a package with his television cast mates: Stinky Pete (Kelsey Grammer), Jessie (Joan Cusack) and Woody's horse, Bullseye. I was more entertained by the toys trying to rescue Woody (again) and the little adventures they had.

Toy Story 3 originally struck me as sappy; I must have been going through my cynical phase when I saw it the first time. I saw it with two friends and three kids and me, which was unusual in itself. The kids seemed to like it and the moms got misty, more on that later. This installment sees young Andy heading off to college and cleaning up his room. He puts the toys in a garbage bag, not intending to throw them out, that's just how boys pack. Unfortunately, the bag is put on the curb for trash. Never fear, the toys escape and head into the 'donated' box and get donated to a daycare. Oh, except for Woody, who is again separated from his friends, and he gets to meet Bonnie, a nice little girl with a powerful imagination. The daycare 'operation' is run by a teddy bear named Lotso (Ned Beatty) who is kind of like a mob boss; he decides which toys go where, and the new toys go in the room with all of the little kids who promptly bang, smash, color, drop the toys. Watching this the second time, I really enjoyed this story line more than Toy Story 2, not because I'm some kind of sadist, but I loved all the new toys, including Barbie and Ken, and the action of the toys trying to escape. Andy gets ready to head out to college, but he stops by Bonnie's house to drop off some toys and plays with her a little bit. This left the story open-ended and even though it's been eight years in the making, it looks like Toy Story 4 is set for a 2018 release date. So, the moms, friends of mine, were a little teary and I was totally unsympathetic; I guess it had to do with their kids were little and they were 'watching' them grow up? I know, I suck. The second time around, I appreciated the growing up bit, and kids moving away and just the story construction. This movie in the series won the Best Animated Feature and Best Song Oscar. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Randy Newman wrote the soundtrack or main songs for all three films. He won his second Oscar (the first was for "If I Didn't Have You" in Monsters, Inc.); he is kind of Mr. Pixar as far as the music goes.

The movies taken as a whole (or not) are really good and they still hold up. The voice characterizations, from Tom Hanks and Tim Allen to Don Rickles, Annie Potts, Jim Varney, Ned Beatty and all the rest, are spot on. Of course THAT'S what Barbie would sound like, you say. Just like Monsters, Inc. brought to life our imaginations around monsters and nightmares or the monsters under our beds, Toy Story makes us think (or wish) that our toys talk and have a little social order all their own.

Uncovering two hidden gems - Crossfire and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

I honestly feel like I've been in a little rut lately, trying to get through the lists, feeling that they don't actually get any smaller. It's not always easy to watch some of these movies, but it's usually a lot easier than writing the reviews. I realize this is self-inflicted. I persevere because, well, I think it's a personality flaw, but besides that, I keep going because occasionally I find a movie or two that surprises me.  I had zero expectations, no ideas about the basic plot lines of either film, but I thoroughly enjoyed both of them. Hopefully my writing has sharpened up enough that you can tell.

5/5/16 Crossfire at The Heights Theater, nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay, 1947

I have to thank my friend for asking if I was interested in seeing Robert Mitchum in Crossfire, although to be honest, she didn't ask me that, she asked if I was a member of Minnesota Public Radio or Twin Cities Public Television. Both, I said. Oh, good because there is a two for one at The Heights Theater. That's how I found myself in Anoka County on Thursday night, listening to organ music waiting for the movie to start. Crossfire stars Robert Young ("Father Knows Best", "Marcus Welby, M.D.") as Investigator Finlay (not like his television roles); Robert Mitchum as Sergeant Peter Keeley; Robert Ryan in his Oscar nominated role as Montgomery and George Cooper as Corporal Arthur Mitchell. They are all characters in a well laid out mystery that took a social twist I didn't see coming. The movie is set at the end of World War II in what I believe is an East Coast city, maybe Philadelphia (Finlay references being from there) or Baltimore, and Corporal Mitchell is having a tough time. We're not exactly sure why, but his friends describe him as a gentle guy, not really the fighting type (he seemed to have a desk job), and maybe lonely for his wife. He connects with a civilian in a bar, Samuels, and his girlfriend and goes back to his apartment for a few drinks. Hanging out with Mitchell are Montgomery, Leroy and Floyd. Montgomery and Floyd force themselves into the party. It opens with a man being murdered and is told in flashbacks, but with the different characters' perspective. I just saw Mitchum in Night of the Hunter and totally expected a bad guy. I don't think it ruins anything to say not only is he NOT the bad guy, he has some of the best lines in the movie. The story follows Finlay and Keeley as they spar with one another, try to find Mitchell and figure out who the killer is and why. What unravels is that the man who was killed was killed because he was Jewish and the stain of anti-Semitism runs through the last part of the movie. Robert Ryan is totally unlikable as Montgomery, he's a bully and likes to make fun of the smaller, less assertive guys, and nothing good can come of that. He lost the Best Supporting Actor award to Edmund Gwenn in his role as Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street. It would be hard to find two more disparate roles. Coincidentally, Crossfire lost the Best Picture Oscar to Gentleman's Agreement, starring Gregory Peck, focused it's whole story on anti-Semitism. Edward Dmytryk directed and he was part of the blacklisted Hollywood Ten, who originally refused to testify in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee. I really did like this movie and enjoyed seeing it in a classic theater like The Heights. It's a movie you have probably never heard of and I don't know if it's available from the library or anywhere, but I would recommend it.

Welcoming the audience to The Heights with organ music - The Heights Mighty Wurlitzer

5/7/16 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Best Supporting Actor, National Film Registry, 1945 

I had no idea what this movie was about, it was just on the list and I wanted something unfamiliar. Sometimes I think this elicits the most honest and fresh reactions. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is based on the novel of the same name by Betty Smith, and even though it was published in 1943, it is set in turn of the century Brooklyn around 1912. The main character is Francie Nolan (Peggy Ann Garner), a young girl who has aspirations and dreams and thinks the sun rises and sets on her father, Johnny Nolan (James Dunn), a singing waiter with a drinking problem. Francie and her brother, Neeley (short for Cornelius) help their long-suffering mother, Katie (Dorothy McGuire), with household expenses by collecting rags and scrounging around the neighborhood. Johnny Nolan loves his family, but he has a hard time providing for them; Katie loves her husband, and occasionally remembers back to their early days and why she fell in love with him, but she spends a lot of time resenting her husband's carefree attitude. Francie wants to go to a nicer school, one that allows her to grow, but the one she wants to attend is a long walk and requires Francie to fib about her real residence. Katie doesn't support her bookish notions, but Johnny cannot say no. Francie loves her new school and seems to thrive. Neeley and Francie graduate from their schools (not sure if it's high school, the timing wouldn't be right, but perhaps at that time, even graduating junior high school was a huge accomplishment). Even though Francie is older, Katie thought it would be good to hold her back so she could keep an eye on Neeley. Katie and Francie have an interesting mother/daughter relationship, probably not all that uncommon, and it goes through bumpy patches, and evolves into something beautiful to watch. There is no huge story line driving the narrative (no quest for gold or a ring, no grudge match, no space alien to defeat), just the story of a young girl and her family doing the best they can under occasionally very difficult circumstances. I think it was just this simplicity and the real emotions that had me in tears, completely unexpectedly. It all seemed so honest and closer to real life than say, Meet Me in St. Louis which was set in roughly the same time period. James Dunn won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and young Peggy Garner won the Juvenile Oscar (it's not really clear if it is for this film or all her work that year), they were both wonderful, but Dorothy McGuire was also very strong as Katie Nolan. Peggy Garner definitely did a lot of heavy lifting in this movie, and it's a shame that she didn't have a more successful career as an adult. This isn't one of those family movies that you watch and laugh, but it's a family film in the way that "Little House on the Prairie" was a family TV show - there's no swearing, no nudity, sex or violence which makes it appropriate for all ages, and gives a family something to discuss. I think it would have been a good movie to watch with my dad, and I'm surprised he didn't bring that up when I was younger. I encourage you to check out this movie.

Around the world - take that, Amazing Race

4/30/16 Around the World in 80 Days, Best Picture, Best Cinematography - Color, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Best Writing - Screenplay, Adapted, 1956

Around the World in 80 Days was based on the novel by Jules Verne, originally written in 1873 and stars David Niven, Cantinflas, Robert Newton and Shirley MacLaine, and features cameos by dozens of stars, including Frank Sinatra, Buster Keaton, Noel Coward, Charles Boyer and Peter Lorre. Stylistically, thematically and with the cast of hundreds, it immediately reminded me of The Great Race and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World. There is a lot going on and so many people popping in and out, I just resolved myself to enjoy it and not get caught up in the details. David Niven plays Phileas Fogg, a wealthy eccentric who engages in a bet with the members of his club that he can make it around the world in eighty days. He sets off with his new valet, a resourceful man known as Passpartout (Cantinflas, who was very well known in Latin American comedic films), and is faced with travel obstacles at every turn. Of course, that is where all the fun is - how will they get out of the situation and who will be in those scenes? Niven is the perfect straight man, playing everything seriously and without any sense of irony, and Cantinflas adds a dash of comedy, physical as well as his interplay with Niven and others. Robert Newton plays Inspector Fix, Fogg's nemesis; Fogg is mistakenly accused of stealing 55,000 pounds from the Bank of England. Shirley MacLaine is Indian Princess Aouda, a young widow who is destined to end up on her husband's funeral pyre, until she is rescued by Fogg and Passepartout. There are things about the movie that are unapologetically British and may be unfamiliar, but I don't think that should turn you off; it's also three hours long, and that may make you reconsider, but I hope it doesn't. It's a beautiful film, using the Technicolor technique/method, and the venues are breathtaking; I've always been a fan of the hot air balloon scene. This is a good family film and a way to introduce geography and travel to young people. The movie won the Oscar for Best Film, beating out The Ten Commandments, Giant, The King and I and Friendly Persuasion; it was very good and certainly epic, but I have a soft spot for The Ten Commandments, and I think it would have been tough to cast a vote among these massive films.

Around the World in 80 Days was probably a subliminal influence on me and my love for travel, and for the biggest trip I have ever taken, when I went around the world for seven weeks in 2006. I wrote a book, which is available on Amazon.com as an e-book, called "Oh, You're a Vegetable". I'm a terrible salesperson, but I'm funny and entertaining (so I've been told) and would be grateful if you would check out my book.And if I sell enough books, perhaps I can go on another trip.

A rare hard copy edition of the book

Prague

Istanbul

Taj Mahal, India

A Pixar triple feature - Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc. and WALL-E

4/24/16 Finding Nemo, Best Animated Feature, 2003

As I have gotten older, I have found that animated movies don't hold my attention like they used to do. I suppose that could be due to a number of factors: I'm a crank, I don't have little kids in my life anymore that I can watch them with, they aren't as good as they used to be, or a combination  of all the above. So, when I can watch a movie with as much enjoyment years later, that makes me so happy. I present to you Pixar's Finding Nemo. I saw this originally in the theater when it was released, and then several times over the subsequent years, re-watching it last week - and I still love it. If you haven't seen it (it's on DVD, you don't need a kid to justify watching it), you should. It's one of those movies that appeals to kids and adults, and the adults don't feel like the kid humor is too simple. Anyway, back to the story. Nemo (Alexander Gould) is a young clownfish who has been raised by his overprotective, unadventurous father, Marlin, voiced by Albert Brooks. Nemo is captured by a diver who collects fish for aquariums, the particular aquarium is in Sidney, Australia. The story is told from two perspectives: Nemo and his new friends in the aquarium (including: Willem Dafoe, Allison Janney, Brad Gilbert); and Marlin's journey to find Nemo with Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a blue tang with short term memory issues, but a great personality. As they swim through the Pacific Ocean, Marlin and Dory encounter sharks, jellyfish, real cool sea turtles, and my favorite, a whale. Dory tries speaking whale, which are sounds that I cannot reproduce on the keyboard, but if you know me, ask me, and I'll do my impression. It's hilarious, Dory's version, that is. Marlin is forced to break out of his small, secure world to find Nemo, and Nemo is forced to grow up a little as well, showing his courage as he tries to escape through the water filter and later the plumbing in the office. The movie really has everything: parent/child relationships (although why does a parent always have to die? Nemo's mother dies in the first 10 minutes); adventure; making friends and accepting others for who they are (Dory exasperates Marlin); humor; and great animation; and whale-speak. I guess I have reviewed this just in time for the sequel: Finding Dory, expected to be released in June 2016.



4/25/16 Monsters, Inc., Best Original Song, 2001

You read that right - Monster's Inc. won an Oscar for Randy Newman for Best Original Song, "If I Didn't Have You", his first Oscar after fifteen nominations. It was also nominated for Best Animated Feature, but lost to Shrek. I'm not sure how I would have voted on that one. Monster's Inc. (like Shrek) taps into the imaginations of kids and adults alike; I mean, who hasn't thought about the monsters under the bed. I love it when movies create an alternate universe that, in the moment, seems totally believable. Of course the monsters have to live somewhere, and that somewhere is Monstropolis, and they need to power the city somehow and that's with the screams of children. Our guides through the multi-eyed, furry, reptilian and otherwise scary creatures are Mike and Sully (Billy Crystal and John Goodman, respectively). The power company is run by Henry J. Waternoose (which is a great name, and is voiced by the perfectly cast James Coburn). Sully is the 'scarer' and Mike is his coach, bringing in new doors which are entrances to the kids' rooms. Sully is big and furry, kind of like the Abominable Snowman in "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", and Mike is a big eyeball, an ocular representation. Their nemesis is Randall (Steve Buscemi), and he and Sully are very competitive. While the monsters seem to be fearless, they are not; they are terrified of being contaminated by one of the children, either bringing back a piece of clothing or, as happens to Sully, a child. Most of the movie involves Sully and Mike trying to hide Boo, as they name the little girl. Of course, this leads to some pretty funny scenes, but also a little danger as Randall tries to take her. You can imagine things turned out well in the end, but if you haven't seen the movie yet (seriously, you don't need a kid, jut get the DVD) or you don't recall the details, I don't want to spoil it for you. Like Finding Nemo, I enjoyed Monsters, Inc. years later after watching it many times in previous years. The voice actors are so well cast, especially Billy Crystal and James Coburn, they are so perfect. I loved the creativity with the different monsters. The animation still holds up fifteen years later; Pixar, like Disney, makes movies to last.

WALL-E, Best Animated Feature, 2008

And then we come to WALL-E, a movie that I watched years ago and I have no plans to watch it again. I understand the concepts and ideas it was trying to communicate: the environment and the waste that humans create, technology, etc., but the movie bored me to tears. It even had music by one of my all time favorite singers, Peter Gabriel, and I still didn't care. I guess WALL-E was originally a short film, and that I could probably watch and go, yeah, hey, great, but not 98 minutes, which seemed like a lifetime. This movie was also done by Pixar and the creative team of Andrew Stanton and Pete Doctor. Maybe one day, when I'm done with my list and if someone can convince me, maybe I'll try it again.

Captain America versus Iron Man - you don't want to miss this one

5/8/16 Captain America: Civil War, not yet nominated

Oh my! I'm not sure where to start, but I certainly won't give anything away. Captain America: Civil War picks up a year after Avengers: Age of Ultron after the destruction of Sokovia during the battle with Hydra. It sets up the premise similar to Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice where the government and citizens become fearful and distrustful of the superheroes who have promised to protect them. Except it does it better with characters we are familiar with and a few we are not (or not in these versions). The Avengers are asked to sign the Sokovia Accords after innocent people are killed in Lagos during an Avengers operation; Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) thinks they should sign, as does Vision (Paul Bettany), Rhodey/War Machine (Don Cheadle), and sort of Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) thinks the Avengers should maintain sovereignty, especially as the world seems to be after his childhood pal, Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan). Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie) stays with his pal; Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) is on the fence, but probably because she suffers from guilt for her role in the Lagos disaster. A new face in this crazy collection of enhanced humans is T'Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) who is more interested in vengeance for his father than picking sides at this point; and Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) join the party on Team Captain America and Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland) is with Iron-Man. They have been turned against one another with the help of Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) who is looking for his own vengeance against the Avengers. There is a lot going on with a lot of heroes, but unlike X-Men: Days of Future Past where there were so many characters you didn't know where to look and they weren't all really included, or Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice where the new characters were included in 30 seconds spots almost as an after thought, the additions get enough screen time, dialog and action. The story is also paced in such a way that the dialog is used to explain the past and the present, and I didn't think it got bogged down in verbosity or preaching. It gave the audience time to breathe between action sequences and understand what was happening, and seamlessly moves us forward to the upcoming movies in the universe. I love the addition of Black Panther; I would have liked a little more of Vision and Scarlet Witch (I'm still mad they killed off Quicksilver). And without spoiling anything, I found myself enjoying Spider-Man more than I thought. I was skeptical, but Tom Holland really brings the smart-assery and fun of Spider-Man. The movie is on the long side, but honestly, I didn't mind. I worried a little because there were children in the audience and sometimes they don't sit so nicely (at least one couldn't read the subtitles, so mom had to do it - not cool), but for the most part, everyone was chill and just enjoying the movie. Wanda's accent comes and goes, and I only minded that a little bit. The action and the stunts were beyond awesome. What else can I tell you? I'm not sure you need to see it in 3D; you should be familiar with the previous movies; stay through the credits. Anything else, you'll have to see it yourself because I will not ruin it. Lastly, there should be an Oscar for stunt coordination or something like that.

The Hateful Eight - was it all really necessary?

5/1/16 The Hateful Eight, nominated Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, won Best Original Score, 2015

Any time that Quentin Tarantino releases a movie, I roll my eyes and then decide that if it is nominated for an Oscar, I'll watch it at home, and try not to hurl. Tarantino's love of violence, fake blood, the N-word and occasionally droning dialogue makes me cringe. And yet, I found myself watching parts of The Hateful Eight and thinking, yeah, that's some good dialogue or, nice plot twist, and just as often thinking, really, a head exploding and the blood sprays into her open mouth? Oy vey. Set in the years following the Civil War, The Hateful Eight stars Kurt Russell (who still has great hair) as John Ruth, a bounty hunter; Samuel L. Jackson (not in a Marvel movie) as Marquis Warren, another bounty hunter; Jennifer Jason Leigh as Daisy Domergue, John Ruth's prisoner, to name a few. Ruth is trying to take in Domergue in for her bounty, and is rightfully concerned that someone may try to take his prisoner, either to free her or collect the bounty. Unfortunately for Ruth, and his new fellow traveler, Warren, they are heading right into a Wyoming blizzard (a lot of movies seem to be set in Wyoming - Heaven's Gate), and they need to hold up for the night at Minnie's Haberdashery, a rest stop along the way. Different characters get introduced and we (just like Ruth and Warren) are unsure of their intentions. Trust no one is the motto here. The movie is three hours (yes, my favorite - a long movie) and there is a lot of swearing, hitting (Jennifer Jason Leigh or her double), took a lot stage punches and elbows while being called lovely names, and like Django Unchained, there was a sequence near the end where shots were flying like mosquitoes in a Minnesota summer and with only slightly more blood being spilled. It's hard to give a good synopsis of the movie without revealing too much, because there is a lot to be said for the element of surprise; like I said earlier, there are some good plot twists. There are no 'good guys' in the movie, as main characters, anyway; they all have biases, prejudices, anger and hatred that comes out in violent ways. It seems that a lot of the anger and hatred are connected to the Civil War, and which side you were on, it seems several of the characters were on the losing side and still quite bitter about it, which I suppose accounts for their use of the N word (for the record, I find that word repugnant, and while it may (??) need to be used for 'historical' accuracy, it felt like it was as overused as the fake blood). The movie was three hours, and I think was definitely room to edit it down to a respectable 2 - 2 1/2 hours; there were a couple of instances where Tarantino plays the role of narrator, and I don't think it was necessary. As I'm writing this, I was thinking the movie bore some resemblance to Rio Bravo, with the characters being trapped in one location, fighting their way out. That may be a bit of a stretch, but there is something there. Leigh was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, and she was very good, and went toe to toe with the guys in terms of profanity and getting bloodied, but I didn't feel that was enough compared to Alicia Vikander's performance in The Danish Girl. Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson and Walter Goggins, as the Sheriff, were really good, as well; when Jackson shared dialogue with Goggins or Russell, it was great chemistry, sometimes even like a Lewis and Martin routine. I have Pulp Fiction and Inglorious Basterds on request from the library; I have seen them both before, but remember nothing of Pulp Fiction, and want to watch them both again so I can perhaps come up with some more astute observations.