John’s Movie Musings

Can you believe it’s been almost 15 years since Toy Story came out?  The original came out in 1995 with Toy Story 2 following in 1999.  Feel old yet?  Finally next year, Pixar will be releasing Toy Story 3 in 3D and to celebrate, they pulled the old movies out of the digital archive and added the third dimension.  The result was pretty great.

I’m at Fantastic Fest and Pixar was here to show the two movies a few days before they are released nationwide.  Toy Story doesn’t exactly fit with the horror and slasher films that fill the rest of the festival.  Noticing that, the Pixar guy mentioned it felt like bringing a strawberry milkshake to a party of hard liquor.  Despite all that, it was a sold out showing that proved the universal greatness of these films.

I got to sit next to a girl who had never seen the movies before.  Every one of her laughs and tears reminded me of how I felt the first time I saw these.  Even watching today, the stories hold up very well.  They truly are timeless classics and if you have never seen them, you won’t get a better opportunity.  The 3D effects just add to an already great experience.

Toy Story 1 & 2 is designed as a true double feature – one ticket for two movies.  There is a 10 minute (some theaters will do 5 minutes) intermission between the movies filled with trivia and jokes.  I made “personal” use of most of that time, but what I did catch looked hilarious.

Toy Story 1 & 2 3D opens on Oct 2 and is in theaters for only a few weeks.  If it’s been years since you last saw them, definitely go catch this “event.”  Timeless classics are worth it.

Grade: A+

Matt Damon is quickly becoming my favorite actor.  At no time while watching The Informant! (with exclamation!) did I think I was watching the same actor who played Jason Bourne.  Well ok, I did, but my thoughts were more like, “I can’t believe this is the same guy who plays Jason Bourne!”  Acting!

So as you probably gathered by now, The Informant! is not really meant to be taken seriously.  It’s comedy, sure, but think Burn After Reading rather than Old School.  This is only important if you see the movie in the theater.  There, you’ll be able to identify the smart people by who laughs at the jokes.  But don’t feel bad for the people not laughing.  They also wouldn’t get the point I’m making.

Imagine a movie with a villain that dies in the end.  Now think of the inevitable sequel where the new guy is not quite as memorable and really, more of an embarrassment to villainy.  In recent American history, that first villain was tobacco.  The Informant! tackles the lesser, more annoying bad guy: high fructose corn syrup.  Matt Damon plays a Vice President of ADM who gets tapped by the FBI to spy on the highly processed, white-collar crime.

One word of caution, avoid all reviews of The Informant! (my yammerings excepted).  The people who made the trailers set this movie up to be something it isn’t and left out all of the important details.  Kudos to them for keeping their cards hidden, because the movie is so much better if you go in not knowing anything.  So. Much. Better.

Go see this before you accidentally read a review.

Grade: A

I love backstory – but only when it exists outside of the actual story.  That might be an odd stipulation, but rarely do two hours provide enough time to flesh things out.  Too many times I’ve seen it bog down the action.  But when backstory exists outside (perhaps in another medium), it’s like like those addictive chemicals KFC puts in their chicken.  I can’t stay away.

9 had one of the most innovating backstories ever.  Several months prior to the film’s release, the marketing department created a Facebook page for the Scientist character.  Through a series of short notes, Scientist journaled about his first steps into artificial intelligence, the Chancellor’s overbearing interest, the civil war, and each of the Scientist’s little creations.

I loved it all, but it created sort of a problem.  By the time 9 launched in theaters, I had several months of investment in the story.  I’m not sure any movie could survive that kind of expectation and well, 9 didn’t.  That’s not to say it’s a bad movie.  Far from it.  But the backstory contained a human element that was missing from the movie.  I’m not sure how they could have pulled that into a post-apocalyptic world, but the story needed some connection with humanity.  Without it, the movie spent two hours searching for a point.

I had high hopes for 9 and even though it fell short, I would still recommend it for a rental.  The world Tim Burton creates is interesting enough for you to take a peek.

Grade: B-

John:  Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.

Priest: What is it?

John: I write a silly movie review blog, yet I’ve never seen The Big Lebowski.

Priest: Get out!

John: Wha-?

Priest: Out!  I’m not wasting my time with you.  You’re beyond help.

There are movies a person needs to have seen in order to relate to most social situations.  Top Gun, The Princess Bride, So I Married an Axe Murderer, Office Space – I could go on and on.  These are the movies referenced multiple times a week in normal conversation and if you don’t know the joke, you’re left laughing just because everyone else is.  You become That Guy.

The giant omission from my list was The Big Lebowski.  Friends would make a joke and I’d have to admit I’d never seen it, only to be assaulted with “How are we friends?” or “Do I even know you?”  When bowling my confession would elicit that same shameful look one gives a poodle dressed as a linebacker.

Cult Classics are reviewed like pies.  Whenever someone tries to get serious and critique one, the only appropriate response is, “Hello!  It’s pie.  Shut up and enjoy it like you’re supposed to.”  So I’ll just say the I thoroughly enjoyed The Big Lebowski. I laughed, sometimes howled, and finished smiling.  Can’t ask for more than that.

Now I can hold my head high and look my friends in the eyes when they tell me, “It’s about frikkin time.”

Grade: A

Horror movies and I don’t get along.  At all.  It has to do with the fact they make me jump in a very unmanly fashion.  Often. So I tend to avoid the genre.  I’ve never seen any of the Saws, or Hostels and I’m pretty sure I’m not missing a whole lot.

I will make exceptions for a few series like the 28 Days/Weeks Later movies.  Or if something gets a lot of talk on the blogs and turns into a “Must See.”  [Rec] is one of those.  Filmed in only two buildings and shot with only a single camera, the movie follows a news reporter doing a story on the local fire department.  A call comes in about a woman trapped in her apartment and everyone goes to check it out.

As you might expect, the only view you get is from the cameraman.  And since he and the reporter are journalists, the camera goes where the action is.  So simple, yet it works so well.  Because the action takes place within a single apartment building, there’s a limited cast.  This builds suspense as you can keep track of where everyone should be.  And when they’re not there… boo.

Since I heard so many good things about [Rec], I knew I needed to see it sometime.  Watching it alone wasn’t at the top of my list, so I saved it for a business trip coming up.  My plan was to watch it on my iPod Touch during the flight, thinking the small screen would lessen any frightening moments.  Ha.  Let’s just say I had to apologize to the man in the middle seat more than once.

[Rec] comes to us from Spain, so be prepared for subtitles.  If that annoys you, there is an American remake called Quarantine.  But like all American remakes, I hear it’s horrible. On the plus side, it stars the sister from Dexter.

Definitely give this one a rent.  It’s not perfect, so the horror snobs may scoff, but I enjoyed it.  It’s a smart, subtle indie film that’ll give you at least a few scares.

Grade: B+