Freedom '90
This old music video was directed by David Fincher. An early work, but the themes and visual effects are very strong. Kind of like Pearl Jam, how did I sleep through all of this in the 90s?
Pearl Jam 20
If anyone knows a good music story, it's longtime Rolling Stone writer Cameron Crowe. Also a noted filmaker, he combines his talents to show the history of Mother Love Bone, better known to you as Pearl Jam. It's a nice review of the 90s, reminded me of a 30 for 30 episode.
Not so much of the Grunge/Seattle scene is here. That's where they started but not where they ended up. There's a nice growth arc of the band, showing their coming into their own, with the help of a mentor, Neil Young.
The different personalities come out with the band members: Stone & Jeff (the original 2), Matt the drummer, Mike on guitar and of course Eddie Vedder on vocals. And there's a nice tribute to the original Mother Love Bone vocalist, Andy Wood.
Not so much of the Grunge/Seattle scene is here. That's where they started but not where they ended up. There's a nice growth arc of the band, showing their coming into their own, with the help of a mentor, Neil Young.
The different personalities come out with the band members: Stone & Jeff (the original 2), Matt the drummer, Mike on guitar and of course Eddie Vedder on vocals. And there's a nice tribute to the original Mother Love Bone vocalist, Andy Wood.
Gone Girl
With the contrived roles of husband and wife here, it's not easy to see if this is a serious study or a satire or fictionalized version of life. The serialized blog-ishness of the diary coupled with the Amazing Amy subtext certainly makes a case for the latter. Based on the book by Gillian Flynn, a writer for Entertainment Weekly, definitely gives it a breezy feel.
But throw director David Fincher at it and it all comes together well. His cinematic touches of the watchful cat (Tyler?), the whisky glass, the foreboding shed, were very Fight Club like. Nice.
Rosamund Pike as Amy is the perfect Ice Queen. As a friend would say, she must be really good in bed for a man to want to be with her. Two mean actually. Ben Affleck plays the Michael Douglas type of husband and Neil Patrick Harris the hapless has-been. Reality TV plays a major character a well. Find Amy! Call 1-855-4-AMY-TIPS!
The movie is an improvement on the book with the stronger roles of Margo, Tanner and Detective Boney. I also liked the visual gothic shadows and the general fatness of middle America. Real life in the Heartland is no walk in Central Park.
* * * * of 4
But throw director David Fincher at it and it all comes together well. His cinematic touches of the watchful cat (Tyler?), the whisky glass, the foreboding shed, were very Fight Club like. Nice.
Rosamund Pike as Amy is the perfect Ice Queen. As a friend would say, she must be really good in bed for a man to want to be with her. Two mean actually. Ben Affleck plays the Michael Douglas type of husband and Neil Patrick Harris the hapless has-been. Reality TV plays a major character a well. Find Amy! Call 1-855-4-AMY-TIPS!
The movie is an improvement on the book with the stronger roles of Margo, Tanner and Detective Boney. I also liked the visual gothic shadows and the general fatness of middle America. Real life in the Heartland is no walk in Central Park.
* * * * of 4
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Kind of like a classic book, you know the high points of this movie, but have you ever seen it? It came out at a good time in the 60s. Probably would be a good movie to see on LSD.
The two most striking things about this movie are the audio and the visual. The space visuals I expected. You can see how it influenced Star Wars movies. The prop visuals were even better:
the colored spacesuits, the Deadmaus helmets, the coffins in hibernation, the unblinking eye of HAL 9000.
The audio was very original. It was at many times a silent movie. It could have easily been done in the silent era. That was powerful, especially when interspersed with the heavy breathing of the astronauts in space. You can almost hear their heartbeats.
The story was somewhat nonliner and hyperlinked. The crew psychology, the death of a computer, the lost in space, the apes, the Starchild. Very abstract at times.
It's a mark of a good movie that we see now how ahead of its time it was then.
* * * * * Classic
The two most striking things about this movie are the audio and the visual. The space visuals I expected. You can see how it influenced Star Wars movies. The prop visuals were even better:
the colored spacesuits, the Deadmaus helmets, the coffins in hibernation, the unblinking eye of HAL 9000.
The audio was very original. It was at many times a silent movie. It could have easily been done in the silent era. That was powerful, especially when interspersed with the heavy breathing of the astronauts in space. You can almost hear their heartbeats.
The story was somewhat nonliner and hyperlinked. The crew psychology, the death of a computer, the lost in space, the apes, the Starchild. Very abstract at times.
It's a mark of a good movie that we see now how ahead of its time it was then.
* * * * * Classic
Life Itself
This is a combination of a biopic as well as a reality show about the film critic and writer Roger Ebert, who died this year. Available On Demand now. Directed by Steve James of Hoops Dreams fame, which is perfect for a combo of Chicago and reality.
Roger had thyroid cancer and had his lower jaw removed. In the movie, you can see through his mouth back to the bandages on his neck which cover the hole where he receives his nutrition. Shocking at first, after the film goes on, you get used to seeing it. He uses voice recognition and computer writing and blogging to communicate.
As an experienced writer, he takes to the new form like its an old hand, which it really it. We see his growing up and writing starting at a young age. We see his film career and the two-edged sword of his TV partnership/professional rivalry with Gene Siskel Like two brothers who don't like each other.
Very well done as it gives an insight into the personality of Roger Ebert. It makes you like him and also know some of his faults at the same time. A very fine tribute to a man who made a great contribution to American society.
* * * *
"Two Thumbs Up!"
Roger had thyroid cancer and had his lower jaw removed. In the movie, you can see through his mouth back to the bandages on his neck which cover the hole where he receives his nutrition. Shocking at first, after the film goes on, you get used to seeing it. He uses voice recognition and computer writing and blogging to communicate.
As an experienced writer, he takes to the new form like its an old hand, which it really it. We see his growing up and writing starting at a young age. We see his film career and the two-edged sword of his TV partnership/professional rivalry with Gene Siskel Like two brothers who don't like each other.
Very well done as it gives an insight into the personality of Roger Ebert. It makes you like him and also know some of his faults at the same time. A very fine tribute to a man who made a great contribution to American society.
* * * *
"Two Thumbs Up!"
Grumpy Cat movie - Worst Christmas Ever
Now here's a movie I can really get behind! Grumpy Cat Christmas movie! Out this December on Lifetime cable TV.
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