The State of the Cabins (2/2/11)

Movies watched for the first time (non-theatrically) since last week:
Fanboys
I talked about this on the most recent LAMBcast, as it was a 'Whatcha Been Watchin' Lately?' episode. I'm gonna refer you to it (should be up on the weekend) and just say, "Yes, young people can get cancer...but they don't get it nearly as often as older people do." Cancer.org told me so! More than 3/4 of cancer cases are in people aged 55 or over. So take that, Jason!


Fletch's Film Rating:

	Expectation: "You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you."
	Reality: "Darn tootin."

LAMBScore:

Croupier
I attempted to talk about this one as well, but failed miserably.

Those who have heard of it know that it is the film that put Clive Owen on the map. He plays a struggling writer with a somewhat murky past working in Africa as a croupier, amongst other things (croupier is a fancy word for casino games worker, like a blackjack dealer or roulette dude). Through the help of his dad, he gets a job as a croupier in London to help him pay the bills, etc. Long story short - he meets shady characters, gets caught up in schemes, and just might be in over his head.

The structure of the film is somewhat interesting yet also mildly irritating. Since he's a writer, the film becomes the tale of a struggling writer who takes a job as a croupier. Owen narrates as if telling the story he's writing. This, combined with low production values and the date of its making (1998) made the proceedings feel as if I was watching a mid-90s American indie about people just out of college. Or maybe it was the bizarre outfit he wore that reminded me of the Spin Doctors for some reason. But it was probably the narration.

Anyway...it's an okay flick. If you big Clive and/or really love flicks set in casinos, you could do a lot worse. But it won't rock your world or anything. My big takeaway was the shocking sight of Alex Kingston's naked body. She always struck me as a bit ugly and the owner of a pear-shaped torso, but not so. (That's Kingston above with Owen.) Not exactly the best thing to take away from a movie, but them's the facts.

Fletch's Film Rating:

	Expectation: "Darn tootin."
	Reality: "You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you."

LAMBScore:

Music I'm currently obsessed with:
* Nothing really, so how 'bout another Groundhog Day reference today? Not sure how many times I've seen the flick, but I never knew that they were saying "Pennsylvania Polka." I always thought they were saying "...it's a day for..." and I could never tell what the last word. I feel dumb. Still, try to get it out of your head.



Book I'm currently reading:

* Almost finished with book four of of The Green Mile, and I'm starting to get psyched to finish it already so that I can watch the movie.

I'm enjoying King's writing and will have to delve further (NEWS FLASH: Stephen King is a good writer. Being the #1 best-selling author of all time should have been a clue, and I know he's not straight horror most of the time, but I guess I just never got around to it.). It's not FANTASTIC, but it's solid and has a brilliantly detailed atmosphere and well-drawn characters. The arc of the story seems a bit obvious at times, but that might also be because King telegraphs it for us.

I hate knowing the cast of a book-to-film adaptation before I read the book. If I've seen a movie based on a book and have not yet read it, I likely won't, mostly for that reason (even more than already knowing the story). I made an exception here, though all I knew was Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, Barry Pepper and I had an inkling that Sam Rockwell was in it - though I only knew for sure which two characters Hanks and Duncan were (for obvious reasons).

But I figured I was far enough along for my preconceived notions of the characters to be set, and I was really curious, so I finally looked it up today on IMDb. SHOCKED that Pepper was not cast as Percy and that some unknown guy was. Hell, Pepper's character in the book is (thus far) wildly unimportant to the story. But aside from that, I saw him as Percy and thought it perfect casting. Maybe it's because I just already knew he was in it and pegged him for the character early on, but I doubt it. Rockwell seems very well cast as Wharton. And I knew that they couldn't cast Clancy Brown as Brutal, what with him playing a prison guard...set decades prior...in a Stephen King adaptation...less than five years after Shawshank, but damned if I still don't think he'd be perfect for the role. That said, David Morse was a fine choice and a great actor, so I can't wait to see him in the role as well.

Things to Click On
* If you are a LAMB member and have not yet taken the LIONS for LAMBs poll for 2010, DO IT NOW! The link can be found here. (the Large Association of Movie Blogs)

* I didn't even know that Andy linked to me, I just saw a post on Justified and knew that was gonna make this list. (The Ramblings of a Minnesota Geek)

(Sidenote for Andy: I feel terrible, dude. I feel like I've been aware of your site forever, but for whatever reason, I'd never really gotten around to reading it until recently. BIG REGRET! We are totally simpatico, and I'm a follower and fan and all that. Folks, if you like this site, you'll likely dig Andy's as well.)

* First we get to see Rachel in action (who was an awesome actress, then Nick talks about a favorite silly movie of mine - the one, the only Kentucky Fried Movie. That shit gets linked. (R2D2)

* You come out to play golf and drink beer (and bring beer!) and visit Mrs. Fletch and our baby girl...you also get linked! Superman Kai was here this past weekend for a hell of a time, then got back and wrote about his favorite vessels (or wessels, if you prefer). (The List)

(Sidenote: you'll have a chance to see Kai and I in action on a future Vlog of Nick's. It's epically epic badassery...that's all I can say.)

That's it!

And then...

Just Because: Groundhog Day

"Don't drive angry!"

P.S. - I think I might make these daily posts. Just fun little memories from movies I love (or maybe just scenes I love...or maybe from movies I hate...or maybe it's just topical to the day...whatever).

And then...

Fletch's Favored Five: 1993 in Film

Now, the sixth in a continuing series in which I count down my favorites from a particular year in film. Previous entries:

1997 * 1991 * 1984 * 1988 * 2002

I'm going to use Wikipedia to kickstart my brain, year by year, and I'll throw out a Favored Five here and there. If you want to refresh your memory in a similar fashion, just go to Wiki and type "[four-character year] in film." Here's the one for 1993. I won't pretend that Wiki is the end-all, be-all of filmic knowledge or that these yearly lists are 100% accurate, but they're an excellent place to start and a great resource.

1993
This is a weird, weird year I think, not only for me personally, but in general. In line with the grunge/Generation X movements (for lack of a better term) that were occurring right about the time, it seems to be a real line in the sand where the last holdouts of 80s sensibilities made their way through and gave way to cynicism and more modern storytelling. The list of films that not only make up my favored five here, but also the lengthy honorable mentions really portray this. There's a strange mix of movies that might've been 80s leftovers (Demolition Man; Son-in-Law) mixed in with edgier fare (Last Action Hero, which might've been a failure but was still an winking take on the action genre; Jurassic Park, perhaps the forebearer to the modern action adventure).

It also holds special for me due to sheer volume. Good, bad or ugly, I've likely seen more films from this year than just about any other film, at least in terms of mainstream Hollywood films. I was 16-17 in 1993, and yes, it shows quite a bit in my favorites. However, I think this is right about the time, thanks to movies like my number one, where I went from being just a movie fan to an all-out movie geek. I sought ought indies like my number two (and Romeo is Bleeding and Boxing Helena and Flesh and Bone) pretty from early on, and watched and appreciated some of the more middle-of-the-road fare perhaps more than I should have.

It's weird - short of my top selections, I wouldn't argue too hardly for any of these films (that I've seen) to be considered seminal works, but damned if I wouldn't be physically pained if all of the movies from 1993 up and disappeared. Lot of good nostalgia here, and movies that I can and will watch time and again (Rising Sun, anyone?).

Notable movies not yet seen:
In the Name of the Father
The Piano
Point of No Return
The Program
Schindler's List

Honorable mentions:
Cliffhanger
Falling Down
The Firm
The Fugitive
Jurassic Park
Last Action Hero
Much Ado About Nothing
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Rising Sun
The Sandlot

5. Demolition Man
There's really no excuse for this to be here, but I've got such a soft spot for it. In fact, since I never did get all much into either the Rocky or Rambo series, I could make the argument that Stallone's two 1993 entries rank as my favorite films of his, with the first being a (relatively) no bullshit actioner, and this being an ambitious one that touches on class warfare and the future of sexual politics, all the while featuring some of the most laughable dialogue you'll see this side of, well, Rocky IV.

4. Tombstone
Probably the clubhouse leader in the "Films Fletch loves but somehow does not yet own." I've heard smatterings from some folks recently that say that the film - outside of Val Kilmer's performance - doesn't hold up all that well. Not sure if I agree; it certainly has its slow moments, and heavy-handed ones, and just plain theatrical ones (any scene with Priestley and/or Zane and/or Delaney is a tad painful), but on the whole? Sounds like a purchase/re-watch is definitely in order.

3. Groundhog Day
The current incarnation of Bill Murray is still pretty great and all, but don't you long for a straight-up comedy from the guy? I think the last one he did was Osmosis Jones, and not only was that in 2001, but it sucked and no one saw it (okay, it's not that bad, but you get the jist). Somehow I doubt Ghostbusters III will quench my thirst. Bing!

2. Dazed and Confused
Timeless. But then again, any well-executed period piece ought to be, and that's the beauty of them. Hard for a movie to seem "too 90s" when it's set in 1976. Still my favorite from Linklater.

1. True Romance
Need I explain myself here?

And then...

Fletch's Favored Five: 1993 in Film

Now, the sixth in a continuing series in which I count down my favorites from a particular year in film. Previous entries:

1997 * 1991 * 1984 * 1988 * 2002

I'm going to use Wikipedia to kickstart my brain, year by year, and I'll throw out a Favored Five here and there. If you want to refresh your memory in a similar fashion, just go to Wiki and type "[four-character year] in film." Here's the one for 1993. I won't pretend that Wiki is the end-all, be-all of filmic knowledge or that these yearly lists are 100% accurate, but they're an excellent place to start and a great resource.

1993
This is a weird, weird year I think, not only for me personally, but in general. In line with the grunge/Generation X movements (for lack of a better term) that were occurring right about the time, it seems to be a real line in the sand where the last holdouts of 80s sensibilities made their way through and gave way to cynicism and more modern storytelling. The list of films that not only make up my favored five here, but also the lengthy honorable mentions really portray this. There's a strange mix of movies that might've been 80s leftovers (Demolition Man; Son-in-Law) mixed in with edgier fare (Last Action Hero, which might've been a failure but was still an winking take on the action genre; Jurassic Park, perhaps the forebearer to the modern action adventure).

It also holds special for me due to sheer volume. Good, bad or ugly, I've likely seen more films from this year than just about any other film, at least in terms of mainstream Hollywood films. I was 16-17 in 1993, and yes, it shows quite a bit in my favorites. However, I think this is right about the time, thanks to movies like my number one, where I went from being just a movie fan to an all-out movie geek. I sought ought indies like my number two (and Romeo is Bleeding and Boxing Helena and Flesh and Bone) pretty from early on, and watched and appreciated some of the more middle-of-the-road fare perhaps more than I should have.

It's weird - short of my top selections, I wouldn't argue too hardly for any of these films (that I've seen) to be considered seminal works, but damned if I wouldn't be physically pained if all of the movies from 1993 up and disappeared. Lot of good nostalgia here, and movies that I can and will watch time and again (Rising Sun, anyone?).

Notable movies not yet seen:
In the Name of the Father
The Piano
Point of No Return
The Program
Schindler's List

Honorable mentions:
Cliffhanger
Falling Down
The Firm
The Fugitive
Jurassic Park
Last Action Hero
Much Ado About Nothing
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Rising Sun
The Sandlot

5. Demolition Man
There's really no excuse for this to be here, but I've got such a soft spot for it. In fact, since I never did get all much into either the Rocky or Rambo series, I could make the argument that Stallone's two 1993 entries rank as my favorite films of his, with the first being a (relatively) no bullshit actioner, and this being an ambitious one that touches on class warfare and the future of sexual politics, all the while featuring some of the most laughable dialogue you'll see this side of, well, Rocky IV.

4. Tombstone
Probably the clubhouse leader in the "Films Fletch loves but somehow does not yet own." I've heard smatterings from some folks recently that say that the film - outside of Val Kilmer's performance - doesn't hold up all that well. Not sure if I agree; it certainly has its slow moments, and heavy-handed ones, and just plain theatrical ones (any scene with Priestley and/or Zane and/or Delaney is a tad painful), but on the whole? Sounds like a purchase/re-watch is definitely in order.

3. Groundhog Day
The current incarnation of Bill Murray is still pretty great and all, but don't you long for a straight-up comedy from the guy? I think the last one he did was Osmosis Jones, and not only was that in 2001, but it sucked and no one saw it (okay, it's not that bad, but you get the jist). Somehow I doubt Ghostbusters III will quench my thirst. Bing!

2. Dazed and Confused
Timeless. But then again, any well-executed period piece ought to be, and that's the beauty of them. Hard for a movie to seem "too 90s" when it's set in 1976. Still my favorite from Linklater.

1. True Romance
Need I explain myself here?

And then...

My Desert Island DVDs

Fandango Groovers Movie Blog put out the call - send me your weak, your tired, your Desert Island DVDs. Eight of them to be exact. I am heeding that call. Additionally, he's asked me to include this link, so I done did that, too. Here's the setup, followed by my picks:

"The idea is a variation on the radio program Desert Island Discs: For those who don’t know the show has been running on the BBC for nearly 70 years. Guests are invited to imagine themselves cast away on a desert island with only eight pieces of music to listen to. Being a movie blog obviously we are having a twist on the idea. Simply pick the eight DVDs that if you were stranded on a desert island (don’t ask how you would play them) you could happily watch over and over again. For some people this will be their favourite movies for others it will be subtly different."

Ok. I'm on a desert island. I can take eight DVDs. For starters, I'm going with known quantities; sure, it might be noble to take a "classic" that I've never seen along for the journey - a chance to broaden my horizons, learn something, all that jazz. No way. It I hate it, or even vaguely dislike it, I'll be regretting said decision for my own personal eternity. So I've seen everything here, and in most cases, more than a few times. More than anything, these choices will make me eternally happy, and that's more important than anything else.

So I'm taking one of my all-time favorites; a film that, depending on the date and time, fills one of the top three spots in my list. The other two are Pulp Fiction and Fight Club, but a) I've seen them enough times that I can recall them at will, and b) they aren't tremendously deep. Well, Fight Club might be, but I've read the book as well, so I've gleaned as much of the meaning as I'm probably going to. Instead, I'm taking Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I know, original choice. It'll likely be on at least half of the participants' lists. I care not. I've purposefully limited my viewing of it in the six years since its release so as not to tire of it and retain some of the joy that's renewed upon each viewing. As a bonus, it's lengthy (sure to be a recurring theme for this list; given the choice of an 85-minute movie I love and a 140-minute one, I'm taking the latter).

Being on this island with not much to do besides swim, run around, build shelters, and whatnot, I'm sure I'll be in good shape bodily in no time. But what of the mind? This next section is intended just for that. I'll take along 2001: A Space Odyssey for its beauty, its length, its brain-altering content, its "How'd they do that?" special effects - the whole shebang. Additionally, I'm bringing two true mind-benders; Chris Nolan's breakout hit Memento, whose DVD houses not only a great movie but enough material on the menus to keep me busy for some time (double bonus: I can watch the movie in chronological order, which will make it seem as though I'm watching a different flick), and Shane Carruth's 2004 time travel thriller Primer, which I've seen just once, but already know I need to see about 100 more times before I fully comprehend it (and even that might not do the trick).

Of course, I will need to laugh while stranded, sans friends or family, on this island. I'll be stuck in a place with no entertainment to speak of, no one to talk to, basically nothing of interest to do (aside from movie watching, of course). In other words, my existence will be rote and monotonous for the most part. How meta of me, then, to choose Groundhog Day. I'm sure I'll take intense pleasure at watching someone else live the same 24 hours over and over again, though I suppose in this case, the end will now be a tad depressing, since Phil Conners will escape his prison and I won't be so lucky. Still, all I have to do is re-start it and he's back in jail with me. Who else could go for some flapjacks?

I'm cheating a little with my next pick, though not as bad as I had originally planned on. I'm taking a TV show. I was going to say that I would take the entire first season of Arrested Development with me (only chosen over the latter seasons due to more episodes), but that was going too far, since the package is comprised of three discs. No fair. Instead, I'll make myself a custom DVD, jamming on as many 22-minute episodes as I can onto a single DVD. If I'm going to be miserable at all on this island, at the very least I know I'll be better off than the Bluths, and no piece of comedy has made me consistently laugh more.

Two left, and they're both wild cards of sorts.

The first is Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece Boogie Nights. Why? Why the hell not? It's got it all - drama, comedy, soft-core porn, one of the best casts ever assembled, enough cheeseball (and otherwise) hits from the 70s and 80s to fill at least three CDs, Burt Reynolds - I mean, what more could you want from a movie?

Finally, a movie that I can guarantee will make no one else's list. No, it's not The Room, though that's a tempting option. Instead, it's the critically loathed and commercially ignored Southland Tales. Why on earth am I taking it, you might be asking? That's a very good question, and I'm not even totally sure that I know the answer. I know it intrigues me. I know that it, too, combines elements of action, comedy, and drama - even some sci-fi, too. I know that, of all the things it can be - poorly acted, byzanitinely written, overwrought with not ready for prime-time players - the one thing it never is is boring.

And the last thing I want to be on this desert island is bored.

And then...