Obviously influenced by our very own slowly evolving Top 100 list, two films and counting people!, The Times has went and done their own.
They've attempted to do one that's not the same as all the rest, which means they left Citizen Kane out for no other reason than it's always number 1, and popped Point Break in at number 97 (yes, Point Break). The thing is some of the placings (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind at number 9?) and omissions (The Bicycle Thieves) seem designed to piss people off rather than find a true list, a silly thing really, there is no one film to unify us all.
The biggest problem is that the odd choice apart it's pretty standard stuff with most of the films the sort of things that feature in these things regularly and offering Casablanca number 1 is almost as cliched as offering it to Welles' masterpiece. Even the placing of There Will Be Blood at number 2 is the usual knee-jerk reaction to a current piece of brilliance that does deserve to be there found in all of these lists.
In the end The Times writers have failed pretty miserably in their attempt to revive a very tired piece of film journalism. I know it smacks of Hippo's Clit-ism while we here at Splice are doing one but it's really just an excuse to go back and watch those films we love and write about them. Citizen Kane may not be the greatest film ever made (it's obviously Evil Dead 2, another frankly shocking omission) but to dismiss it in the way they did shows how flawed their list is. And the fact that there's a link to a separate piece about Silent Cinema because it was all but ignored tells its own story. Nosferatu over Cabinet of Dr. Caligari my arse!
Obviously it isn't out here on DVD until June but it's out on Region 1 and from the above video it appears to be worth importing. They've also recently tackled shitefests Spiderman 3 and Beowulf and I Am Leg End is coming this week.
Thank you Rifftrax for allowing us to laugh at rubbish current movies...again.
So the opening film of our little project has been mulled over and now it's my turn to pick one. Now it would be very easy to go for the obvious great films that came out in the 90's (Bicentennial Man of course) so I won't, instead possibly leaving them to the end when the realisation strikes that we can't have a Greatest 90's film list without (fill in obvious film starring Robin Williams here, say Jumanji or Jack).
And so with that in mind and the fact that Ruud chose something quirky to begin with I'm going to do the same. But to upset the apple cart a little more I'm going to start with movie makers that may well be the finest exponents of the art during that decade; the Coen Brothers. But instead of going for all those films that always get touted I'm going to go with what I consider their forgotten gem, the film every Coen fan, casual or otherwise, dismissed before it was easy to do that with any of their works.
I am, of course, talking about THE HUDSUCKER PROXY (it may have helped if as you read that some dramatic music played). Keep the ol' eyeballs peeled for my review soon followed by Ruud's response.
Grosse Pointe Blank's one of those films that came out in the mid-90's in that post-Pulp Fiction era. Loads of cool, hip, jive... sorry I turned into an old man there! Basically it was one of those popular "indie" movies. I have to confess that at the time I didn't get it. And unlike Ruud, who thanks to the wonder of Minnie Driver's tits (let's be honest that's what he meant to say when he was prattlin' on about her hair and her sass!) has reignited some long-lost feelings from his youth, I don't want to revisit 1997. Sure Scotland actually qualified for a major tournament and Oasis' Be Here Now didn't sound like the coke-fuelled mess it actually is but see in 1997 I was a pleb.
Hard to believe I'm sure but at that point I was and my taste in movies was shite (it could be argued that that never changed as my choices on this list will probably attest) and so maybe that's why Grosse Pointe Blank never worked. I then never bothered to see it again until now. All I can say is; "thanks Ruud".
It's a cracking wee film. The soundtrack's a belter, Driver is adorable and Cusack is most certainly the man. Plus Jeremy Piven's in it which is always a good thing and it's probably the last time we'll ever see Dan Ackroyd good in anything, I'm still not forgiving him for playing Britney Spears' Dad in Crossroads, at least that bint frae Whores in the City had the good sense to scarper after one scene. Plus the killer going to his therapist and spilling his guts, not always to the therapist's liking? Grosse Pointe Blank only went and influenced one of mankind's towering achievements in art Analyze Th..., er, The Sopranos!
Basically I was a bit too young, mentally at least, to appreciate Grosse Pointe Blank when I first saw it. The music, the snappy dialogue, the genius setup all kind of passed me by. But something else rang true beyond just being able to appreciate film better. With being that bit older now I can identify with Martin Blank. The whole small town thing, the want to get away and how things change when you do. It's funny that Ruud chose the scene where Martin discovers his house is gone and a convenience store now stands in its place as I have recently discovered that the place I grew up in is to be demolished soon. Doubt a shop's going there (knowing this place it'll be mare unaffordable shitey hooses) and so the scene resonated with me. The whole shootout thing afterwards not so much, but then casual violence isn't rare here either so maybe it did.
When Ruud first declared Grosse Pointe Blank as his choice to start the whole thing off I was a bit unsure. Now I'm in full agreement that it's a very deserving film. It is in some ways also highly appropriate to start with it, as it does represent a strain of filmmaking quite common in the 90's, the cool, popular "indie" flick. Of course it wasn't long until "indie" pictures became those ones about white, middle-class American families that are all miserable because it turns out being comfortable's a bit dull (thanks alot American Beauty!). But in 1997, my plebishness aside, things seemed to be pretty cool indeed.
here is how it is, i managed to dodge the bullet of going to see the stage play of mama mia, in order to do this i agreed to get tickets to see something else, i noticed that The Wedding Singer is now a stage production so in order to cement my not going to Mama Mia i stuck on my video copy of The Wedding Singer for the girl to watch and hopefully enjoy enough to want to go. It was watching this particular film that made me think a few things, the first is that as a film it hasn't really aged well, for a film from the 90s based on the 80s that's kinda saying something, secondly it got me thinking that i have seen plenty of nostalgia of the 80s things which this film has plenty but the 90s is as yet overlooked, maybe i can do something about this, and thirdly i thought, I'm sure there is a better 90s film which gets all nostalgic about the 80s, and then i remembered, so i looked out my video copy (a very 90s act) but it wasn't there, it must be at my mums house still, I will need to remember, so i put a notice on this blog site saying i had a terrific idea, hows about a top 100 list of 90s films, and then i remembered about that missing video, i dug it out. The film in question, the full screen with trailers before it and everything video i am talking about and what will kick off Splice's Greatest Films Ever Made To Come Out In The 90's (the 1990's). 1997's Grosse Point Blank.
40 WORDS OR SO
Black comedy about a hitman with issues who returns to his hometown for a job and also high school reunion. rekindling old feelings for an old girlfriend he rethinks his career but his peers and gov spooks presence in the titular Grosse Point mean, well they mean he cannae.
REVIEW
There are plenty of reasons o love Grosse Point Blank; its funny, its a teriffic script, its well directed, it stars John Cusack who is great in pretty much everything, it has Dan Ackroyd, it has 80s music, good 80s music i might add, in fact i will go into that a bit further later, and its edgy, a cult classic in all its glory but there is one reason, probably the main reason i love this film. Minnie Driver. Back then i loved her, going back to it now, i think maybe it wont be the same, maybe the film is rubbish and i had weird taste years ago. But i didn't and i don't, i still love Minnie Driver, maybe not modern day 2008 Minnie Driver, not seen her in ages so cant comment, no 1997 Minnie Driver playing Debbie Reynolds is my kinda girl, is it the sassy way she talks, is it the curly hair, is it all these things? probably! in fact i can even pinpoint it down to my absolute moment of love first time round and reingnition of the love, when she answers the door then runs back to her bed and jumps on it, she looks in her prime youthful and beautiful, funny and smart, and it makes me want to be back then, but i cant so fuck it. That scene, that part of a scene gets me every time. love it, love her, Grosse Point Blank, best 90s film ever.
But i cant simply sum it up that way, i suppose it has other redeeming qualities, in fact i know it does because i highlighted them before slevering over the quirky female co-star, basically the idea is a stoater, a hitman who is becoming jaded by his job, his psychiatrist who is terrified of him, fellow hitman played by Akroyd (funny as Fuck) wanting an assassins union started, a high school reunion, love story, violence, its all there. a good twist at the end also. John Cusack is one of the best under-rated (is he under-rated? not by me) of his generation, his performance is magical, cant imagine anyone else in this, so much so that i actually want him to get Debbie more than i want me to get her, no higher praise for his character is needed i think. And then there is the music, what actually turned me onto this, like i said it has the 80s nostalgia thing going on like The Wedding Singer but its musical choices are fantastic, plenty of the Clash, The Specials, guns and roses get played, all in all some great choices, the soundtrack is in a word amazing, then the credits reveal that the score was done by Joe strummer, it all makes sense now.
In the end its just a great film, the nostalgia doesn't go over the top, you want the main characters to succeed, the secondary characters are rounded but don't take over, and it has stood up to the passing of time, its still a fresh idea and works even now. Plus there is Minnie Driver, did i mention the green top type thing she wears to the reunion, no? well, oh my god, its tremendous.........................
THE TOP 100, WHERE AND WHY
This is how it works, Grosse Point blank is the first film reviewed so its #1 and also since its number 1 it goes straight in at number 1 on the list, when the next film is reviewed it is placed at either 1 or 2 depending on whether it is thought of a better than Grosse Point, then the third will be the same and so on, here will be a chance to see the thought process of the choice of position, but since this is number 1 then that doesn't happen here. The list will feature and will grow and grow and links to the pages of the the other films will be in the list making it easy to go from one to another. See? It'll all make sense.
So the first quarter of 2008 has been and gone and what a quarter of a year it has been. First of all it has been as much of a quarter of a year as possible thanks to February taking up the slack and managing to squeeze out a twenty ninth day this year. That's one more than the first quarter of 2007, impressive I'm sure you'll agree. Congratulations February!
As it was the first quarter there were a load of awards ceremonies and loads of people won stuff. A big round of applause to all of them. But in Hollywood if you weren't winning an award you were dead or dying. God's cull of celebrities has been brutal in the first quarter of 2008.
As for films, ooft (is that a word?)! The pre-blockbuster period has thrown up some fantastic wee pictures. No matter which you think should have gotten the Oscar, No Country For Old Men and There Will be Blood both arrived over here in January and instantly staked a claim for not only film of the year, but the decade. And there was me walking out of No Country thinking "I won't see anything better than that this year". Within a fortnight I had seen a film that easily equals it and possibly surpasses it (I still want to see both again on DVD before making a snap decision).
On the comedy front Juno was sweet and very funny, although a little too smart for it's own good, while Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story was hilarious if a little confused as to its tone. And we saw the return of many of the MST3K alumni with Cinematic Titanic's first outing The Oozing Skull which was a welcome return to the slacker early Joel-era of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
On the horror front The Orphanage is right up there as one of the best films of the first couple of months of the year. Hopefully it'll stick in there until the end of quarter four. It does the quiet, subtle mindfuck think with aplomb. The complete opposite of Cloverfield which managed to underwhelm in its attempts to overwhelm the viewer, mainly because the film's major problem is that it isn't scary.
So that's the first bit of 2008. Now it's blockbuster season. Let's hope it's good or Splice will revert to reviewing whatever DVDs we could get in HMV in the 5 for £20 offer!
this review has sat in the drafts page for months, readin what i had written after a space of time it appears i have taken a long way for a short cut so i have decided to delete it and start again, i will be concise shall i?
I am legend is crap.
Review over.
Nah, to be honest, it starts ok, Will Smith is alright, then it gets dark and its just the same old same old. and the monsters who are afraid of sunlight look terrible, totally cgi'd they look atrocious, a big mistake. The cgi dogs looked the biz mind you, but the diseased humans look mince. also the whole film plays like a episode of Lost; flashbacks give a backstory, lots of walking about alone, hunting, scientific experiments aplenty, if there was a big fat guy in it you wouldnt know the difference.
a plus point is that it doesnt last more than 2hrs and do that which most films of this ilk do; being throw everything into the ring and have about seven endings, it gets wrapped up in about an hour and a half and for me that is its saving grace. but i have been reliably informed that the book is better and the other film incarnations are too, dunno bout that but worth pondering for a moment.
so i say give it a whirl if you must, it wont take forever but dont expect too much, its due out on dvd soon so let me take a guess at reviewing the extras, a backslapping doco about the cgi work, stop talking pish, the monsters look like fuck all twice ya dicks! plus a commentary which is alright.
Anyone who reads this must think i talk THE biggest pile of pish ever, i mean i psot these type of things every month and pretty much fail to follow them through, but fuck it cos it could all change,and change this month! I think i will go see shine a light and maybe leatherheads all to get me back in the mood cos may sees Iron Man coming out and i cany wait. I say i think i will see those films, i can prbably guarantee i will see 27 dresses before any fo them, because thats how my life works.
just check back to all tghe crap i promised in recent months and just imagine them in this cos they have virtually all rolled over. The big deal i made about the best films of the 90s will come to pass this month, not really apologising for that though becvause it was my idea and im kicking it off so the no less than 1 no more than 4 rule doesnt count yet as it hasnt kicked off so get off ma case!
Anyway keep yer eyes peeled, got a 20minute doco to put up this month by the way, so get the matchsticks ready to pin your eyes open!
Yes Splice can exclusively reveal that William Shatner's hairpiece is set to appear in JJ Abrams new Star Trek film. It's set to play a mini Cousin It style alien that Scottie's been keeping as an illegal pet down in the engine room.
This is big news for Shatner's hairpiece, last seen helping Martin Starr achieve the "Dirty Man" look in the comedy Knocked Up. "I'm excited" he declared.
William Shatner was unavailable for comment, but is said to be "pleased" for his hairpiece.
If the above trailer is to be believed The Orphanage is a fright a minute scarefest in which nobody talks, they just scream. A canny piece of marketing to get folks here and in the States to go and see it I'm sure as telling them it's actually a slow burning Spanish horror with, shock, subtitles will put them off instantly. Well if it does they're going to miss out on a cracking wee gem of a picture.
See nowadays the art of the good story is sorely neglected in cinema. It's always about the visuals or the set pieces and story seems to be the last thing on many film makers minds. That's not a rant against blockbusters as many "indie" flicks suffer from this as well. What is so refreshing about The Orphanage is that it has a fantastic aesthetic to it and some great set pieces as well but the story comes first. It's one of those methodically paced stories, full of little twists that are revealed as it goes on. To tell you any would be to ruin the film but essentially the setup is as follows; Laura, her husband Carlos and their prerequisite creepy kid son have moved into a big house in the middle of nowhere that used to be an Orphanage. Laura grew up here before being adopted and has now come back to reopen it. Carlos has some imaginary friends but like any modern kid trying to get in with the local cliques they soon get dumped for the new ones he's met at the house, and in particular a wee boy from the caves nearby called Tomas. So far, so The Shining. Oh and did I mention that there's also a spooky, disused lighthouse nearby? Soon there's bumps and bangs and then the kid with the sack over his head appears.
As you can tell this is an old-fashioned tale. The set-up is nothing original, but The Orphanage isn't looking to be a Cloverfield. It's intent is to tell it's story, and that just so happens to be a traditional ghost story that's occasionally punctured by the modern world, such as in the incredibly tense scene involving the medium. She puts herself in a trance and wanders the house while everyone else gathers in a room to watch her through infrared cameras.
The tension is the key here. Rather on rely on cheap jumps like the cat pouncing out while a character is investigating a noise the film has an overall uneasiness. A sense of dread prevails throughout thanks to the sound design which never underestimates the power of misplaced bumps and scrapes and a habit for director Juan Antonio Bayona to place his camera in strange positions. It's amazing what placing it in these positions and slowly zooming in on a scene does for the paranoia. Throughout you ask "why is it there?" and "what does it suggest?". It's a masterful move from the director, showing an understanding as to how to get under a viewers skin simply by using simple filmic techniques.
The Orphanage won't be for everyone. It'll bore some, especially those sucked in by the advert above. But an acceptance of the fact that a few well placed jumps aside this is a good old-fashioned horror, focusing on story rather than shocks will allow The Orphanage to bury itself deep into your mind and stay there. It's what all the best ghost stories do.
