Remember the Titans

Remember the Titans”

“Remember the Titans” was an excellent movie. Although the plot was obvious, it details a period of racism that was difficult to overlook.

First, the movie shows how change is necessary to keep relationships. If someone is too full of pride to admit that they are wrong, then they will feel growing malice towards the one who is right. The movie had a great example. When Gary had to cut Jerry because he refused to accept that blacks are equal to whites. This shows how racism can affect relationships.

Second, the movie shows why people act the way they do. I think they did a great job in showing how people are taught growing up affects their ideas on a topic with the little girl. Watching how she reacted throughout the movie really showed how much it really matters. She never looked down on the blacks because they were black. I think this is because her father, the coach, always taught that whites shouldn’t oppress blacks. I think this idea caught on in her because of the way she acted with them. She was never mean to them or in any way showed hate towards the blacks.

The scenes were well planned and the costume fit the time period. The vehicles, the jerseys, cars, the homes portrayed in the film was reminiscent of the 60’s and 70’s civil rights period. The shorts skirts and hairstyles fit the decade as well. The camera angles during the football games appeared very real.

Although I enjoyed the film, it had its dead points. The bus trip scenes did not add any significance to the overall moral of the story. The love stories were very boring.  

This movie shows the struggle between the two sides to obtain a state of mutual happiness. It also shows how each side was criticized for it. This is a great movie to show how the human spirit can endure when people are set on making things right. I enjoyed most of the film. Therefore, I recommend you see it.

Kill Bill

As a tribute to classic martial arts films, Quentin Tarantino transforms this classic genre into a contemporary cult favorite. The film expressed series of action, comedy, drama from scene one to the closing credits.

 The story began with “the bride”, Uma Thurman waking up from a coma. She did not desire to be treated. Her main objective was to get out of the hospital to “Kill Bill” and the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (Lucy Lui, Vivica Fox, Darryl Hannah). Abruptly, the scene shifts to the foundation of the story. Uma no longer desired to be an assassin. Therefore, she made a decision to retire from the DIVAS and marry her love interest. Bill (David Carradine) was not happy about her decision so he decided to assassinate Uma Thurman’s character. The “DIVAS” shot up her wedding. It was reminiscent to famous gun battle scenes within classic western films. The movie returns to her recovery. She creates a hit list to kill everyone involved in her assassination attempt. One by one, she kills each member of her former co-workers. She assassinates Vernita Green (‘Copperhead’ – Vivica A. Fox) in front of her child, Elle Driver (‘California Mountain Snake’ – Daryl Hannah) in a trailer park by removing her eye after a grueling fight scene, and finally O-Ren Ishii (‘Cottonmouth’ – Lucy Liu) was beheaded in a wintery wonderland scene. One question went unanswered throughout the film. Who and where was Bill (who was later revealed in Kill Bill 2, played by actor David Caradine)? The expectation of finding Bill was my final thought. I hate cliffhangers and desperately wanted to know when Tarantino would reveal the true identity so Bill would be killed. There was one strange thing about the movie. Uma Thurman’s character was not given a name. She was referred to as “The Bride”.

It was a visual masterpiece. The costumes, mixing of colors within the scenes, set design contributes to the contemporary martial arts fantasy. I felt like I obtained a glimpse of the Japanese culture. The fight scene within the school was inspired by the film, “Enter the Dragon.” The martial arts choreography was spectacular. Uma Thurman wore a classic yellow leotard similar to Bruce Lee. There was no stone unturned visually, jumping from black & white scenes, to breathtakingly violent fight sequences, and finally a climactic battle bathed in blue.  

If you can stand the blood soaked fight scenes and constant film transitions. You will love this movie.

The Help

The Help was an emotional and heart wrenching movie about the way affluent people treated African American maids in the south.  Emma Stone plays Skeeter, who in her quest to become a great writer, wrestles to gain understanding and truth regarding the lives of help. She attempted not to rock the boat with her friends including Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard) but her quest for the truth leads her to become an outcast. She could not understand why the help was treated with disdain. Also, she identified there were secrets within her family regarding their maid, Constantine (Cicely Tyson). Skeeter enlists several maids including Aibileen (Viola Davis) and Minny (Octavia Spencer) to reveal their experiences with the families they served. During the process, she discovers the help was treated as if they were a piece of property. She empowered the maids to expose the injustices within their profession. As a result, the women became confident and took a stance against their employers, abuse, and their past. Also, Skeeter obtained the truth about Constantine. The love and bond the women shared triumphed and they were vindicated in a way that was not just physical but spiritual.    

Film critic, Jason McKiernan states, “Clearly, prejudice and subjugation were common threads during this period of ignorance in our country's history.” This may be true but the hidden prejudices were at the forefront of this film. Although the women were called maids, they were slaves to the wives. Truth be told, the wives were enslaved to a family image. They were so busy trying to portray a perfect life they lost themselves. However, one of the wives, Celia Foote (Jessica Chastain) was considered an outcast. She embraced Minny as not just a maid but a human being. The bond of respect improved their relationship and she became a great wife to her husband. The ultimate vindication was Minnie making a chocolate pie (filled with stool) and watching her former employer eat it. I don't recommend anyone to this but it made for good entertainment.

The overall design of the film was spectacular. Director, Tate Taylor felt it was very important to capture this moment in time. The color of the maid uniforms were a simple gray color, short balloon dresses, bouffant hairstyles, houses, and cars were a reflection of 1950’s and 60’s. However, there were a few mishaps. Emma Stone’s hairstyles and costumes were not reflective of the decade. She looked very contemporary for the time period portrayed in the movie.

Overall, I loved this film and will view it for sheer entertainment next time.

I am caught in the Matrix

"The Matrix"

Wow, I am caught in the Matrix.  ''The Matrix,'' is a special-effects phenomenon. Brothers, Andy and Larry Wachowski created a ground breaking cinematic masterpiece. In an imaginative computer generated world, the Matrix explores the psycho-analytic question, do we live in our present reality or are we caught in the Matrix. This movie captures the complexities of cyber escapism and a post-apocalyptic world. The film’s main character, Neo (Keanu Reeves)

The film presents complexities naked to the regular eye. The religious undertones were a significant part of the mystery of the movie. The film has many biblical inferences, The character name, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), Fishburne's Morpheus, plays a God-like figure and attempts to protect Neo at all costs, the red pill, the rebirth, the ship, Nebuchadnezzar, the reprogramming of the mind, the spirit transference of the men in black from one body to the next share common themes within the bible. Neo discovered he was being watched by the trinity. This may imply one being watched by the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Neo had a choice to take the blue or red pill. One may infer the red pill represented the blood of Jesus Christ. The incubators may signify a rebirth of some sort. The men dressed in black attempting to kill Neo and the others represent the presence of evil. The many tests and trials within the movie represent the life of a believer in Christ to conquer the battles presented through faith, patience, and preparation to overcome all obstacles.

''The Matrix'' has a strong identity of its own. The martial arts choreography, the acrobatic flying stunts and inventive slow-motion action tricks were a one of a kind and would be a staple for future action films. Future films such as Wanted, Final Destination, Harry Potter, and The Twilight Saga bear similar action sequence resemblances to “The Matrix”.  The color black was a significant color throughout the film. Most of the characters within the film wore the color black. In addition, many scenes were very dark. Sunglasses are an integral part of sleekly staged fight scenes. This added to the contemporary style of the film.

Mr. Reeves plays a computer hacker whose terminal begins telling him that he has been chosen to save the world from complete and utter destruction. This film is very complicated and it takes a while for the viewer to grasp the overall meaning of the film. These computers have subverted human beings into battery like energy sources confined to pods, and they can be stopped only by a savior modestly known as “The One”. Through a series of trials, he began to believe he could do anything.

I love this film. It has become a staple for future genration action films. Scenes within this film have not been duplicated as successfully portrayed this film. It is definately a first of its kind.

The Bride of Frankenstein

The Bride of Frankenstein is not a realistic title for a movie surrounded by alternative meanings, sexual undertones and a complex storyline. The movie begins with a summary from the first film, Frankenstein.  Unknowingly, the monster survives in the first film. The second film presented the monster as a misunderstood individual.  Dr. P presents an idea to Dr. Frankenstein. Initially, Dr. Frankenstein did not seem interested but in a peculiar fashion decides to place another experiment over his priority as a husband. Dr. Pretorious seems to act as a stalker. Eventually, he persuades the doctor into assisting him with his experiment to recreate life.  

However, the roles reversed. While the doctors appeared psychotic, the monster was portrayed as a misunderstood human with feelings. His relationship with the blind man mirrors the perception beauty is vain, a man should be judged by the content of the heart. He responded to kindness, care and concern. He felt the blind man was genuine. However, when the blind man was taken away, he returned to his defensive mechanisms and became enraged.

One of the few things that hold the film back is a lack of proper transition. The film seems to jump from one scene to another. Whatever happens in the previous scenes seems to be forgotten about, leading to the film to almost be a group of 5 minute segments stitched together. This lack of fluid transition pulls you out of the film.

The special effects were stupendous for their time. In a time when rockets were science fiction, it is quite impressive to give the effects of small people in jars. Makeup was also well done, from the distant scenes of the monster; he really did look like an amalgam of several bodies.

Although there are definitely hidden meanings beneath this film, reviewers and analysts attempt to find a meaning that is not necessarily there. These films were cranked out like comic books and there was little to no time for a director to delve to deeply into a film. Different meanings in the film are not that large or apparent. To me this film was truly about a monster trying to gain acceptance, with possible signs of repressed homosexuality to be mostly coincidental based on the acting of the main characters.

The creation of the bride appeared to be an after-thought. The bride was created within the last 20 minutes of the film. More insulting, she rejects the monster. In the end, the monster decides to save Dr. Frankenstein and his wife but commit murder suicide. It’s baffling to name a title of a movie after a character that appears insignificant to the movie’s principle meaning. The meaning of the film was lost in the various plots.

This movie is has a mixture of hidden agendas, comedy, and individual meaning. I recommend this movie for its sheer entertainment value.

Rashomon

Movie Review- Rashomon

It has been stated by critic, Roger Ebert, Rashomon was a ground breaking cinematic expression and

a trailblazer for the current films we watch today. Quite the contrary. The mixture of stories

reminds the movie goer of a bad dream laced with four psychotic experiences. Each witness

(bandit, woman, murdered man, and the woodcutter) account became confusing as the story

progressed.

 

The movie lost its spark in the beginning scenes. The first scene appeared intriguing because the

dramatic rain scene and the destruction deceives the viewer into believing the movie will include

choreographed action sequences or a plot filled with a purpose and a progressive conclusion. The

court official set the anticipation for the remainder of the film by appearing confused. He states, “I

don’t understand.” It reminds the viewer of an Alfred Hitchcock movie, A Paradine Case. As the

wood cutter began the long walk through the woods, I became disconnected.  Kurosawa’s attempt

to capture the essence of the woodcutter’s journey caused the storyline to shift from exciting to

what’s the point. There was no significant purpose to capture scenic views of the forest for 4-5

minutes.

Creating subjective points was inventive during this period of filmmaking. However, the character

portrayals became more psychotic as the movie progressed.  The propensity to overact made the

story unbelievable. The bandit’s laughter, facial expressions were comical but did not fit the

cinematic flow as other traditional Japanese films. The opposing viewpoints of the couple did not

add any value to the storyline because all parties embellished their stories and the viewer was

unable to draw a reasonable conclusion based on the different court testimonies. This makes the

movie very frustrating.

The story lacked purpose as it progressed. During court procedures, it is common for all witness

testimony to be cross examined. The characters’ accounts were not challenged by the court.

There were no disputative responses from the court.  The viewer experiences a range of

conclusions with no objective information. The soothsayer’s dance (dead man’s account) was

farfetched. It is difficult for the viewer to decipher the significance of the discovery of the baby to  

four different testimonies and a murder. The movie goer spends 1:28 minutes searching for true

and accurate conclusion that will never exist.

To lie is to tell your false truth, or to tell your false truth is a lie. Either way, it will never be the

truth.  For those who seek purpose and conclusion during their movie experience, I do not

recommend viewing this film.

I LOVE "FOR THE LOVE OF MOVIES"

The history of film critique presents a timeline of the most important factors of the movie experience, the reaction of movie patrons. It is important to note the powerful influence of critics who interpret their movie experience, write their views and use the power of persuasion to influence the views of a potential movie goer. During this evolution, each decade brought change, conflict, technology advances and a continuous drive to keep up with current changes within the industry.

The history of a movie critic has a storyline of all elements found in the feature films we love, hate and criticize. From early 1900-present, it appears the career of a critic mirrors life itself. Just as a person progresses from infancy, adulthood and retirement, so is the evolution and decline of a movie critic. As the industry blossomed, each decade presented change. It became increasingly difficult for seasoned critics to view movies objectively. In some cases, they were viewed as “Being out of touch”, unable to keep up with current trends or technology. Many endure forced retirement at the hands of those whom once valued their reviews.

It appears as if when one critic rises, another critic’s opinions are no longer valued. There is no loyalty in this profession. Print media is virtually extinct. Many seasoned critics for the Washington Post, New York Times are fading to black as advances within technology allow movie industry executives to obtain mass public opinion responses to advertising and marketing strategies via blog, Facebook, Twitter or email.  This current review trend determines the success or failure of a movie. Harry Knowles changed the face of the film critic. He does not appear to look polished but his internet movie critiques changed the critic industry forever. His reviews became popular due to his ability to connect with other movie lovers. Movie Industry executives now seek information from the general consumer instead of the critic. It is certain as technology and innovation increase; this trend will become extinct as another trend evolves.

Although entertaining, the film did not focus on one theme. It became confusing to understand the tie that binds the movie together. The documentary cut to different topics in a matter of minutes. For example, Roger Ebert speaks about his movie experience, Stuart Klawans stating his change from writing fiction writer to film critic, Elvis Mitchell’s desire to be a critic because there were no black critics, the ongoing critique battles between Andrew Sarris and Pauline Kael, the decline of the movie critic profession. The movie was all over the place. It was difficult understand why it was titled “For the Love of Movies.”

The movie soundtrack for “For the Love of Movies” is reminiscent of the classic music presented during the golden age of film, 1950’s-1960. The music is upbeat and lighthearted. Although a portion of the movie is negative, the music brings the viewer to their “happy place.”

The real life “War of the Roses” existed among two critics with opposing viewpoints. The ongoing opposing comments of Andrew Sarris and Pauline Kael are a significant staple to movie critic history. Although they had opposing movie philosophies, they are best remembered as being forever joined to each other.

William Shakespeare wrote “To thine own self, be true.” We must interpret our truth through the movie experience. It is certain as movie critic evolution progresses, there is sunrise but there is a time when the sun also sets. Enjoy the time in the light. Enjoy the experience.

I'M HERE

This is my first post. I'm trying to get my feet wet. I will review a movie each week. My reviews are as follows;

• Loved It!!!!!!- I recommend you go see this movie immediately.
• Liked It!!!!!!-  The movie was good but you can wait a week or two.
• I'll Wait!!!!!!- I recommend you wait until this movie hits the Redbox or DVD
• Hated It!!!!!!- I do not recommend you see this movie. It is wack!!!!!!!!!!

This is Movie-Mamba.