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SCENE IT ALL BEFORE

It Stands For Big Friendly Giant

6/30/2016

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The BFG Reviewed

Based on the 1982 children’s book written by Roald Dohl everything about this movie lives up to the “friendly” in its title. The animation, the character, the story--The BFG is warm and welcoming and perhaps is exactly what is needed in a world that recently seems so filled with anger and hate.

The BFG stays pretty close to the original narrative. The biggest difference is the movie shies away from the darker parts of the book. It’s about a young girl named Sophie who is plucked from her bed by a giant and taken to his home. While her captor enchants Sophie with his charm, she learns that not all giants are so nice; the others prefer hunting and eating humans. It‘s been a while since I've read the book so some of the story seemed familiar, like Sophie’s first experience with fizzy drink, while other scenes seemed new even when they weren’t.

The pacing of the movie is a little manic. Some parts are adorable, at which you can’t help but smile. But just as often there are moments where the BFG and Sophie take a long walk and talk up a mountain. Scenes like this lack the dramatic excitement of previous Spielberg-made kids’ movies like E.T.  In order to compensate for the slower pacing Spielberg offers eye-catching visuals for the audience to appreciate. He has always had a knack for creating captivating worlds, and with the words of Roald Dahl to inspire, Spielberg really lets the colors fly.

But the hands-down best scene happens late in the movie. For those of you who don't quite remember the book I won't get into it, but the scene involves the giant’s fizzy drink and it is just the tops. Children and adults alike will be laughing because no matter how old you are farts are funny. 

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The voice casting of all the giants was perfect. Mark Rylance played the BFG, making this the second time Rylance and Spielberg have teamed up—the first time was in Bridge of Spies, which earned Rylance an Academy Award. Originally the character was supposed to be voiced by Robin Williams, who would have no doubt been great in the role, but also probably would have changed the tone of the movie considerably. An additional benefit to casting Rylance was that I was unable to place his voice while watching the movie.

The same goes for the other giants voiced by the likes of Jermaine Clement and Bill Hader, which are normally voices I would recognize. All the characters blended in so well that I could only hear Fleshlumpeater and Bloodbottler, which is a nicer attribute than the names would indicate, and a rarity in many children’s movies that rely on voice-recognition to get their adult laughs. I was also pleased by Ruby Barnhill as Sophie, who made her big-screen debut. I usually find child actors distracting, but here she holds her own, and does so using a green screen similar to this year’s Jungle Book. Ten additional points to Barnhill for looking just like the illustrated character.

Both Spielberg and Roald Dahl are classic storytellers, but game recognizes game, and Spiely gets out of the way and allows the story to speak for itself. You can tell Spielberg is going for something the whole family can enjoy, which is probably why he spends less time on all of the missing children. Much like his giant, Spielberg still has the ability to capture and create dreams on the screen and make you believe in the bond between a girl and her giant.
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Top 5 Movie Battle Speeches

6/24/2016

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Independence Day is right around the corner, and not just the holiday, but the long awaited sequel to the 1996 blockbuster of the same name. This movie was a huge part of my childhood, so much so that one of my birthday parties involved my friends coming over for a sleepover, handing out all the toy guns in the house, building pillow fortresses, and shooting at the television, doing our best to help President Whitmore and Russell Casse stop the alien attackers. It is this movie, more specifically Bill Pullman’s speech, which inspired the list of top 5 battle movie speeches. For the sake of the list I’ll be excluding speeches from sports movies and politicians to focus specifically on people readying themselves for war.

Honorable Mention: Deep Blue Sea
I really wanted to include Samuel L. Jackson’s speech from Deep Blue Sea because it stuck with me. I thought its place in my memory was due to a combination of the speech itself and Sam Jackson getting eaten by a shark mid-sentence. But when I listened to the pep talk again I found that it’s utter nonsense. Not that I would expect much different from Samuel L. Jackson, but what he says to rally the troops is pure gibberish. Which just goes to show a good speech is as much about delivery as it is the words that come out of your mouth.

5) Patton
Patton is the quintessential war movie; the movie won seven Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actor due in large part to the film’s iconic opening. Initially Scott refused to film the scene because he felt the speech would overshadow the rest of the performance (he wasn’t entirely wrong), so the director had to lie to him and tell him it would happen after the film’s intermission. The speech itself uses direct quotes from real-life Patton, though watered down, as the general loved to curse. Additionally, the opening scene as-written was never delivered all at once; rather it’s a collection of lines from letters and speeches given throughout his career. George C. Scott does a fantastic job in the role and shows why Patton was a leader worth following.

4) Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings trilogy has many battles and speeches throughout. There are plenty of good ones, including those done by Samwise and Theoden of Rohan. But it would make sense that Aragorn, the future king of men, would give the most impassioned. Knowing the odds of success were slim, the whereabouts of Frodo unknown, and with only 6000 troops to defend Middle Earth from Sauron’s forces at the Battle of Black Gate, Aragorn acknowledges the fear in his men’s eyes but implores them to stand their ground. One day their courage may fail them, “but it is not this day.” These men know they are running towards certain death but Aragon’s words give them the courage to do it anyway.

3) Animal House
Not every speech is about going to war and killing the man in front of you. Sometimes you need to rally the troops in order to get women to run naked in the streets, embarrass Kevin Bacon, and cause so much public destruction that you question for a half second if you are really supposed to be rooting for these guys. But I hate parades, so ultimately I support their decisions. Only one man can get the Delta fraternity ready for war, and that man is John Belushi. The first half of the speech doesn’t go exactly as planned, but who honestly remembers what country bombed Pearl Harbor? Once Bluto gets a little assistance from the other Delta leaders, these frat boys are ready to show what happens when you mess with a group of juvenile drunks. Those patriotic bleachers didn’t stand a chance.

2) Braveheart
I never watched Braveheart when I was younger because it was so long. I felt like whenever I saw it on TV (and it used to be on all the time) I could go out for an entire day’s worth of activities and when I got back it was still on. When I finally did watch this movie, Mel Gibson had me engaged. Does it matter that a hefty chunk of it is not historically accurate? I would argue no because it is still a gripping story. The Academy probably agreed when they gave the Oscar for Best Director to Mel for his work. His Scottish accent is shaky at best, but by the time you get to this point in the movie you won’t care. When you think battle speech it doesn’t get any more iconic than this one and I don’t know if there is a better line on this list than, “They may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom.” As Trey Parker and Matt Stone once wrote, “Say what you want about Mel Gibson, but the son of a bitch knows story structure.” So true.
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1) Independence Day
The speech that inspired the list. When your back is up against the wall and your only hope in defeating an alien race out to destroy you is in the hands of a group of crop dusters and Vietnam vets, the words that come out of your mouth better be good. And lucky for the world they are. From the nervous false start at the beginning of the speech, to the very end with the music blaring over the applause you know the aliens don’t stand a chance. I watch this speech every year to get myself ready for our Independence Day and if a speech becomes a required part of one of our nation’s biggest holidays then I would say Bill Pullman did his job delivering the most inspirational call to arms ever.

What do you think of the list? Did I leave any off? Let me know in the comment section. Next week I’ll be reviewing BFG.

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Don't You Forget About Dory

6/17/2016

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Finding Dory Reviewed

It’s hard to believe that Finding Nemo came out in 2003. That’s enough time for Nemo to go from birth to bar mitzvah. But before Ellen announced the movie on her show, how many people were clamoring for a sequel? Nemo’s story felt complete; Marlin traveled the ocean to realize he needed to give his son room to become his own fish. But, as the title suggests, this movie isn’t about Marlin and his son; it’s all about Dory.   The change of focus raises some concerns—we all saw what happened to Lightning McQueen and the Cars crew when you make the comic relief the protagonist. For all those reasons I felt nervous walking into the theater, but I didn’t need to be because Finding Dory is another Pixar classic.

Finding Dory
starts with Dory as a child. Her parents are teaching how to cope with her short-term memory loss in order to function safely in the world. Inevitably she gets separated from her family and her condition gets the better of her until she runs into Marlin, or rather he swims into her. Once we see their meet cute from the original the movie fades to a year later. It is at this point that the sequel finds awkward footing. The stakes to the original story were set up much better. Here everything happened too quickly. And then suddenly there's an action sequence involving a squid that seems out of place. Albert Brooks' Marlin and Ellen DeGeneres' Dory become separated and from there the story is divided between the main characters. This is a tough blow to Marlin, as he is considerably less interesting without Dory. But we already knew that, given his character's personality trait as the constant worrier. The nerves I felt walking into the movie were growing.

But once we meet Hank the octopus, played by Ed O'Neill, business starts to pick up. O’Neil plays the curmudgeon that made him famous and compliments Dory’s whimsical personality perfectly. With this new pair traveling together, Finding Dory starts to become the kind of Pixar movie we have grown accustomed to. 
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I really liked Hank the octopus
Much like Finding Nemo, this movie becomes increasingly better the more supporting characters we meet. This is unsurprising given the voice talents of Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy, Idris Elba, Dominic West (Wire shout out!) and the very subtle usage of Sigourney Weaver. Brooks and DeGeneres work well with everyone and take the second half of this movie to another level.

It wouldn’t be a Pixar movie if the story didn't get emotional. There is one scene that had me sobbing. My suggestion is while the movie builds towards its climax put down the candy, especially if the theater’s air conditioner isn’t working properly. I was eating Whoppers and some of the melted chocolate got on my fingers during this crucial scene. It’s at that point I tried wiping my eyes which only led to more tragedy. Moral of the story: don't get chocolate on your fingers during a Pixar movie. Or at the very least use a tissue.
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So was it worth the 13 year wait? How does it compare to Pixar’s other sequels? How does it compare to Finding Nemo? I would say Finding Dory has more emotional heft than the original. Finding Nemo is a funnier movie, and is strong throughout the entire film while Dory gets better as it goes. One thing I can say for sure is that Finding Dory lives up to the original and to the standard that Pixar has set up for itself. Which is a roundabout way of saying: worth it. A-
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Top 5 Movie Musicals

6/10/2016

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I went to see Now You See Me 2 this week which is not a good movie, and one you should avoid seeing even if you did like the original. But whenever possible I prefer not taking a crap on someone’s work; at least they went out there and tried something, even if it was predictable hogwash with a story the writers just shrugged their shoulders at. Okay, a little crap.

But even a movie that bad can’t dilute my excitement about the ten-dollar Founding Father and the upcoming TONY awards. While I won’t be able to see Hamilton for years, that hasn’t stopped the show’s songs from playing on my Pandora station. With that in mind, here are my top five movie musicals.

Caveat: if this list was a true top five, Singin’ in the Rain, West Side Story, Wizard of Oz, and probably Sound of Music would be on the list. These movies are heralded, classics, and all of them in the AFI TOP 100 But if I am really being honest, with the possible exception of Wizard I wouldn’t want to sit down and watch theses movie if they came on the TV. If there is someone who hasn’t seen these four movies I would encourage you to do so. They are classics and everyone should experience them, but for repeated viewing give me any one of the movies below:   


5) Once (2007)
​When I initially signed up for my Netflix account, the very first DVD they suggested to me was Once. I knew nothing about the movie except what I gleaned from the cover and the tiny summary. After months of trying to fight it, I finally sent away for the DVD and man I am glad I did. Once is the story of a vacuum repairman and a Czech immigrant whose passion for music leads to something more. The story gives me all the feels and the music is absolutely beautiful. Eventually the movie was made into a Broadway musical; where it would go on to win eight TONY awards, including Best Musical. This is a must-see for any musical lover, both the film and theater version.

4) The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Based on the 1973 British theater production, this is a movie whose success far surpassed that of the stage version. While it ran for 7 years in London, it only got 45 showings on Broadway. Initially the movie was a flop, but it found its audience at midnight showings with people who like throwing bread and love dressing in silly costumes. The story is a parody/tribute to the B-horror and science fiction movies of the 70s. The movie stars Barry Bostwick, Susan Sarandon, and the incomparable Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, all hamming it up to a delightful degree. The most important role to me was Meatloaf playing the love interest, which gave me hope that even a schlub could find love and ride a motorcycle through a wall of ice. “Time Warp” is also the first of many dances I would practice alone in my room to make sure I had down pat.

3) The Muppet Movie (1979)
It would be almost impossible to get through this list without putting a kids’ movie on here. For that reason I decided to exclude animated movies, but The Muppet Movie is live-action and deserves the spot on the list.  “Rainbow Connection” is as iconic as any song performed in film or on stage. This movie never made it to stage, as it would be hard to pull off, though the creators of Avenue Q may disagree. I don’t know if repeated viewing of this movie as a child birthed my love of the movie musical, but it did strengthen my affection for a good movie soundtrack, as I am sure this cassette was on repeat in our station wagon growing up. Add in jokes that can be appreciated by people of all ages and some top-notch movie cameos and it’s no wonder The Muppet Movie was added to the National Film Registry. 
 
2) Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
Could I be any more of a cliché? Probably, but this selection can’t help it. Based on the TONY award-winning musical of the same name, Fiddler came out seven years after the theater debut. There was some initial controversy with the movie casting Chaim Topel instead of Zero Mostel, who made the role famous on stage. But having seen Mostel in the original Producers, I think he is probably too over-the-top for the screen. The decision paid off, as Fiddler was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won three. Watching this movie gave me dreams of one day starring in the lead role of a high school production, until of course Chris Villante hit puberty and became the best baritone in the state. Literally. He was ranked first in the state. How do you compete with that? I recently went to New York to see the revival and it reignited my love for the show which is once again up for more awards this year. The music is perfect and the story remains a humbling and haunting piece of beauty.
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1) Grease (1978)
Could it be anything else? Grease was the word and reignited interest in the movie musical across the country. The movie is based on the 1971 stage musical of the same name, and stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. It was nominated for an Academy Award for best song, and the soundtrack for the movie is the top-selling soundtrack in history. When I was growing up my Mom would let us pick three songs each from the soundtrack to play on our stereo so we could listen to it while we played outside. I once let my friend Dan pick three songs and but he only chose one, not really having an interest in listening to any more Danny Zuko than absolutely necessary. I couldn’t believe it. Now should the Grease medley come up during a wedding I do my best to separate the guys and the girls for the climactic final song in the series. I had no chance at being normal, but why would I want to be? I would much prefer living in a world where people occasionally break out in to song and dance.

I hope you’ll be watching the TONYs on Sunday. I know I will be. Feel free to follow me @zstoneathome to hear me fawn more over Lin-Manuel Miranda and lament my missed opportunity at seeing Waitress before its Broadway debut.  
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Top 5 Schmaltzy Movies

6/3/2016

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Short week this week as I drove back and forth from New York to bring my girl (save) with me to Ohio, so I didn’t have a chance to see Me Before You.  But it looks like one of those movies that won’t be good but will definitely make you cry, and that’s kind of what inspired this list. I’m not saying these movies are all bad, just that their main objective is to make you cry.  So if a movie is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes it didn’t get a mention (Sorry Titanic, but just know I was thinking about you). So here’s a look at the top five schmaltzy movies.  Massive spoiler alerts going forward; in most instances I will be talking specifically about the ending, you have been warned. 

5) Love Story (1970)
I couldn’t put The Fault in Our Stars on the list because it is rated incredibly high on Rotten Tomatoes–had it been lower it may have been number one on the list. But Love Story was The Fault in Our Stars before The Fault in Our Stars was even a glimmer in John Green’s eye. Based on the novel of the same name, Love Story got a 57% on the Tomatometer. The story follows Jenny and Oliver Barrett IV, who come from opposite sides of the tracks but fall in love and get married. After the wedding, Jenny is diagnosed with an incurable disease, to which her only response is, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” That may be the stupidest catchphrase ever. Of course you have to apologize when you’re in love and in a relationship with someone; I’ve apologized at least seven times while writing this post. Not only is the story sappy, but the music is completely over the top with the feels. For his ability to generate tears, the composer, Francis Lai, walked away with an Academy Award. Deservedly so.

4) My Girl (1991)
A movie I heard about growing up but didn’t wind up seeing until later in life. All I knew was the ending was really sad. Well it is, but for the life of me every time I think of the line, “He can’t see without his glasses” I laugh to myself, probably because  one of the characters on the morning show I listened to growing up used to do a funny impression of the young actress’s big moment. I don’t think Anna Chlumsky meant for it to come off so big, but her line-reading is pure cheese and is why My Girl deserves to be on the list. The 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes doesn’t help, either.

3) The Champ (1979)
The Champ is the lowest-rated movie on this list, with a 40% rating on the Tomatometer. It was a poorly made remake of a 1931 movie by the same name. In fact, the original scored its lead actor an Oscar for his performance. I suppose Jon Voight was going for similar accolades, but it’s tough to do when your son in the movie, little Ricky Schroder, outshines you throughout. Voight plays former boxer Billy Flynn, who is mainly interested in gambling and drinking. But when his ex-wife comes to claim their little boy, Flynn decides to step in the ring one more time for a big pay day. For those of you that like the movie, it is probably because of the Schroder’s performance, especially in the movie’s final moment when, after winning his fight, Flynn passes out while little Ricky Schroder begs his father to wake up. Of all the moments on the list this one probably made me cry the most.

2) Marley and Me (2008)
​The highest rated movie of the bunch, Marley and Me comes in at 63%, which was almost too high for me to put on the list. But I had to mention an animal movie because, let’s face it; you definitely get more worked up seeing a dog die than a person. So much so that there is a website devoted to sparing people the agony of seeing their favorite Hollywood dog/cat/horse die: DoesTheDogDie.com.  Marley and Me is about a young couple who adopt a difficult puppy.  And you’re with this family throughout the dog’s life all the way to the tear-jerking end. When I think of animal schmaltz this was the first one to come to mind, but let this serve to represent all the sad dog dying movies out there.

1) The Notebook (2004)
Is it any surprise that Nicholas Sparks is number one on the list? In fact, if I really wanted to I could have made this list entirely out of Nicholas Sparks’ movies, but it’s the ending to this one that really puts it over the top. The Notebook is rated at 52% on the Tomatometer, though honestly I think that is low.  The major knock against the movie is that it features too many clichés, but I think Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling overcome all of the tropes we’ve seen, and create a genuine love connection. I initially saw this movie on a bus with no sound and I must have missed the caption at the ending because I legitimately thought they just fell asleep, until I turned around to see everyone on the bus doing the same ugly muffled cry. This may have been the first time I saw schmaltz in full effect— a movie whose sole purpose is to reach into your chest and pull out your heart. Well done Mr. Sparks, well done. 

The TONYs are next week and in honor of the awards show I think that would be the perfect time to do top 5 musical movies so get those dancing shoes ready.  Stay safe out there.  

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