The Sickness Cinema Summer in Review Part II

The Bataan death march of summer listing (this was a horrible HORRIBLE idea and I regret doing it) continues again. I'm envious of Peter (and to a lesser extent Rob) and his free form listing. Oh well, here I go.

Favorite scene that made me laugh
Phillip Petit explains the benefits of having crutches in America in Man on Wire. Have you seen this yet? You really, REALLY should.

Wall-E finds a spork and doesn't know where to put it. Pefect.

Danny McBride makes mother nature wet her pantsuit.

Favorite scenes that got me tingly
Juan Antonio propositions Cristina (and to a lesser extent Vicky). I don't often give it up for ScarJo but she looks sooooo into it. The much ballyhooed about three-way can't possibly measure up to her anticipation.

The dance-off in Get Smart. Yeah. That's right. I gotta be me. You all know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.

Favorite older actors I appreciate again from the summer
Tom Cruise goes for broke in what critics are calling "Jew-face." Sickness laughs.

Ben Kingsely turned in two very solid performances in both the Wackness (where he plays a boho Harvey Kietel) and Elegy where he goes back to being good mid 80's Ben Kingsley.

Ummmm, I think that's it for that category, unless you count the 40 minute block of Indiana Jones where the movie is actually decent (hint: it's in the middle).

Favorite performance in an awful movie
Shia LaBeouff rocks it mightily in a terrible, terrible movie filled with ridiculous robot characters and loaded with sloppy CG. I'm shocked that I'm talking about a movie from this summer too.

Pierce Brosnan in Momma Mia when---nope, he's awful, AWFUL in this movie.

Alright I'm exhausted, tomorrow will mark the end of the work week. Join me as I burn off steam by talking about the worst of summer.

Sickness Cinema Summer in Review Part I

First off I'd like to acknowledge the passing of the voice of movie trailers Don LaFontaine (aka "In a world..." guy). There have been many solid tributes all over the internet and I'm not going to endorse any one in particular, but if you check out MOST of the sites to the right you should find something. Oh what the heck, here's a quick one.

On to happier things. Now I don't want to out and out rank all the summer movies because for one, I didn't see ALL of them, and furthermore that's what the year in review is for. But here is a number of things I feel are worth mentioning before we head into the likely headier, more outre work of the fall and winter. So without further ado some Sickness Cinema approved favorites.

Favorite lovers of summer
Wall-E and EVE from Wall-E
At the end of the day it's all about kindness and what that kindness can inspire. Wall-E is for all intents and purposes a dork. He invites the girl back to his aprtment and shows her his dorky collecibles and makes her watch a "terrible" movie. He lays his soul bare for here nd she couldn't be less interested. But Wall-E is loyal, steadfast and caring and eventually it gets to her (I respectfully disagree with Devin's interpretation of Wall-E's inserting his hand into her arm slit as date-rape). She sees the world through considerate, awe-inspired eyes and from this spark (both literal and figurative) the foundation is laid for the redemption of all things both robo and human.

Saul and Dale from Pineapple Express
Poor Saul, he wants Dale so bad, though who can blame him. Dale appears confident, comfortable and cool in his entirely lackadaisical skin. Fine, I'll cop to my Rogen man-crush, but most stories about male-bonding just love stories writ macho. David Gordon Green captures the budding friendship with the same lazy afternoon elegance of past films like George Washington and All the Real Girls. It gets to the point where you can simply enjoy these two shooting the breeze in a diner for hours on end.

Favorite Super-Hero Characters that a ten year old Sickness would want to be
Hellboy from Hellboy II-The coolest hero with the best looking adventures and the coolest fight scenes of the summer. Plus Jeffrey Tambor would be my boss and I'd be crazy horny all the time (get it?).

Racer X from Speed Racer-Cool car, punches people upside down, fights ninjas (more like non-jas) and Rain... RAAAAAIIIIIIINNNNN! (shakes fist) Also good friends with the perfectly named Inspector Detector. May or may not be Speed's brother (who was once Jason Street).

Favorite Super-Hero Characters that the Sickness wants to be now
Tony Stark in Iron Man-Wry billionaire, socially acceptable drinker, notorious ladies man with a robot butler and a hot redheaded Gwenyth Paltrow. Also, I'd be Iron Man.

Comissioner Jim Gordon-I'd get to be the moral center of Gotham City and generate audience applause when I fake my own death only to triumphantly capture the Joker. Also I'd get to deliver the final kick-ass monologue that ties the whole movie together.

Favorite Movie Music of the Summer
"Put On your Sunday Clothes" and "It Only Takes a Moment" in Wall-E
Remember "Singin' in the Rain" in Clockwork Orange or "Blue Velvet" in Blue Velvet? One of my favorite tricks a movie can pull-off is re-contextualizing a pop-song. Wall-E pulls it off twice with two rinky-dink book numbers from Hello Dolly! The numbers are entirely forgettable in the original film (or at least they were) but now director Andrew Stanton has underlined the unbridled enthusiasm of "Sunday" and the naive, pure love found in "Moment" and makes each song a gateway to deep, primal feelings. I mean, little (sniffle) Wall-E just (sniff) hold her-- Oh God I have something in my eye.

"Paper Planes" from the Pineapple Express trailer
Rarely does a song so perfectly capture the tone of a film that it makes it a shame that it doesn't show up in the actual film. The song has gone on to become so popular that recording artist M.I.A. is considering coming out of retirement to create more popular international style trip-hop.

Favorite Actor to watch from the summer
Josh Peck from The Wackness
Most young actors rest entirely on the script or their looks to get them through a part. Not Peck, who brings authenticity to every moment and brings the emotional weight where Ben Kingsley's more childish character cannot.

Danny McBride from Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder
Ok guys I give, I "get" Danny McBride now. He's more of a delusional alpha male type. The frat boy who is cannier than you'd think but not anywhere near as skilled as you'd hope. McBride's biggest laughs aren't generated from big moments but rather through seemingly tossed off tiny moments.

All right it's late and I need the sleep, but I'll be back with part two where you'll learn my:
Favorite scene that made me laugh

Favorite scenes that got me tingly

Favorite older actors I appreciate again from the summer

Favorite performance in an awful movie

AND MANY MORE!

Sickness Cinema Summer in Review Intro

Tomorrow school begins once again which will most certainly put a crimp in my daily blogging (it already has) and while this time I'll be in front of the class it's still a nerve wracking. I'm saddened by the end of summer but a bit mixed on the end of the summer season. Quieter, more thoughtful movies will slowly be marching into cinemas and I can't wait. So how about a little perspective on the summer? I'll be coming at you for the next several days with my favorites (and least favorites) of the summer. Enjoy as I work through super-heroes, Apatow-ian man-children, high-wire documentaries, animated lovers and all sorts of assorted brick-a-brack. In the meantime you should always be checking out the wonderful Peter and Rob make lists of things blog (easily my favorite blog on the entire inter-web) for topics as diverse as hobos, juice, closing tracks, fictional haircuts and micro-nations.

DR. ZACHARY SMITH'S LOST IN THE SPACE AT THE END OF SUMMER MOVIE QUIZ

A Meme courtesy of the fine folks at Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie Start me with a tough one huh? Do they mean from a musical? For non-musical A music cue? A performance? Arghhhh!

Ok for musical moment from a musical I will say "Make 'Em Laugh" from Singin' In the Rain, cause it is pretty definitively perfection.
For a non-musical film nothing raised me to blissful heights as much as "The Age of Aquarius" coming out of nowhere as performed by the entire cast in The 40-Year Old Virgin.
For a music cue I'd say when the zither comes in to reveal Harry Lime in The Third Man, that or when the Raiders March returns when Indy is on the sub in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews?
Not a super fan of either of these guys (is anyone?). I'd give it to Milland because he's been in two Billy Wilder movies.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie?
My gut says 12 Angry Men but my head says Dog Day Afternoon. I'll split the difference and say Network.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season?
Speed Racer was charmingly awesome and silly fun and deserves a cult following.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth?
You'd think I'd pick Rita because she's curvier and beloved by Stephen King characters, but you'd be wrong since Tierney is a better actress and a looker herself.

6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
I just saw Smart People on DVD and was pretty bored by it (hey look the feel and conventions of every mainstream-esque indie film of the last five years pushed through a duck-press). In theatres I saw Man on Wire and it may be favorite film of the year so far.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Ugh, really? I guess the Poseidon Adventure. Kind of glad that this style of film is out of fashion. Not saying it won't come back and not saying it couldn't ever be good, but by-in-large I could do without.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Most recently? Smokin' Aces.

9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung?
Ooo good one. I'll go with Fat.
10) Most pretentious movie ever?
Last Year at Marienbad is pretty rough-going. Any number of experimental films, what's the one where it's just lights flickering in a hallway for fifteen minutes? Anyone from my old film theory class want to help me out with this one?


11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie I am sadly pretty deficient when it comes to Russ Meyer films, the same for his Italian counter-part for bottoms Tinto Brass. I should work on this.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.” Hmmm maybe Brazil. Or Horse Feathers. Or Manhattan. Definitely one of those three.


13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo Gut says Garbo for Ninotchka, but I need to see more to be sure.

14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack? Popcorn (hot and fresh, don't lie to me and tell me it's hot concession guy) with M&M's or Milk duds mixed in and a large (diet) soda. Most vile? Any food that's been under the heat lamp for years.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system Jon Hamm, does he count?
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no? What are you kidding? Yes, yes a thousand times yes.

17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
The opening night would be a celebration of movies called "Hooray for movies" and it would be a triple bill of The Bad and the Beautiful, 8 1/2 and The Muppet Movie.

18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
My theater would be called The Xanadu.


19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
Duck Soup

20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
I'm stumped, any ideas?

21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Shattering Failure.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Maggie hasn't crossed-over yet but her resume is a bit more thoughtful

23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Mama Mia, I don't get it, just listen to an ABBA's greatest hits album and save the money.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
In Bruges and all participants therein.

25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Ummmm, no.

26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd?
Trevor Howard, seriously is this a competition?

27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Todd Haynes, a stylist who consistently pushes boundaries and doesn't rest on his laurels.
28) Favorite William Castle movie?
As a director House on Haunted Hill, as a producer Rosemary's Baby.

29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie?
I think most Scorsese movies are pretty ethnographically oriented whether it's Kundun or Goodfellas.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
A four-way tie between:
Synendoche, New York-Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut
Australia-Baz Luhrman's first film since Moulin Rouge!
Doubt-Amy Adams goes dramatic
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button-A new epic from super genius David Finchner.

31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Billy Wilder, but no cussing allowed please because Avanti was kind of awkward

32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Bury, BURY Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer.
33) Your first movie star crush?
Alicia Silverstone in Clueless. I was very young and very dumb, it's that thing she does when she pulls the gum out of her mouth.

To dream the impossible dream

A young injured French boy sits in a doctor's office reading a magazine and sees an article about architects and designers creating what will become the World Trade Center towers. So excited by this discovery the boy neglects his injury and races home with excitement. At this moment tumbler/sidewalk entertainer/juggler and high-wire walker Phillippe Petit knew his life's dream, to walk a tightrope between the WTC towers. It is this goal that is the subject of the breathtakingly wonderful documentary currently inhabiting indie theaters across the country. By turns awe-inspiring, hilarious, thrilling, frightening and thought-provoking as anything in theaters this summer. Director James Marsh deftly mixes archival footage, re-enactments, talking head style interviews and still photos to tell this story. Though the outcome is never really in question as Petit is alive, well and talking to us throughout , the film manages to thrill and make audience members gasp with the intricate heist-like plot of Petit and his fellow conspirators to reach the top of the towers and attempt the illegal but ultimately "harmless" (to everyone but Petit I suppose) act.

The film manages to gracefully never dip into a dull presentation of what is ultimately a very simple and straightforward plot by its excellent use of Phillipe Petit. His boundless enthusiasm, his charmingly accented English, his child-like sense of wonder make for a exceedingly compelling lead. One overlooks his borderline insanity or potentially obnoxious level of self-importance because you've simply never seen anyone quite like him before. His wacky crew of conspirators are fairly compelling too. While hardly the attractive, slick operators of the Ocean gang, this eclectic group's shagginess works in the movies favor as it forces the viewer to ponder how on Earth could this group have pulled it off.

Surprisingly for a film about the WTC, 9/11 is never explicitly mentioned though it does underscore and cast a pall on the proceedings. There is a moment where Petit talks about looking down because he would (and really by extension no one would or could) ever see from that particular angle again. This moment goes a long way to conveying the feeling and provide the catharsis curious and invested viewers may need.
The film takes great pride in pointing out the poetry and beauty that occurs when something random and wondrous happens in the midst of the mundane. Petit's walking, seemingly on air thousands of feet in the air may not sound like much, but to actually witness it is truly awe-inspiring. In finding the wrinkles in unexpected places in he world (like say several thousand feet above one's head) Marsh and his crew have created a mini-masterpiece that should have viewers looking at their world with more intrigued and excited eyes.

Where once there was a yacht, now there is naught

GOB everybody! GOB IS BACK! Or was briefly on public television. He can call himself "Max" but you can't fool me, that is George Oscar Bluth clear as day. The delivery, the stage craft, the slight of hand, all that's missing is the glorious bombast of Europe's "The Final Countdown." You know who'd be a great addition to Sesame Street? Franklin. He'd put Oscar the Grouch's green-ass in line. And remember kids it's an illusion, a trick is something Cookie Monster does for money...or cookies.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

I'm a total google hit whore

Went to an amazing Italian restaurant in North Hollywood last night to say goodbye to a friend of mine who is moving to New York (very jealous). The restaurant was hit by a major case of the 90's as other tables were filled by such luminaries as James "Dawson" Van DerBeek and not one, not two, but three Lawrence brothers. I know, I know, hardly a Clive Owen sighting but still good times, good wine, good friends and good 90's teen heart-throbs. What more could you want from a Friday night? Much more sophisticated (yeah right) and movie centric postings to resume shortly.

Oh and I suppose this is appropriate given the deluge of advertising I'm seeing for it, is anyone planing checking out the new 90210? Veronica Mars mastermind Rob Thomas was originally show-running but left the project so that's a bad sign right there. On the other hand the show has Tristan Wilds (Michael from The Wire) as one of the main kids and Lucille Bluth herself Jessica Walter as a snarky lush (PERFECT). So what say you readers, yea or nay?

Oh Oh Oh It's Magic

Is there a greater purveyor and advocate of whimsy then my friend Frank? I consulted the Oracle at Delphi about this and instead of her usual mumbo-jumbo about Croesus and the Spartans and what not, she simply said "no." Well Frank was first to point me to the below video (way before all the nerd sites). It's chalk full of magical movie moments. I'll grant that it's a touch fanboy heavy but by the end true movie fans will be so overwhelmed with good feelings that it won't matter.

Come Fly With Me

Post-Tropic Thunder I'm feeling pretty good about Ben Stiller. Who knows? Maybe even
Night at the Museum 2 won't be the soulless, albeit well-intentioned, silly children's film the first one was. Why my optimism? Who oh who could be possibly make this film worthwhile to me where Dick Van-Dyke, Ricky Gervais, Paul Rudd and Steve Coogan failed?

Booya Baby! Amy Adams is back on the blog and looking cute as usual (no surprise there) as Amelia Earhart. That Ben Stiller is one lucky dope. My lord the pants, that jacket, those short fetching red curls. Oh it's love all over again. Man I hope ADubs rules the Earth in this part and that she comes off way better than Hillary Swank's Earheart coming out at the same time. Actually, no, I take it back, it's really unfair to actors when they play the same role around the same time. Just ask poor Toby Jones in Infamous what he thinks of PSH's Capote Oscar.

Lessons I've Learned from Val Kilmer Characters

The definition of the word idiot can be found in the dictionary (also, it does't feature a picture of Harry Lockhart).-from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
The Bat-signal is not a beeper.*-Batman Forever
Apparently, he's my Huckleberry.-Tombstone
This may be the only chance I have in my whole life...to have sex.-Real Genius
Let them be low. We are getting *high*. We're not getting fucked down. We're getting fucked up.-from his delightful turn in Entourage
There's the fucking door.-Heat (which was good because I needed to know where the door was)
In the city there is always a reflection, in the woods always a sound.-Spartan, cool flick, check it out
You've got to do it. If you don't, I'm dead.-Wonderland
I can ride his tail any time.-Top Gun

Good to know Val, good to know. Should Val ever read this (and it's not outside the realm of possibility WINK) let it be known that I think that Val Kilmer is just awesome even in the absolute worst DTV dreck. I mean even in an otherwise worthless flick (like Mindhunters) or a literary adaptation that could've gone better (like Comanche Moon) Kilmer is fascinating to watch. Here's to more kick-ass performances and hopefully better movies (how about an out and out comedy like Real Genius or Top Secret?)

*(I actually thought about this for a bit and I must respectfully disagree, the Bat-signal is specifically a beeper. A beeper for Batman.)