11. Citizen Kane (1941)
A rather self-importance movie, Citizen Kane's achievement lies not within the dollars it made but rather with the critics who praised and acclaimed it to be one of the best cinematography achieved in cinema. My memory about this film is rather vague, i had to watch it again in order to learn more about it.
12. One Flew Over Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
One of the best chemistry among two characters in cinema. With Jack Nicholson who i i thought was at best when he played as a numb-nuts, crazy, lost-of-wit character -- check out The Shining -- as a rebellious mental institution patient, this movie delivers enough drama to capture my eyes within its varied characters whose of course fall not far from the crude definition of 'insane'.
13. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Quentin Tarantino's second best (after Kill Bill). This movie breaks all the timeline limitation but yet, QT's had doing so well to keep them intact and intertwined each other in a subtle scenes. Beginning with the robbery by a couple (Bunny and Pumpkins?) in a diner which at first doesn't make any sense at all, the movie had proceeded with loads of wacky, and hillarious adventures. With loads of profanities and witty dialogue (for example, about metrics system in Paris), if one loved Kill Bill they're bound to watch Pulp Fiction.
14. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
My favourite of the serie, so far. Master Yoda is formidable. But Luke Skywalker (as much as his dad, Anakin) is annoying. With this movie as a required transition between Eps. IV and Eps. VI, some key elements are loaded in this second installment which made it my personal best of the serie.
15. Rear Window (1954)
Haven't seen it.
16. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Haven't seen it. I have been looking for this movie for like, eternity. This movie was my #1 Most Wanted movie. Made by Kubrick, this movie was held as his most funny works. Considering that Kubrick had a rather wierd sense of humor, i have been looking for this movie ever since.
17. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
The fist installment of the Indiana Jones serie was also my favourite. I remembered it as the very first adventure movie (which i could recalled) i saw. I had a heartily good laugh here and there. But that was then, when i was a child. I need to watch it again, to made my judgement.
18. The Usual Suspects (1995)
My first acquaiantance with Kevin Spacey was in this movie. As demeanoring Verbal Kint, his role is a very subtle one. A magnificent twist right at the end of the movie (which later spoofed at one of the Scary Movie film), made me fall in love to Kevin Spacey at that instant.
19. Memento (2000)
It was a feast to the brain. The director, Christoper Nolan divided it into several scenes and reversed in its time line forcing us, audience to keep remembering what was happen in the future instead guessing what would happen in the future. Very cool.
20. Il Buono, Il Bruto, Il Cattivo (1966)
Or The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Considered to be the most known (and best) western spaghetti movie, this movie was a classic. I was not fond to a western spaghetti hence, this movie never made to my most wanted list.
To be continued...
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Friday, November 26, 2004
IMDb Top 250 Films
I had a leisure walk to IMDb's site later this day and examined the top 250 films list appeared on the site (http://www.imdb.com/chart/top). Now this list was constructed based on the visitors' votes. And only those who deemed as a regular voters whose votes are considered. Well, since the website was a widely known sites for movie geek, i thought that the top 250 films were almost accurate. Now, how many of the movies appeared in the list have you seen?.
1. The Godfather (1972)
Classic. No doubt that Francis Ford Coppola's trilogy of Corleone family had become a standard reference (by words or by shots) to many movies about gangsters that follows. Though i loved the second more than the first, i loved the series. And that shot where Marlon Brando got shot and killed while he was walking to his car after bought some fruits was my favourite shot of the series (it later appeared as a spoof on Robert DeNiro's "Analyze This").
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
I dont know about this. I found the third installment was rather boring. I loved the second way more than the third. Well, i guess since this third was a conclusion (that Samwise Gamgee is the real hero and Frodo Baggins is a whiner useless c*nt) to the series, people would chose it more since it provides a satisfication ending to the series.
3. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
I knew it!. I have written a review on this movie, and i remember i gave it a full mark and "a best adaptation" entitled to it. This movie is loaded with emotion. Of how that a man, -- slowly devastated mentally and physically by the damp life in a prison and at the same time had to stay alert every time with his back toward the unknowing peril of his inmates and the prison warden who would love to beat the shit out of him until an inch of his life -- able to back and wiggling himself toward a simple dream that he hold tight inside his cell patiently for as long as fifteen years. A simple dream that lies beneath the Rita Hayworth's poster of beach and a life beyond the caged bar of a prison.
4. The Godfather Part. II (1974)
My favourite of the serie. I loved Robert DeNiro -- who speaks Italian in the entire movie -- when he played the young Vito Corleone, and the juxtaposition between him and Al Pacino's character.
5. Shichinin no Samurai (1954)
Nuff said. Probably Kurosawa's widely known movie. I loved the idea, the emotions it offers, the chemistry between the characters, and Toshiro Mifune. Even though that i've seen Kurosawa's that slightly better than this, this movie was more known and has been re-told by Hollywood ("The Seven Magnificent") hence, more popular than others.
6. Schindler's List (1993)
???. I had to see it again. I mean, yeah ??? i didn't quite grasp the quality of this movie and why does it made to the top ten list let alone #6.
7. Casablanca (1942)
Again, a romantic classic that sets the stone for romantic movies that follows. Many scenes had reproduced and referenced in modern cinemas. My affection toward it was actually around a mediocre level. I loved the final scene and dialogue at the Morocco's airport though.
8. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
No comment.
9. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Simply the best of the serie and proved the capacity of Peter Jackson as a director who brought forth the classic literature to life. And even larger than the original. I was really really astounded by Battle of Helm's Deep. In the book, it only had a 5-6 pages but in the movie, it swallows two third of the movie's length. Superb.
10. Star Wars (1977)
Or Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The original two series of Star Wars trilogy were far exceeded the latter two series of Star Wars trilogy (Ep. I and Ep. II) in terms of quality. R2D2 and C3PO were funny couple, yet George Lucas had ruined it in Ep. I and Ep. II by adding not one, but two additional jokers -- annoying jokers if i may add -- Jar Jar Binks and Anakin Skywalker. I'm not a Star Wars fan though, but compared to the others (except with its sequel Empire Strikes Back) this episode is stood aloft among the rest.
To be continued...
1. The Godfather (1972)
Classic. No doubt that Francis Ford Coppola's trilogy of Corleone family had become a standard reference (by words or by shots) to many movies about gangsters that follows. Though i loved the second more than the first, i loved the series. And that shot where Marlon Brando got shot and killed while he was walking to his car after bought some fruits was my favourite shot of the series (it later appeared as a spoof on Robert DeNiro's "Analyze This").
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
I dont know about this. I found the third installment was rather boring. I loved the second way more than the third. Well, i guess since this third was a conclusion (that Samwise Gamgee is the real hero and Frodo Baggins is a whiner useless c*nt) to the series, people would chose it more since it provides a satisfication ending to the series.
3. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
I knew it!. I have written a review on this movie, and i remember i gave it a full mark and "a best adaptation" entitled to it. This movie is loaded with emotion. Of how that a man, -- slowly devastated mentally and physically by the damp life in a prison and at the same time had to stay alert every time with his back toward the unknowing peril of his inmates and the prison warden who would love to beat the shit out of him until an inch of his life -- able to back and wiggling himself toward a simple dream that he hold tight inside his cell patiently for as long as fifteen years. A simple dream that lies beneath the Rita Hayworth's poster of beach and a life beyond the caged bar of a prison.
4. The Godfather Part. II (1974)
My favourite of the serie. I loved Robert DeNiro -- who speaks Italian in the entire movie -- when he played the young Vito Corleone, and the juxtaposition between him and Al Pacino's character.
5. Shichinin no Samurai (1954)
Nuff said. Probably Kurosawa's widely known movie. I loved the idea, the emotions it offers, the chemistry between the characters, and Toshiro Mifune. Even though that i've seen Kurosawa's that slightly better than this, this movie was more known and has been re-told by Hollywood ("The Seven Magnificent") hence, more popular than others.
6. Schindler's List (1993)
???. I had to see it again. I mean, yeah ??? i didn't quite grasp the quality of this movie and why does it made to the top ten list let alone #6.
7. Casablanca (1942)
Again, a romantic classic that sets the stone for romantic movies that follows. Many scenes had reproduced and referenced in modern cinemas. My affection toward it was actually around a mediocre level. I loved the final scene and dialogue at the Morocco's airport though.
8. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
No comment.
9. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Simply the best of the serie and proved the capacity of Peter Jackson as a director who brought forth the classic literature to life. And even larger than the original. I was really really astounded by Battle of Helm's Deep. In the book, it only had a 5-6 pages but in the movie, it swallows two third of the movie's length. Superb.
10. Star Wars (1977)
Or Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The original two series of Star Wars trilogy were far exceeded the latter two series of Star Wars trilogy (Ep. I and Ep. II) in terms of quality. R2D2 and C3PO were funny couple, yet George Lucas had ruined it in Ep. I and Ep. II by adding not one, but two additional jokers -- annoying jokers if i may add -- Jar Jar Binks and Anakin Skywalker. I'm not a Star Wars fan though, but compared to the others (except with its sequel Empire Strikes Back) this episode is stood aloft among the rest.
To be continued...
Closer (2004)
Disclaimer: This would be my very first PRE-view page about a movie
Starring: Jodie Foster, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen
Directed By: Mike Nichols
Release Date: December 12th, 2004 (wide)
From Yahoo! - "A story of passion, drama, love, and abandonment involving two couples, which only gets more complicated when the man from the first couple gets acquainted with the woman from the second coupling.", this movie recieved an "R" rating from MPAA for its sequences of graphic sexual dialogue, nudity/sexuality and language.
From its cover, it was immediately shown that the two couples in questions were Jodie Foster - Clive Owen and Natalie Portman - Jude Law. Well actually, beside that small information about this film from Yahoo! that i had cited above, i had no information whatsoever regarding this movie. Only a small tid-bits information that Ms.Portman would play as a stripper. Now that's some news. Ms.Portman as we already knew, was my favourite actress.. i mean, she's young (d.o.b June 9th, 1981), Harvard graduate, able to speak in English, Hebrew, French, and Japanese, and she had always been a nice girl who would still let her body covered in a full-cloth in her movies. With that youngness gestures, enigmatic yet smart pair of eyes, beautiful but rather sinistic smile, i was immediately fallen in love with her when i first laid an eye on her role as Jean Reno's sidekick Mathilda in Leon, The Professional (1994) and alas she's the only reason i had endured the ultra-terrible Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Well, that was another story. But anyway, rumor had it that Mike Nichols was actually shot a scene featuring Ms.Portman, for the first time in her career un-dressing her-self and exposing her uncovered beauty. That news was shocked me! literally, apart from my manhood who would like to see her naked, i dont want to see her naked whatsoever as it would surely ruined my favouriteness in her.
"Damn you Mike Nichols!". No! it wasn't my exclamation regarding the issue. It was a title of a certain article on the internet which i had read several days ago. In the article which had earned more exclamation suggested by its title than the sigh of relief such as the one i had, said that Mike Nichols had recently cut-off the scene where Ms.Portman shows her naked body. And furthermore, he had clearly stated that the scene will not made it to the DVDs as well. And as i've said, it simply earned the "Damn you Mike Nichols!" exclamation though i've found that the news was simply delightful since i dont want to see her naked whatsoever.
Put that aside, i had anticipated this movie by the time i grasp the news. Okay, Ms.Portman was all the more reason i need why i'd waited for this movie to come around. But who would doubt Julia Roberts? okay, she wasn't that good in "Mona Lisa Smile" but she was everything in "Erin Brockovich" and had maintained her role qualities over several movies that follows or Jude Law? though true, that he had played in too many movies these last years but he was clearly not one of those boyish actors who only knew how to pose and to gave a chick-magnet gestures on the screen. And anyway, these last years had proved that this kind of movie (a comedy-romance genre) which released at this specific time of year almost nearly weighing more in quality than the same kind of movie which released at any other time of year.
Desire-O-Meter: *** / **** - Cant wait to see Ms.Portman.
Starring: Jodie Foster, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen
Directed By: Mike Nichols
Release Date: December 12th, 2004 (wide)
From Yahoo! - "A story of passion, drama, love, and abandonment involving two couples, which only gets more complicated when the man from the first couple gets acquainted with the woman from the second coupling.", this movie recieved an "R" rating from MPAA for its sequences of graphic sexual dialogue, nudity/sexuality and language.
From its cover, it was immediately shown that the two couples in questions were Jodie Foster - Clive Owen and Natalie Portman - Jude Law. Well actually, beside that small information about this film from Yahoo! that i had cited above, i had no information whatsoever regarding this movie. Only a small tid-bits information that Ms.Portman would play as a stripper. Now that's some news. Ms.Portman as we already knew, was my favourite actress.. i mean, she's young (d.o.b June 9th, 1981), Harvard graduate, able to speak in English, Hebrew, French, and Japanese, and she had always been a nice girl who would still let her body covered in a full-cloth in her movies. With that youngness gestures, enigmatic yet smart pair of eyes, beautiful but rather sinistic smile, i was immediately fallen in love with her when i first laid an eye on her role as Jean Reno's sidekick Mathilda in Leon, The Professional (1994) and alas she's the only reason i had endured the ultra-terrible Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Well, that was another story. But anyway, rumor had it that Mike Nichols was actually shot a scene featuring Ms.Portman, for the first time in her career un-dressing her-self and exposing her uncovered beauty. That news was shocked me! literally, apart from my manhood who would like to see her naked, i dont want to see her naked whatsoever as it would surely ruined my favouriteness in her.
"Damn you Mike Nichols!". No! it wasn't my exclamation regarding the issue. It was a title of a certain article on the internet which i had read several days ago. In the article which had earned more exclamation suggested by its title than the sigh of relief such as the one i had, said that Mike Nichols had recently cut-off the scene where Ms.Portman shows her naked body. And furthermore, he had clearly stated that the scene will not made it to the DVDs as well. And as i've said, it simply earned the "Damn you Mike Nichols!" exclamation though i've found that the news was simply delightful since i dont want to see her naked whatsoever.
Put that aside, i had anticipated this movie by the time i grasp the news. Okay, Ms.Portman was all the more reason i need why i'd waited for this movie to come around. But who would doubt Julia Roberts? okay, she wasn't that good in "Mona Lisa Smile" but she was everything in "Erin Brockovich" and had maintained her role qualities over several movies that follows or Jude Law? though true, that he had played in too many movies these last years but he was clearly not one of those boyish actors who only knew how to pose and to gave a chick-magnet gestures on the screen. And anyway, these last years had proved that this kind of movie (a comedy-romance genre) which released at this specific time of year almost nearly weighing more in quality than the same kind of movie which released at any other time of year.
Desire-O-Meter: *** / **** - Cant wait to see Ms.Portman.
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Dear Readers
I was frowning when i saw the latest entry date of this blog. November 4th.. Geez! Where have you been, muse? oh yeah, i've lost my muse in writing recently. Some things are happening in my life, some are delightful, welcoming, and embracing some are hateful, painful and depressing and those things were ones i hold responsible for the escape of my muse. But i've had the muse in my sight right now. And i would chase it until it comes the time when i had an urge to write again after almost a month idling. So until then, got to catch my muse right now. It won't be long, i assured you..
Rhama Arya Wibawa.
Rhama Arya Wibawa.
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Das Boot (1981)
Disclaimer: I know, i know, i've promised that i'd write about Jackie Chan's New Police Story. But, since it was rather had to find the materials to work with, i had decided to write about the most recent movie i've seen instead.
Starring: Jurgen Prochnow, Klaus Wenneman, Erwin Leder, Herbert Groenemeyer
Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
I've got my hands on the 210 minutes director's cut version of this movie instead of a mere 150 minutes original release. It took me several stops between the chapters in order to keep my fatigueness a little above sea level and subsequently, hushing away every movie appreciator's enemy, "boredom".
"Das Boot" is a really-heavy movie. There always seems a curtain of blackness and uncertainty hung on the screen for most of the movie's running-time. But it was a good thing, really. By the presence of that curtain, the viewer would surely be drawn from his seat with unknown tide that overflowing from the screen and instead of being outside of the screen, he will be there, among the crew of U-boat, criss-crossing in silence under deadly British destroyer above, 270 meters below the surface, wet, and in the ultimate desperation for a fresh-air. And then again, that's the very reason why i had to made a several stops between the chapters just so to keep my sanity intact.
"Das Boot" is a movie about a German submarine during World War II, set ashore with a mission to cut-short the allied supply ships in Atlantic by sunking them. Even though that the word 'claustrophobic' was entitled to it, the movie was not about claustrophobia. However, since the narrow (10 feet by 150 feet) interior of U-boat crowded with hundreds of German soldier crew was extensively explored by the movie-makers, it was easily observable how does the word 'claustrophobic' was entitled to it. The scene where camera rolls from deck to aft in a single cruise portraying the crew squeezing themselves to made at least enough room for a passing. Or how'd everytime the officer's had a meal in officer's room, some of the officers had to occassionally stand from their table to let some other crew passed them. It's horrible. I was totally unable to imagine a comfortness there.
The centerpiece of the film is an attack on an Allied convoy; the U-boat torpedoes three ships. We share the experience of the hunt; they drift below the surface, waiting for the explosions that signal hits. And then they endure a long and thorough counterattack, during which British Destroyers criss-cross the area, dropping depth charges. The chase is conducted by sound, the crew whispering beneath the deadly hunters above. It simply terrifying.
The next episode was said to had an endless discussion among movie-fans. Having finally outlasted the destroyers, the sub surfaces to administer a coup de grace--a final torpedo to a burning tanker. As the ship explodes, the captain is startled to see men leaping from its deck: "What are they doing still on board?" he shouts. "Why haven't they been rescued?" Drowning sailors can clearly be seen in the flames from the tanker. They swim toward the U-boat, their pitiful cries for help carrying clearly across the water. The captain orders his boat to reverse at half speed, to keep it away from them. What does he think of having let the victims drown? He does not say. Only one sentence in the ship's log ("assumed no men were on board") gives a hint.
The captain of the U-boat (Prochnow) was the center of attention in the movie. He was the figure of leader who his crew-mate, and officers alike depended upon. He was like a buoy, floating in a wilderness of storm, wide enough and strong enough to bear the hope of his crew. But, when the U-boat stranded in 270 meters below surface, and death -- either by the ocean pressure or lack of Oxygen -- was already peering on everyone's eyes we also see the human side of the captain. It was a side that rarely explored by Hollywood movies nowadays.
In comparison, this movie was populated by male actors. Much like Peter Weir's "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World". But as much as liked the movie, Master and Commander would seem like a children -- a joyful adventure -- movie compared to the bleakness, grimness, and sadness that portrayed by Mr.Petersen here. In my opinion, it was an advantage that Das Boot choose German submarine instead of American submarine. Why? since by choosing a German submarine, they simply remove the patriotic element and increase the suspense. We identify not with the mission -- since if it was American, the mission would be succeeded with happy-happy-joy-joy celebration in the end --, but with the job.
Also inevitable, i remembered this painting while watching the movie.
Theodore Gericault's "Raft of the Medusa"
But instead of the wild ocean surrounding the devastated crew, it was the silence of ocean-depth which surrounds the terrified crew.
Rating: **** / **** - Take my advice, put a several stops between the chapters. With which the greatness of Das Boot shall be represented in its whole, un-affected by human fatigueness nor boredoms.
Starring: Jurgen Prochnow, Klaus Wenneman, Erwin Leder, Herbert Groenemeyer
Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
I've got my hands on the 210 minutes director's cut version of this movie instead of a mere 150 minutes original release. It took me several stops between the chapters in order to keep my fatigueness a little above sea level and subsequently, hushing away every movie appreciator's enemy, "boredom".
"Das Boot" is a really-heavy movie. There always seems a curtain of blackness and uncertainty hung on the screen for most of the movie's running-time. But it was a good thing, really. By the presence of that curtain, the viewer would surely be drawn from his seat with unknown tide that overflowing from the screen and instead of being outside of the screen, he will be there, among the crew of U-boat, criss-crossing in silence under deadly British destroyer above, 270 meters below the surface, wet, and in the ultimate desperation for a fresh-air. And then again, that's the very reason why i had to made a several stops between the chapters just so to keep my sanity intact.
"Das Boot" is a movie about a German submarine during World War II, set ashore with a mission to cut-short the allied supply ships in Atlantic by sunking them. Even though that the word 'claustrophobic' was entitled to it, the movie was not about claustrophobia. However, since the narrow (10 feet by 150 feet) interior of U-boat crowded with hundreds of German soldier crew was extensively explored by the movie-makers, it was easily observable how does the word 'claustrophobic' was entitled to it. The scene where camera rolls from deck to aft in a single cruise portraying the crew squeezing themselves to made at least enough room for a passing. Or how'd everytime the officer's had a meal in officer's room, some of the officers had to occassionally stand from their table to let some other crew passed them. It's horrible. I was totally unable to imagine a comfortness there.
The centerpiece of the film is an attack on an Allied convoy; the U-boat torpedoes three ships. We share the experience of the hunt; they drift below the surface, waiting for the explosions that signal hits. And then they endure a long and thorough counterattack, during which British Destroyers criss-cross the area, dropping depth charges. The chase is conducted by sound, the crew whispering beneath the deadly hunters above. It simply terrifying.
The next episode was said to had an endless discussion among movie-fans. Having finally outlasted the destroyers, the sub surfaces to administer a coup de grace--a final torpedo to a burning tanker. As the ship explodes, the captain is startled to see men leaping from its deck: "What are they doing still on board?" he shouts. "Why haven't they been rescued?" Drowning sailors can clearly be seen in the flames from the tanker. They swim toward the U-boat, their pitiful cries for help carrying clearly across the water. The captain orders his boat to reverse at half speed, to keep it away from them. What does he think of having let the victims drown? He does not say. Only one sentence in the ship's log ("assumed no men were on board") gives a hint.
The captain of the U-boat (Prochnow) was the center of attention in the movie. He was the figure of leader who his crew-mate, and officers alike depended upon. He was like a buoy, floating in a wilderness of storm, wide enough and strong enough to bear the hope of his crew. But, when the U-boat stranded in 270 meters below surface, and death -- either by the ocean pressure or lack of Oxygen -- was already peering on everyone's eyes we also see the human side of the captain. It was a side that rarely explored by Hollywood movies nowadays.
In comparison, this movie was populated by male actors. Much like Peter Weir's "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World". But as much as liked the movie, Master and Commander would seem like a children -- a joyful adventure -- movie compared to the bleakness, grimness, and sadness that portrayed by Mr.Petersen here. In my opinion, it was an advantage that Das Boot choose German submarine instead of American submarine. Why? since by choosing a German submarine, they simply remove the patriotic element and increase the suspense. We identify not with the mission -- since if it was American, the mission would be succeeded with happy-happy-joy-joy celebration in the end --, but with the job.
Also inevitable, i remembered this painting while watching the movie.
Theodore Gericault's "Raft of the Medusa"
But instead of the wild ocean surrounding the devastated crew, it was the silence of ocean-depth which surrounds the terrified crew.
Rating: **** / **** - Take my advice, put a several stops between the chapters. With which the greatness of Das Boot shall be represented in its whole, un-affected by human fatigueness nor boredoms.
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