Masterpiece Theatre on the Cheap
Here is a triumvirate of DVDs I think you should all take a look at this weekend, plus a little review of each so you do not have to go on IMDB or worry that it may be soft porn. The latter, I understand, could become an issue if you have a movie night planned with your church or knitting groups. Actually, if you have taken up knitting, odds are you haven't seen a naked person in ages, unless you count that nutty guy at the retirement home in which you reside forgetting to don pants yet again.
The three recommendations I will post all have one thing in common, they all have the word 'blade' in the title. Otherwise, they are all quite diametrically opposed.
1) BLADE RUNNER.
The seminal thinking person's science fiction film. Less heady than 2001 and more palatable than all those other science fiction shoot-em-ups, this classic future noir created a niche that many films aspire to, but few will ever attain. Harrison Ford may have been nominated at the Academy for his work on Witness, but I think this is indeed his best performance. His nuanced, pained weariness oozes through; every step leads you closer to the discovery that he will never be the man he attained to be. 'What is Human?', this film asks, and you walk away with more questions about our path than you ever wish to answer. Slow, but worth every detailed moment. This future is happening, and it is worth taking a look at what we are bargaining for. It is the Nostradamus of science fiction.
2) SLING BLADE.
Before he was the nutjob, knife weilding toupe-jockey he has become, Billy Bob Thornton could actually act. His thoughtful and revelatory portrayal of a man newly freed, long in an institution due to a mini-massacre he commited within his family is one I shall never forget. The fragility of life in a small community is exposed when he is taken into the arms of well-wishers, and he realizes that his place is elsewhere, where his heart may never be broken. A real heart-breaker, though it is done in a manner that is not manipulative nor crass.
3) BLADE.
As far as actioners go, this is one I recommend wholly. As far as the whole hackeneyed half-vampire crap goes, it's fairly palatable in this film due to the portrayal of the lead, Wesley Snipes. Where The Matrix' effects sequences and bland portrayals have become dated and cliched, Blade rises above all that by having fresh, interesting portrayals of unique characters, and, importantly, a bit of a sense of humor about itself. Nothing worse than a Vampire flick that tries to take itself too seriously. Throw in some nifty martial arts, good production values and a cool-looking Dodge Charger (I am a '72 Charger owner, myself...) and you have the makings for a memorable flick. You definitely need popcorn for this one.
The three recommendations I will post all have one thing in common, they all have the word 'blade' in the title. Otherwise, they are all quite diametrically opposed.
1) BLADE RUNNER.
The seminal thinking person's science fiction film. Less heady than 2001 and more palatable than all those other science fiction shoot-em-ups, this classic future noir created a niche that many films aspire to, but few will ever attain. Harrison Ford may have been nominated at the Academy for his work on Witness, but I think this is indeed his best performance. His nuanced, pained weariness oozes through; every step leads you closer to the discovery that he will never be the man he attained to be. 'What is Human?', this film asks, and you walk away with more questions about our path than you ever wish to answer. Slow, but worth every detailed moment. This future is happening, and it is worth taking a look at what we are bargaining for. It is the Nostradamus of science fiction.
2) SLING BLADE.
Before he was the nutjob, knife weilding toupe-jockey he has become, Billy Bob Thornton could actually act. His thoughtful and revelatory portrayal of a man newly freed, long in an institution due to a mini-massacre he commited within his family is one I shall never forget. The fragility of life in a small community is exposed when he is taken into the arms of well-wishers, and he realizes that his place is elsewhere, where his heart may never be broken. A real heart-breaker, though it is done in a manner that is not manipulative nor crass.
3) BLADE.
As far as actioners go, this is one I recommend wholly. As far as the whole hackeneyed half-vampire crap goes, it's fairly palatable in this film due to the portrayal of the lead, Wesley Snipes. Where The Matrix' effects sequences and bland portrayals have become dated and cliched, Blade rises above all that by having fresh, interesting portrayals of unique characters, and, importantly, a bit of a sense of humor about itself. Nothing worse than a Vampire flick that tries to take itself too seriously. Throw in some nifty martial arts, good production values and a cool-looking Dodge Charger (I am a '72 Charger owner, myself...) and you have the makings for a memorable flick. You definitely need popcorn for this one.
posted by Blog Monkey at 8:25 p.m.
3 Comments:
Love this,but Sling Blade. Never could get into that moive and had a hard time masterbating to Dwight Youkum after seeing him in that moive...too much info??? Thank you for the recommends.
jill
can't spell, never could. Damn those schools.
They say knitting can be compared to meditating.
hey, I knit!
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