Every great director has at least one film that makes the world take notice. For Quentin Tarantino it was Pulp Fiction, for Paul Thomas Anderson it was Boogie Nights (although one could arguably swap that moment for There Will Be Blood). That elusive classic doesn't just happen though. Some filmmakers seem destined for greatness with only a few films under their belt, while some may take a lifetime to achieve immortality. Here are ten directors in a heated race for glory.
10. Noah Baumbach
After his impressive 1995 directorial debut Kicking And Screaming, Noah Baumbach seemed to disappear off the radar. 2005's The Squid And The Whale, a painfully hilarious semi-autobiographical tale about divorce, became a critical darling and brought Baumbach back into the limelight. His 2007 film Margot At The Wedding only confirmed his talents for capturing ugliness in a humorous context. While his films often draw comparison to those of Wes Anderson (possibly due to their collaboration of The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou), Baumbach's films take place in the real world, as opposed to Anderson's exaggerated literary fantasy worlds. This may be why Baumbach has not obtained the cult following that Anderson enjoys, as his settings may seem too familiar for comfort. His talents are obvious though; it's not Baumbach who needs to strive for his great film...the audience needs to be ready for it.
9. Greg Mottola
Greg Mottola's directorial debut, the completely enjoyable comedy The Daytrippers, was a hit at Sundance in a year when there were too many hits at Sundance, and therefore got lost in the shuffle. He spent the next ten years of his career working in television, on quality shows such as Undeclared and Arrested Development. His Judd Apatow connection on Undeclared helped him land the 2007 sleeper hit Superbad, which carried the blessing and curse of being an Apatow production (guaranteed talent and quality, little recognition for Mottola as director). Mottola's next film, Adventureland, could be a Superbad-style sleeper hit, hopefully with praise being rightfully given to Mottola's direction this time around.
8. Allen Coulter
Give a quick glimpse at Allen Coulter's resume and you'll notice he's directed a lot of television. Upon closer inspection, you'll notice 27 episodes of The Sopranos, including some of the series' best, such as "The Test Dream," "College," and my personal favorite, the extremely brutal "University." It's clear Coulter has already made his mark on the world of television, and his well crafted feature debut Hollywoodland proved that Coulter is someone you can expect great things from in the future.
7. Doug Liman
Doug Liman made his directorial debut in 1994 with Getting In, but everyone took notice two years later when he directed the film that launched the careers of Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, Swingers. To some, Swingers may not seem like a directorial tour de force, but when you take into consideration that the film was made for a meager $200,000, thanks to Liman's ability to shoot technically complicated shots on the cheap, you might change your mind. After Swingers came Go, a highly underrated comedy that too many critics wrote off as Pulp Fiction for teens. Recently Liman's shifted his focus to action, having helmed The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and Jumper in the past decade.
6. Mary Harron
Mary Harron started her career as a journalist for Punk magazine in the 1970's (she was the first person to interview The Sex Pistols for an American publication), and didn't make her directorial debut until 1996 with I Shot Andy Warhol. She followed Warhol in 2000 with the extremely controversial American Psycho, based on the equally controversial novel by Bret Easton Ellis. The film received mixed reviews, and Harron didn't return to features until 2005's Bettie Page biopic, The Notorious Bettie Page, which many saw as a triumphant return to form. It would seem as if Harron's talents lie in period pieces, which leads one to wonder if her great film is possibly set in the 1970's punk scene she's so familiar with...or if that subject is too close for comfort?
5. Robert Rodriguez
Some of you may think this pick is completely unjustified and that Robert Rodriguez has already made his mark on the world of cinema, and some of you may believe that immortality isn't even within his reach. My opinion of Rodriguez lies somewhere in the middle. He certainly knows how to make kick ass genre pics (Desperado), he's a technological pioneer (Sin City), and he's even made a great family film (Spy Kids). Still, for all the bang his films provide, there's not much substance. Perhaps he's guilty of stretching himself too thin. Rodriguez multi-tasks on all his films by directing, writing, shooting, editing, and often composing. The fact that his most successful outing, Sin City, was based on source material by Frank Miller, may suggest that he hand over the writing duties to someone else next time, so he can focus his attentions on the things he does best...although it should be noted that he did not receive a writing credit for The Faculty (that honor(?) goes to Dawson's Creek creator Kevin Williamson).
4. Peter Berg
An accomplished actor before he turned his attentions behind the camera, Peter Berg began his directing career with the 1998 dark (extremely dark) comedy, Very Bad Things, an insanely divisive film that audiences either applauded for its mix of no holds barred violence and tasteless humor or reviled for the very same reasons. Still, he seemed like just another unnecessary actor turned director until his 2004 adaptation of the H.G. Bissinger novel, Friday Night Lights, which was a refreshingly realistic (I'm looking at you, Varsity Blues) look at a small Texas town and its obsession with high school football. The film also spawned an even better TV show, developed by Berg. Personally, the moment I started to suspect Berg had more up his sleeve was during the climatic shootout in The Kingdom, one of the most riveting action sequences I've seen in years in an otherwise mediocre film. Berg's next movie, the Will Smith vehicle Hancock, should be his first major box office hit, but my money says 2010's Dune will make or break Berg as a serious filmmaker.
3. Craig Brewer
2005's Hustle & Flow established Craig Brewer as the current king of southern fried cinema, capturing the desperate poverty of south without ever coming off as heavy handed or losing its soul. Brewer's follow-up, Black Snake Moan, was a brilliant spin on the sexploitation genre that never found the audience it deserved, possibly due to sensationalist marketing. With the south mostly relegated to outdated stereotypes or inaccurate nostalgia on film, Brewer seems poised to be the man to bring us an accurate portrayal of one of the most poorly represented regions of this country on film.
2. Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky exploded into the film world at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival with his feature-length debut Pi, where he won the award for Best Director. He followed Pi with Requiem For A Dream, which some may consider his "great film," but let's face it: the film doesn't retain the mindf*@k it gives the viewer on the initial viewing (how could it?). His last film, The Fountain, was regarded by most as extremely ambitious, but somewhat of a mess. Early shots from Aronofsky's next film, The Wrestler, look extremely promising, and if that doesn't work out, the similarly-themed The Fighter follows.
1. Tony Scott
With a filmography that anyone would be lucky to achieve, it may seem odd to find Tony Scott in the number one position. But let's face it, with all the ground he's covered, not one film in his career screams "classic." There are the blockbusters (Top Gun, Crimson Tide), the cult favorites (True Romance, Revenge) and the just god-awful (Beverly Hills Cop II, The Fan). The man is clearly a technical master, and in recent years his films have adopted a very grainy, overexposed look (Domino, Man On Fire), that you either love or hate. There's no doubt he has a great film within him. Still, with remakes of The Taking Of Pelham 123 and The Warriors on the horizon, I don't see it happening anytime soon.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Ten Directors On The Verge Of Greatness
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Top Ten Guiltiest Movie And Television Pleasures
When it comes to movies and television, we act hip and cool to the trends, but deep down inside, there are those certain movies and television shows that we hold dear to our hearts, regardless of what others may say or think about them. They are our guilty pleasures, and fear not - there isn't any real guilt that goes along with liking them, just an increased feeling of defensiveness when other people poke fun at them.
Without further ado, I present the movies and television shows that I have seen numerous times and still cause me to adhere to the couch for hours, even if I just said I'd come bail you out of jail in 20 minutes. (Oh hush, you're not going anywhere!)
10. The Emperor's New Groove
I think I spent a good 2 or 3 years watching and re-watching this fantastic animated movie about a spoiled Aztec emperor (David Spade - Awesome!) who gets turned into a llama and must depend on a peasant (John Goodman - Equally awesome!) to help him return to his former self. Throw in Patrick Warburton as the evil adviser's right hand man, and you've got a classic on your hands!
9. French Kiss
Maybe it was because I was taking French in high school at the time, or maybe it was the way Meg Ryan delivered her lines with that characteristic gusto, but my worn-out VHS copy of French Kiss can attest to the fact that I watched America's #1 sweetheart (at the time) over and over again as she tried to win back her ex-fiance's heart with the help of a French criminal/con man.
8. Much Ado About Nothing
I suppose I was a big fan of Shakespeare adaptations when I was younger, but none of them compared to Kenneth Branagh's film version of Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Michael Keaton's performance, although small, is reason alone to watch this film! The Elizabethan language can be hard to understand, but subtitles should help you get around that.
7. Fiddler On The Roof
TRADITION!! It sounds weird, but I'm really interested in all things Judaism, so it's no surprise that Fiddler On The Roof is one of my favorite films to sit and watch all day. There's love, laughter, and lessons that anyone can relate to, as well as amazing musical numbers!
6. Elf
I don't know what it is about this movie. Maybe it's the large amounts of sugar that Buddy the Elf eats. Maybe it's his elf-out-of-North-Pole ways. Maybe it's in the way he says, "SANTA! I KNOW HIM!" It could be any number of things, but one thing's for certain: I love watching this movie anytime of the year!
5. Pride & Prejudice
There have been countless times I have had to sit and watch the A & E version of this beloved Jane Austen novel. These viewings, which I can only estimate as a bajillion hours a piece, never quite stuck with me because when doing a book report on the novel, I reported that all the sisters got married. (Spoiler alert! Not all of them do!) However, there's something about the Pride & Prejudice version starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen that's magical and easy to comprehend, but I feel it is the compactness of the story that endears this movie to me.
4. Pitch Black
For as long as I knew he existed, I had a bit of a vendetta against Vin Diesel. Blame The Fast and The Furious, but I thought he was an awful actor in a movie about cars. Enter Pitch Black, and I discover that Vin Diesel is an awesome action star with a great range of talents and abilities. Pitch Black is the type of movie that people who know me would be surprised to know I love. It's creepy, crawly, and peppered with just the right amount of goriness!
3. Band of Brothers
It doesn't matter how many times I see this fantastic mini-series, I always want to see it again. Unlike Saving Private Ryan, where I fast forward through the parts that make me feel sad, I watch each and every moment of this series. If there's a military holiday coming up, I know to start checking The History Channel for Band of Brothers so I can get my fix!
2. Buffy The Vampire Slayer/Angel
These two television series go hand-in-hand with each other, so they share the same spot. Joss Whedon took everyday problems that young adults deal with and put a supernatural twist on them. I started watching Buffy around my sophomore year in high school, so it was relevant to my life - except the vampires, werewolves, and apocalypses - oh my! I've seen every episode of Buffy (and almost every episode of Angel), and my extensive knowledge of each separate episode and season propels me indefinitely to the status of geek.
1. Firefly
Another Joss Whedon creation! This series never made it past its first season, but that didn't stop its massive fan base from bringing it back from the television graveyard to life on the silver screen in the form of Serenity! I can't get enough of this series, and I own it on DVD, but I'll also watch it on TV because that is the only way you get to hear the special intros to each episode that aren't on the DVDs! For those who have never watched it, Firefly is best described as a western set in outer space. Sounds strange at first, but the story and the world it's set in will grab you and sit you in your chair until it's done entertaining you.
Well, there you have it! I've shown you my guilty pleasures, now let's see yours!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Top Ten Most Confusing Films
There are the films that we see and we get instantaneously, but then there are the films that are listed below. They don't just serve as entertainment - they encourage discussions about morality and philosophy, but if audiences don't see that second purpose, they'll be lost and confused.
At the top (bottom?) of our list, we find Memento. Directed by Christopher Nolan, it follows the difficulties a man, Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), with short term memory loss experiences while investigating the murder of his wife. Viewers watching this movie will see events play out from different points in time, in either reverse chronological order or chronological order. A second (or third!) viewing can help the audience solve the mysteries of this mystery.
Many people say "Well, I read the book, and when I saw the movie, I wasn't confused at all!" Well, that's because you read the book before you saw the movie based on the book, while others only saw the movie based on the book. Most of the confusion this movie creates is solved by the end, except for the very end, which is hard to understand because of how the dark the scenes are, as well as the massive head wound Edward Norton's character, a man suffering from a split-personality disorder, inflicts upon himself with a gun. By physically pulling the trigger, he mentally exterminated his second personality. He survives because he shoots himself through the cheek, avoiding any important organs or veins.
The Matrix, starring Keanu Reeves as Neo, introduced the world's audiences to the idea that maybe what we see everyday is just a virtual reality created for us by advanced machines that keep us imprisoned in pods and harvest our energy for their use. Ok, simple enough, I suppose, but then what are we supposed to make of the two sequels, Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions? It seems to have turned into an exploration of philosophy too dense for the majority of viewers, but if you watch with the idea in mind that it is more a journey or quest, it becomes much easier to understand.
David Aames has it all: money, women, fame, etc., etc. However, he loses it all when a jealous lover tries to kill him (The old "If I can't have you, nobody will!" routine), and although he survives, he is horribly disfigured and finds it difficult to return to his life as the way it was. There is no one answer to what this movie is about, but instead, questions are answered with more questions about what it all means. (Which, in my opinion, is way more frustrating than just being unsure of what is going on.) It's a question that has puzzled scientists for decades: what happens to us when we are in a coma or cryogenically frozen? And more specifically, what goes on inside our brain during that time? Do we dream? Or is there just blackness behind our eyes?
Jake Green is released from prison, and begins to use a formula he and his solitary confinement neighbors developed to win at all types of gambling ventures. He becomes well-known for his "luck", and begins to take his revenge on the man who put him in prison when two men come to him and tell him he has 3 days to live, and they'll protect him (the revenge business is dangerous business!) so long as he gives them all their money. This film is amazing once you remember that everyone is in their own prison and remember that the mind, just like in Fight Club, is a powerful weapon.
I, personally, do not get this movie, but I understand that it's about the history of mankind, its present, and its distant future, and the monoliths are the triggers for the changes in mankind's evolution, such as the ape using the old bone as a tool and a weapon. The meaning of this film is up to you and your own personal interpretation, and like me, there will be many people out there who will still be confused even after thinking about it for a long time.
Top Ten Ladies Of The Evening
The world's oldest profession is making quite a lot of noise these days. To honor the working girls of the world, we've decided to pick our top ten women of ill repute in film. Sorry disgraced politicians, these ladies don't have MySpace pages.
10. The Happy Hooker Trilogy
A hooker so nice, they filmed her thrice! Based on the best selling novel, Xaviera (the Happy Hooker) was portrayed by Lynn Redgrave, Joey Heatherton, and Martine Beswicke.
9. Sin City
Rory Gilmore walking the mean streets of Basin City...what would Lorelai think? Hopefully she'd join her...at least, that's how my fan fiction always ends.
9. Crimes Of Passion
Kathleen Turner may have earned her sex symbol status in Body Heat, but she entered the Hall of Fame as China Blue in Ken Russell's steamy Crimes Of Passion.
7. Working Girls
Call girls for the art house set. Lizzie Borden's 1986 film is a realistic, sometimes comical look at the world of NYC prostitutes, a cinematic world probably closest to what Governor Spitzer was used to.
6. Pretty Woman
The classic Cinderella story...that is if Cinderella was turning tricks on Hollywood Boulevard instead of cleaning up for ungrateful step sisters.
5.Mighty Aphrodite
Mira Sorvino won an Oscar for her portrayal of a squeaky-voiced hooker whose son is adopted by Woody Allen and Helena Bonham Carter. Miraculously, her character never hooks up with Woody, somehow resisting the famous Allen charm.
4. Leaving Las Vegas
Going far beyond the call of duty, Elisabeth Shue stays by her john (Nicolas Cage) as he drinks himself to death. That kind of commitment's gotta look good on a resume.
3. L.A. Confidential
Pierce Patchett can offer you a call girl that looks like any celebrity you desire...including the lovely Kim Basinger as Veronica Lake. Strictly on the hush hush, of course.
2. True Romance
Any hooker than can take a beating from James Gandolfini and still have enough strength to stick him with corkscrew is a keeper in my book.
1. Risky Business
If all you think of is Tom Cruise dancing in his underwear when you think of Risky Business, you haven't seen the movie. The steamy subway sex scene alone is worth the price of admission. Rebecca De Mornay should receive a commission every time a kid from the suburbs hires a call girl.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Eastwood's Most Underrated Performances
This week, Warner Bros. announced an all-new special edition release of Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry movies onto DVD and Blu-ray. Which got us to thinking…given his long resume, what are some of Clint Eastwood’s most underrated performances?
Sure, everyone will always know him as Harry Callahan, or the “Man With No Name”, or as William Munny or Frankie Dunn – but what roles has Eastwood tackled that never got the critical acclaim they deserved?
Here’s our picks for the top ten most underrated Eastwood performances of all-time:
Memorable Line: “Hang on to this, boy. I think war's just been declared.”
At first glance, the gruff voice and harder-than-nails attitude seems just like Eastwood in another “tough guy” role. But Highway is also an lonely man with a drinking problem and an ex-wife. He’s a man who has truly given all he has for king and country…and it’s a heck of a performance by Clint.
9. Deputy Sheriff Walt Coogan in Coogan’s Bluff
Memorable Line: “You better drop that blade, or you won't believe what happens next, even while it's happening.”
Clint’s made a lot of Westerns, but Coogan’s Bluff is essentially a “fish out of water” story were an old-school lawman finds himself in the big city. Essentially a cross between his Dirty Harry and “Man With No Name” characters, Coogan is one of Eastwood’s more notable…and too often forgotten…roles.
8. Captain Wes Block in Tightrope
Memorable Line: “Actually, I was just gonna hang out here and be tacky.”
A lot of people think this is a Dirty Harry movie, although it’s not. Instead, Eastwood pays a cop who’s more haunted and flawed than Harry Callahan – a man who finds himself drawn into the seedy underworld of sex and smut while tracking a serial killer. A dark turn for Eastwood in an underappreciated part.
7. Dave Garver in Play Misty For Me
Memorable Line: “You ever find yourself getting completely smothered by someone?”
In Eastwood’s directorial debut, he plays a late night disc jockey who gets involved with an obsessive woman who just can’t see him being with anyone else. This is one of the rare roles where Eastwood plays the victim instead of the person trying to protect the victim, and it’s a great performance.
Memorable Line: “Sinning oughta be saved for much more important things.”
This is another role where Eastwood plays the victim. Except this time around, he’s a victim of his own creation, playing an injured Civil War soldier who is brought under the care of a female boarding school where he begins to take advantage of them during his recovery.
5. John Wilson in White Hunter, Black Heart
Memorable Line: “There's nothing tougher than trying to remember why you chased a dame once you've had her.”
Eastwood does a not-so-concealed take on real-life director John Huston in this film that has his character determined to kill an elephant while shooting a movie in Africa. Like Ahab hunting Moby Dick, Eastwood’s Wilson is a man obsessed with one goal, and nothing else.
Memorable Line: “The old dreams were good dreams. They didn't work out, but I’m glad I had them.”
Think Eastwood can’t play a “softy”? He nails this performance as a National Geographic photographer who gets involved in an affair with a married woman in the 1960s. The heartbreaking ending will have even the toughest Eastwood fans shedding a few tears.
Memorable Line: “I don't know nothing. Not one damn thing.”
Eastwood plays a sheriff tracking down an escaped prisoner (Kevin Costner, who’s also brilliant in his part) who has kidnapped a young boy. Tense, thrilling, but also poetic, A Perfect World is one of Eastwood’s best…and sadly ignored…films.
2. Red Stovall in Honkytonk Man
Memorable Line: “It's a sad state when a man can't buy a woman for his own boy.”
Eastwood takes on the part of an aging, alcoholic and self-destructive singer who never got his shot at the big time in this period piece set during the Great Depression. This is a tragic part for Eastwood, and (reportedly) one of his personal favorites among the roles he has played.
1. Frank Horrigan in In The Line Of Fire
Memorable Line: “I know things about people.”
This is the movie Eastwood should have won a Best Actor Oscar for. Unfortunately, he had just come off a nomination for Unforgiven, and the Academy opted not to nominate him two years in a role. But Director Wolfgang Petersen’s movie about an aging Secret Service agent on the trail of a potential Presidential assassin isn’t just a great role for Eastwood…it’s overall his best movie – ever!
Friday, March 7, 2008
Totally Crushin'! Top 10 TV Crushes (Men's Choice)
10. Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) - 30 Rock
Liz makes the list because, as TGS secretary Cerie (more on her later) once said, she makes smart sexy. She also makes glasses sexy, her hair is always messy hot, and the wardrobe department at 30 Rock clearly knows how to take advantage of the padded bra. Added points for Liz's infinite Star Wars knowledge, giving her massive nerd appeal.
9. Margene Heffman (Ginnifer Goodwin) - Big Love