Pulp Fiction

Title: Pulp Fiction (1994)
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Harvey Keitel
Rank: 94

auteur: [oh-tur] a filmmaker whose individual style and complete control over all elements of production give a film its personal and unique stamp.

It takes a lot for a director to become an auteur, but Quentin Tarantino will be considered one of the most unique directors of his time. Pulp Fiction, probably his most famous work (at least up until Inglourious Basterds), is certainly reeking of Tarantino's unique style and touch.

What I like about Pulp Fiction is that it is an artistic film rather than a film created to entertain the masses. It has become a classic, not just a novelty that people forget about a year after its release. These days, the films that come out of Hollywood seem to be based on previously made films, books, comics, toys, or just have a bunch of vampires in them. Hollywood rarely has a fresh taste nowadays. Hundreds of movies come out each year, only a few of them seem to have a flavor that isn't bland. With so many films coming from other sources over the past years, it is good to see Tarantino has his own style and is not afraid to try anything in his movies. He makes them to his own liking, without worrying whether or not the masses are going to like them. (I'm sure Tarantino couldn't care less how many screaming teenagers he can get to go to his movie's premiere.)

Pulp Fiction has a unique feel to it. Some parts of it resonate 1970's spy movies, while others it is difficult to put a finger on what kind of style it is similar to. For some reason, the first time I see one of Tarantino's films, I usually don't like it much. The first time I saw Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds, I hated them. After rewatching them, though, I fell in love with them. (Inglourious Basterds is one of my favorite films of all times, even!) Perhaps the reason I didn't like his films the first time around is because Tarantino's style is an acquired taste. There is a certain mindset you must have when watching a Tarantino film- they can't be taken too seriously or you miss the subtle dark humor, and they can't be taken to lightly or they will fly over your head.

With Hollywood churning out so many films that taste like steamed rice, it is nice to have directors out there like Tarantino who give us some authentic new flavors. I can't wait to see what Tarantino is going to serve up next!



Movies to Go: 87


Please Note: Due to a slight medical condition that is currently causing me a lot of pain, I won't be watching and writing about another film until later on in the week or early next week. I have not left or forgotten about you all, I am just in need of a little break while I recover. See you soon!

Movie Trivia Game #1- WINNER!!!

The first Movie Trivia Game was a success! With 22 points, we have a winner... [drumroll]

Congratulations to

Kristie Casey!

She walks away with a $10 movie gift card. Great job, Kristie! Everyone who participated did extremely well. (Does this mean I have to make it harder next time? hehe)


Thank you to everyone who played- we had a few people participate, hopefully next time I'll see a few more of you putting in submissions. :-D

The Last Picture Show

Title: The Last Picture Show (1971)
Director: Peter Bogdanovich
Starring: Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Cloris Leachman, Ben Johnson
Rank: 95

I really enjoyed watching The Last Picture Show. It's a black and white feature, made in the seventies but set in the fifties, about a small town in Texas. The people in the town grow, learn, and collide with each other throughout their lives. It's a coming of age story about two best friends, as they go from boyhood into manhood together.

There's always a point in our lives where we feel it is the official end of our childhood and the beginning of adulthood. Most people have that one defining moment when they feel they have become an adult, marking an official close to their adolescence. For Sonny and Duane (Timothy Bottoms and Jeff Bridges), that time comes when they watch the final showing of a second-run movie in the town's tiny cinema. Watching the last picture show (where the title comes from) in the cinema before it closes forever marks the close of their teenage years and their entry into manhood and the next phase of life.

The story is full of awkward sex scenes, most have the character's intention of trying to use sex as a sign of maturity. The group of boys, lead more often than not by Duane, tries to lose their virginity and conquer different sexual feats. Even Jacy (played by Cybill Shepherd in her film debut) tries to grow up using sexuality. She is the most desirable girl in the school, and she knows it. She wants to lose her virginity to Duane just so she can sleep with another (older) man, but something goes wrong with Duane and he is unable to perform. Jacy lies to her friends and tells her that the sex was the most indescribable experience she's ever had, making them envy her. It is not uncommon for teenage girls and boys to use sexuality as a vehicle to make them seem more grown up. Through experience I can tell you that it isn't the sex that makes a person mature, though. Maturity comes through developing yourself as a person and treating others in the best way you know how.

Part of learning and growing comes from colliding with other people in our lives. In the film, everyone knew each other and was involved in one another's lives. Like Miss Mosley said, "A person can't sneeze in this town without someone offering them a handkerchief." There are no secrets in a small town. Everyone knows about the different shenanigans of the boys, everyone knows about Sonny and Ruth's affair, everyone knows about the sexual promiscuity of Jacy. The people of the town conflict in what they want, and they clash with each other often. If we all had the same desires, views, opinions, and beliefs, life would be extremely boring and offer little opportunity for personal evolutions. When we meet someone who disagrees with us, then it makes us think, and making us think helps to form new ideas and new opinions. Meeting someone who has ideals that conflict with ours can be a very positive thing, so next time someone disagrees with you, listen to them! This doesn't mean that you have to change your ideals to match theirs, but it means you should have a respect for what they are saying, and see if you can understand their reasoning. You might be surprised on the things you can learn.

In the end of the film, Duane and Sonny both reach manhood, better because of the experiences they have lived through. People never have to stop learning and growing, as long as they are alive. Just because we feel a certain way today doesn't mean we will feel the same in ten years, five years, or even one year from now. It all comes down to how open-minded we allow ourselves to be. I, for one, hope I never stop learning and growing up, because I know there is still so much more out there that I have yet to experience.



Movies to Go: 88

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Title: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Director: Milos Forman
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Will Sampson, Louise Fletcher
Rank: 33

Before this project, I had never seen One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but I am glad that I have seen it now. Having never read the book either, I knew next to nothing about the story or the characters, but it was a nice experience being able to send time in their world (and also nice to be able to escape back to mine).

Jack Nicholson plays R.P. McMurphy, a man who fakes mental illness to get out of working. He is sent to a mental facility where he forms a comradeship with the other patients and causes chaos for the nurses and attendants.

The main point of the story seems to be fighting against establishment: While in the mental asylum, McMurphy bonds many of the other patients together and fights against the nursing staff, being defiant at every chance he gets. He causes trouble, does some dangerous things, and is always willing to take a self-imposed dare when he knows it'll upset the nurses. Most people have an inner voice that makes them want to defy authority (though some people's inner voices are louder than others) and live by their own rules. Whether it is parents, a boss, or the government, there is always a part of a person that wants to rebel and do things their own way. It seems only natural to want to rebel against one thing or another, even if it is just rebelling against a trend or boycotting a fast food restaurant. It makes me wonder if we were even made to conform and be told what to do or if it is something we have imposed on ourselves as a society over time.

The other interesting point of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is the setting of the mental asylum and the characters who live in it. Each of them has their own little quirk; something that makes them unique. I have yet to meet someone who is completely "normal" and does not have some strange little feature about themselves. This doesn't have to mean that they should be in a mental facility, it just means that they are human. For example, I have an irrational fear of the garbage disposal in the sink. I cannot turn on the garbage disposal if no one else is home, and here's the (strange) reasoning: If there is something down there, like a spoon or fork or a piece of glass, then if I turn it on it's going to shoot up into my neck, and since I'm home alone no one will be there to save me from bleeding to death. I can't stick my hand down there to check, because I'm certain that the moment my fist is completely down there the garbage disposal will turn on by itself and rip my hand to shreds. So every time I absolutely need to turn on the garbage disposal when I'm home along, I have to get out a pot and hold it over the hole before turning it on to protect myself.

When a person's quirk comes together with a natural tendancy to want to rebel, the results can be amazingly interesting. In McMurphy's case, (SPOILER!) he ends up being overtaken by the "establishment" of the mental asylum, but the things he does inspired another patient faking mental illness, known as Chief, to escape and start living his life. (end SPOILER) Inspiring others to go for the right thing, no matter how crazy it may seem, can be even more satisfying than getting it yourself.

Alright, extra credit homework: post a comment telling about a quirk that you have. We all get a little strange sometimes, right?

Trivia:
• Before they were as famous stars as they are today, Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd both had supporting roles in this film as patients at the psychiatric hospital.
• Many of the extras in the hospital scenes were actual mental patients.


Movies to Go: 89

Hey everyone!

This is the first of the Movie Trivia Games! It's simple to play, and I'll be giving out movie-related prizes in all of the Movie Trivia Games. Each game will consist of about ten questions, with bonus questions related to each original question.

Here's the rules:
• You do not have to answer every question, just do your best. (Using the internet is okay, of course. I have no way of knowing what you knew off the top of your head and what you had to look up.)
• Email your answers to movies100@hotmail.com and do NOT post your answers here in the comments (doing so will void out your entry- otherwise, you're just giving everyone else the answers).
• The deadline to submit answers and be eligible to win will be Feb 10th at 12:00pm (noon, PST).
• Prize: Winner's choice from one of the following:
-$10 Gift Card to Blockbuster
-$10 Gift Card to Regal Cinemas
-$10 Gift Card to Best Buy
-Your name posted on "100 Movies in 365 Days" along with your winning score!
• When you send your email, please let me know if I have your permission to post your name (specify: First and Last, First only, screen name only, anonymous etc) and your score. I intend to post the top scores of the people who give me permission to post.
• The first person to submit their answers will receive two bonus points!
• Most IMPORTANT rule: Have fun!!!

Ready? Here we go!

Movie Trivia Game #1

1) Of all the people who worked on the film Titanic, there was only one person who was actually alive when the real ship sank. Who was it? Bonus Question: How old was this person when the ship sank?

2) When Alfred Hitchcock bought the rights to Psycho, about how much did he pay?

3) What was the highest grossing film of 1985?

4) Identify the movie the quote came from: "You're no messiah. You're a movie of the week. You're a f**king t-shirt, at best." Bonus Question: Identify the movie the quote came from: "Get busy living, or get busy dying."

5) How many Jaws films have been made? Bonus Question: How many of the Jaws films were directed by Steven Spielberg?

6) In the film Cast Away, about how long did Chuck Noland live on the island?

7) Name actors who have played the character "Batman" in a major motion picture. (One point for each correct answer, limit five points.) Bonus Question: What is Batman's real name?

8) Who got paid more for The Wizard of Oz: the dog that played Toto or the average "munchkin"?

9) In Toy Story, what action hero believes he is the real thing and not "just a toy"? Bonus Question: Name one of the things Woody says when his string is pulled.

10) Name a movie in which Eddie Murphy dons a fat suit. (One point for each correct answer.) Bonus Question: Name the movie in which Gwenyth Paltrow plays an obese woman whose inner beauty can be seen clearly by Jack Black.

11) Bonus Question: What is your favorite movie?



(Hint: Some of the answers can be found in the other "100 Movies in 365 Days" posts.)

Oscar Announcements

Today the Academy announced the nominations for this years Oscars. Here's the list, in case you missed it:

Best Picture

• Avatar^ (James Cameron and Jon Landau, producers)
• The Blind Side* (nominees TBD)
• District 9 (Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, producers)
• An Education (Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, producers)
• The Hurt Locker (nominees TBD)
• Inglourious Basterds (Lawrence Bender, producer)
• Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire (Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, and Gary Magness, producers)
• A Serious Man (Joel and Ethan Coen, producers)
• Up (Jonas Rivera, producer)
• Up in the Air (Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman, and Jason Reitman, producers)

Actor in a Leading Role

• Jeff Bridges^*, Crazy Heart
• George Clooney, Up in the Air
• Colin Firth, A Single Man
• Morgan Freeman, Invictus
• Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Actress in a Leading Role

• Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
• Helen Mirren, The Last Station
• Carey Mulligan, An Education
• Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
• Meryl Streep^*, Julie & Julia

Actor in a Supporting Role

• Matt Damon, Invictus
• Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
• Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
• Stanley Tucci*, The Lovely Bones
• Christoph Waltz^, Inglourious Basterds

Actress in a Supporting Role

• Penélope Cruz, Nine
• Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
• Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
• Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
• Mo'Nique^*, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Cinematography

• Avatar (Mauro Fiore)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Bruno Delbonnel)
• The Hurt Locker (Barry Ackroyd)
• Inglourious Basterds (Robert Richardson)
• The White Ribbon^ (Christian Berger)

Directing

• James Cameron^, Avatar
• Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
• Lee Daniels, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
• Jason Reitman*, Up in the Air

Check out the other categories here-
• Animated Feature Film
• Art Direction
• Costume Design
• Documentary Feature
• Documentary Short
• Film Editing
• Foreign Language Film
• Makeup
• Music (Original Score)
• Music (Original Song)
• Short Film (Animated)
• Short Film (Live Action)
• Sound Mixing
• Visual Effects
• Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
• Writing (Original Screenplay)


^= the one I think will win
*= the one I would like to see win

Who are your picks? Who do you think will be the winners?

Raging Bull

Title: Raging Bull (1980)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty
Rank: 4

I watched Raging Bull last night, and it marks the tenth film in this project. That means I'm 10% done already! January is already over, and I have a feeling that this year (and this project) is going to go by fast.

Although Raging Bull centers around the life of a boxer, it really isn't just about the sport of boxing. (In fact, there is only a few minutes of the film that actually shows boxing.) Throughout the whole film, there is anger, rage, and fighting. Not only is it about the fights between the characters, but the general battle of life that we all go through.

As beautiful as it is, life is rarely easy. There is no one out there who does not experience hardships, whether they are financial, social, health woes, or anything else. If we want a satisfying life, we have to fight for it. We may often feel like we are K.O.'d by life, but there will always be another round if we are strong enough to get back on our feet. Jake La Motta (played by De Niro) goes through his boxing career wanting to be the champion, and although he doesn't ever win the title he wants, he does not ever give up or let himself fall. Sometimes, that's enough- as long as we keep fighting for it and don't let ourselves stop, we're doing alright. It is more about the journey than the actual destination: we learn so much going through life, riding over the bumps in the road, and trying to figure out exactly where we fit in. Life is an adventure.

Raging Bull is also about dealing with inner demons. La Motta finds his own downfall, both in personal relationship and professional, because of his own inner demons. Often our inner demons come from our own perceptions of how the world is; sometimes we become paranoid and judgmental because of one bad past experience, and because of that past experience being sour we assume any experience that is similar will also be sour. We become jaded, and our hearts harden. Distrust comes out to play, and we see things in an altered point of view.

Fighting our own demons can be a life-long battle. As long as we don't let them own us, we're doing pretty well. "Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world right in the eye."
Helen Keller



Movies to Go: 90

Titanic

Title: Titanic (1997)
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet
Rank: 83

It's no surprise to see Titanic on AFI's list. Not only is it an outstanding movie about a tragedy that many people have a deep interest in, but it is also a beautiful love story. Titanic changed the face of Hollywood, setting new standards for the way films were made from that point on.

Essentially, the film is two stories that intertwine together, on real and the other fiction. There is the real story of the sinking of Titanic- the tale of living through the event, the passengers who died, and the legends that will live on forever. Just a few years shy from the 100th anniversary (April 14, 1912-April 14, 2012) of the actual sinking, and the story is still just has powerful and saddening as it was back then. It was an event that shook the world, and rattled the confidence that mankind had in itself. Deeming the ship "unsinkable" only to have it flounder on its first voyage was a hard reminder that we are not the most powerful force on earth, and that the beauty of nature should never be underestimated. It was also a wake-up call for a society that based status and worth completely on the amount of money each family had. After Titanic sank, stricter safety regulations were implemented for the sailing world, now making it mandatory to have enough lifeboats for all passengers aboard each vessel.

The other story is that of the fictitious romance. Jack and Rose are basically Romeo and Juliet- they come from two vastly different worlds, not supposed to love each other, and they don't end up together in the end due to death. Most people are suckers for a good "Romeo and Juliet" story, myself included. Many people fantasize about the ultimate love, one in which there is nothing that is capable of tearing the lovers apart from each other. Seeing a tale of ultimate romance on the screen allows the viewer to live vicariously through the characters.

Perhaps one of the most prominent reasons that Titanic is on AFI's list is the affect it had on the film industry. Titanic had an astronomical budget of $200 million, but because of the success of the film it is common for major many films these days to have budgets that reach in the hundreds of millions. It also brought the "blockbuster" status higher- instead of reaching $100 million to be deemed a blockbuster, films now have to hit the $200 million mark* to earn that title. Titanic was also the film that brought Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio up to A-List star status, and it also paved the way for films that were less star-driven. These days, moviegoers are more attracted to the concept and story rather than the headlining names. (Which is great news for those of you who are beginning acting careers out there- Hollywood is always looking for new talent. There are tons of Hollywood movie-makers who are eager to discover the next big star!)

It would be a crime to not mention director James Cameron's current box-office feat, Avatar, in this post. Once again, Cameron has changed the face of movie-making, having put new film technology that he himself developed on the map and making 3-D so much more than a passing novelty. (Of course, this isn't the first time 3-D has been popular, and only time will tell if this time it will become a long-term film feature, like color and sound were back in the day, or just another fleeting trend.) This also marks the end of Cameron's Titanic as reigning champion of highest-grossing film ever, Avatar having passed up the record just this past week. I, for one, am interested to see what James Cameron will bring us in another twelve years. It's no doubt he will once again setting new standards for film making.

*Source: Markovitz, Adam. "Did Titanic change Hollywood?" Entertainment Weekly 22 Jan 2010: 32

Trivia: (source: IMDb.com)
•The studio originally wanted Matthew McConaughey for the role of Jack, but James Cameron insisted on Leonardo DiCaprio. (I can't imagine McConaughey in the role of Jack- he just wouldn't fit the part in my opinion!)
•The scene during the sinking in which water crashes through the glass dome into the Grand Staircase had to be done in one take because the set and all the furnishings would be destroyed in that take.
•Gloria Stuart is the only person who worked on this film who was actually alive when the Titanic actually sank. (She was born July 4, 1910 and will celebrate her 100th birthday this year!)
•James Cameron is currently the director whose films have grossed the most money world-wide, even surpassing the great George Lucas.



Movies to Go: 91

Network

Title: Network (1976)
Director: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall
Rank: 64

There is a great debate on whether people are naturally good and turn evil, or are inherently bad and must over come it to become pleasant and kind. In Network, all of the characters seem to have an easy enough time doing evil deeds. Extra-marital affairs, cheating others for profit, and even murder, all because of television ratings.

It is interesting to see the lengths people will go to gain something for themselves, whether they want power, money, fame, or all three of them. Some people will do anything for success, without regard for the feelings and well-being of others. At one point or another, everyone gets selfish and does things that aren't the most honorable to benefit themselves. It is tempting to do mischievous things to get what we want, and people willing to do those things are not in short supply. Especially with the economy in the state it is right now, there are people who are doing some pretty sleazy things for money, scamming defenseless people who still have trust in humanity.

Lying, cheating, stealing, and all those other sinful doings are, sadly, not uncommon in this world. We tend to not trust others until we get to know them because of personal experiences and stories we hear from others and on the news. It is hard to know who to trust and who not to trust, especially since it is so easy to lie these days- people can become anyone on the internet. (How do you know I am really a 23-year-old woman living in Southern California? For all you really know, I could be a 97-year-old man living in Scandinavia, or even a purple horse who has been given fingers to type and the ability to speak English from a old wizard who owed him a favor. You never really know!)

In Network, everyone speaks with such an eloquent quality and in educated language, even when the scene is intense. There is a scene in which Max Schumacher (played by Holden) tells his wife (played by Beatrice Straight) that he is having an affair. Mrs. Schumacher gives this speech to him, ever so eloquently, and the final line is this: "I'm your wife, damn it. And, if you can't work up a winter passion for me, the least I require is respect and allegiance. I hurt. Don't you understand that? I hurt badly." If I had just found out my husband was cheating on me, I would use much harsher words towards him than "winter passion" and "respect and allegiance." This use of vivid language makes it that much easier for people to do deceptive things. Hitler, for example, was a very good speaker and very convincing of his points, even though the things he did were absolutely appalling. We must be cautious of falling victim to people like this, because it is these people who can sway the most followers and do the most damage.

It often astonishes me to hear about the deceitful things that people do to each other. Sometimes it is hard not to completely lose faith in humanity when we see stories like Network or watch the evening news, but there are still plenty of good people out there. Unfortunately, they don't always get as much attention as the ones who do dirty deeds. Perhaps we need to shift our focus and praise more of the good and leave out a little more of the bad. Think positive, be positive.

Trivia: (source: IMDb)
•Won 4 Oscars (1977): Best Screenplay (Paddy Chayefsky), Best Actress in a Leading Role (Faye Dunaway), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Peter Finch), and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Beatrice Straight).
•Peter Finch became the first actor to receive an award in an acting category posthumously.



Movies to Go: 92

~*~Be sure to check out the things that are coming in February, and VOTE to let me know what you want to see! Go here.~*~

New things to come in February!

Hey everyone!

I'm working on "spicing" up things a bit starting in February. Posting only twice a week doesn't seem to offer many opportunities for discussions or thoughts. Doing two movies a week is great, but I want to add more to the project and make it more interesting.

So here's some of my ideas. I don't know yet which ones I'll do, but any feedback, ideas, or comments from you are always welcome.

1) Interviews. What I'm thinking is trying to get interviews from people who are inside the movie business, getting some "Insider Info" about their job, but also their personal opinions and preferences on movies. I'm also thinking about doing interviews with people like YOU- people who are movie fanatics, movie buffs, or just movie watchers. It would be a great way for everyone who wants a more personal involvement in the project to get that. (I'd take volunteers if anyone is interested!)

2) Off-List Movies/2017 List Movies. The former would basically be what I do with the movies on the list, but it would be on movies that are not on the list. It would be both new and old movies, such as Edward Scissorhands and/or Avatar. The latter would be doing movies that would potentially be on AFI's "2017" list (supposing that they continue with the tradition of republishing a list every ten years). If people have a particular movie that they think would end up on the "2017" list, they could send me a message or post a comment with that movie suggestion and I could take it into consideration and possibly post about it here. (All suggestions would be given credit unless the suggester requested to remain anonymous.)

3) Movie Trivia Game. If I add on this one, I would do it once or twice a month and give away a movie-related prize. (Off the top of my head, I'm thinking either movie tickets, DVDs, Blockbuster gift card, or Best Buy gift card as possibilities. I don't have a ton of money to spend, and the cost would be out-of-pocket, but I would be willing to do this if enough people wanted to participate.)

4) Video Posts. This one would depend on how well my computer wanted to comply. What I am picturing for this would be videos of a variety of movie-related things- this idea is still in development, so I don't have anything pin-pointed for this. Perhaps some spoofs of movies in less than a couple of minutes (it would be the ultimate definition of low-budget), maybe some video-interviews with people (as per idea #1), or something with a bit of movie-history. (Again, this idea is still a bit raw, so it'll get a little cleaner later if this is one I decide to go with.)

I am very interested in reader-feedback, if any one is indeed reading this. ;) Any suggestions, preferences on which of my ideas you'd like to see me do, or anything! It is all greatly appreciated.

To make it easier, on the right side of the blog is a poll, and the current poll is about which of these suggestions you would like to see happen. Thank you for reading!