drama

The Graduate

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The Graduate. Embassy Pictures 1967.

Before watching the movie:

What I know about this movie is… well, the iconic scene. Surely the plot can’t be as simple as “he gets seduced by an older woman?” Sources seem to indicate it is, but I don’t see how it could have such staying power if that’s all there is. I’m a little comforted by the mention I see that he has no direction in life after graduation, so I guess it’s a coming of age story?

It was not until I had this copy in hand that I realized that the title character was played by a very young Dustin Hoffman. Sure, I’ve seen him mentioned in context with the film a few times, but somehow I never heard “Dustin Hoffman” when people said, “In The Graduate, Dustin Hoffman…” Continue reading →

A Sound of Thunder

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A Sound of Thunder. Franchise Pictures 2005.

Before watching the movie:

I randomly found this movie on the shelf at the library, and I was intrigued. I’m somewhat breaking my rules for selections (I try to have a minimum age of ten years), but I’m very interested in seeing how this turned out. I have read the Bradbury short story this is based on, and I’m interested in discovering how they adapted it into a feature. My guess is that the characters have to battle through the alternate world they create, but I’m hoping to be surprised. For one thing, the happy ending they’re probably going to build to makes the title meaningless.

It also features Ben Kingsley, so there’s that.

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Dirty Harry

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Dirty Harry. Warner Brothers 1971.

Before watching the movie:

I apologize for again having very little to say about this movie beforehand. I’m a little drained from writing my Nanowrimo novel (which I promised myself I’d stop mentioning here).

The closest I’ve come to experiencing this film is watching the complete two-season run of Sledge Hammer, a cop-based sitcom that was made as a parody of the genre Dirty Harry spawned. I don’t really know much about the serious version. Should be good for drama and action.

On a side note, I’ve finally started a Suggestions page where readers can put their suggestions for movies to watch in one handy place. I’ll add suggested movies to the main body list and link to them as I review them.

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Logan’s Run

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Logan’s Run. Metro Goldwyn-Mayer 1976.

Before watching the movie:

My professor recommended this film to me as a similar story to draw from while writing for National Novel Writing Month. From the trailer I saw, it looks more like a totalitarian dystopia than a “the world is a lie” disillusionment, but I’ll give it a try.

The founding conceit reminds me of an episode of Star Trek, only with less protesting and more running and shooting. People’s hands have some glowing device in them.

Incidentally, Farrah Fawcett’s appearance makes a Google Image search for this movie difficult to find meaningful results.

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A Nightmare on Elm Street

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A Nightmare on Elm Street. New Line Cinema 1984.

Before watching the movie:

I don’t necessarily favor special holiday editions of everything. In fact, I avoided doing anything special for Christmas and New Year’s last year. This Halloween, I’m in the mood to catch up on some horror classics (but only the classics), which happen to be ripe YM fodder in that they’re old and they’re fresh to me.

“Nightmare” is the earliest horror movies to attract my attention. Dreams, telepathy, and pushing the limits of the mind has always been an interest of mine. A psycho who kills by entering your dreams is one of the scariest fantasies I can think of, forget the fingerblades.

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The Breakfast Club

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The Breakfast Club. Universal Pictures 1985.

Before watching the movie:

Wow. I know absolutely nothing about this movie, even though it’s one everyone knows about. I know that it’s from the 80s, contemporary, and set in a high school. I think  it’s a musical, or at least has a popular soundtrack of pop songs.  I know literally nothing else. It was a big surprise to me that it was rated R.

I have a very simple question to answer this week: Why does everyone love this movie but not talk about it?

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Die Hard

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Die Hard. 20th Century Fox 1988.

Before watching the movie:

I feel like I know so much about this film/franchise, but as I sit down to write, I realize I know hardly anything. I think this is the one with Alan Rickman as the bad guy, there’s a big logical flaw with the bad guys’ plot, and Bruce Willis’s catchphrase is R-rated.

I’ve been told this is a Christmas tradition for some people. Even if it does go down at an office Christmas party, the connection seems tenuous. On the other hand, it’s a better connection than Hoosiers has, and I know certain TV stations would leave that one on loop over Christmas so they could go see their families.

Some surprises even before I begin: I didn’t realize it was this old (I thought it was early-to-mid 90s), and Willis is doing action and not shaving his head. He looks like Nicholas Cage like that.

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Batman & Robin

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Batman and Robin. Warner Brothers 1997.

Before watching the movie:

Once again, here’s a film that lives in infamy, a fate that befalls far too many superhero movies. Often derided for being the campiest movie of the Batman series, it’s… well, it broke the franchise. Look at it this way, though: between it and Catwoman, it made Batman Begins possible. I’m hoping to find more reason to appreciate it than that, but if George Clooney is allegedly giving refunds on people’s tickets, how great can it be?

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Mission: Impossible

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Mission Impossible. Paramount Pictures 1996.

Before watching the movie:

Add this to the list of “how did I let this wait 14 years?” This movie is action, suspense, and big-name stars. It draws upon a hit TV show with an iconic theme. It is the Hollywood spy movie.

I have to admit I’ve never seen an episode of the series, so I can’t appraise it on that level.

Also, back then, nobody ever thought Tom Cruise would go publicly insane.

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Capricorn One

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Capricorn One. ITC Entertainment 1977.

Before Watching the Movie:

Once again, I know very little about this film. I hadn’t heard of it before it was suggested to me by the computer. Unlike most other movies I found this way, I wasn’t just looking for blog fodder. I had this queued for rental last year, when I ran out of money and had to shelve my rental service until now.

I don’t know why it caught my attention among other space movies. Probably it was the poster image which is reproduced here. I read the blurb and ordered it. Simple.

A Mars mission, a hoax conspiracy, it all sounds interesting to me, but doesn’t allow much to write about beforehand.

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