A weekend with the guys.

Well the guys got together for a weekend of movie watching and we knocked out four movies in the course of two days. I finished off the weekend watching The Big Lebowski on my own (LD). All in all it was a solid weekend. All of the movies were new for me, but Derek had a couple repeats. As he likes to say I was probably the only guy in our age demographic who had not seen The Matrix as he was with Braveheart. All five movies moved into my top 100, though Dr Stangelove is hanging in right at the bottom.



Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Directed By: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott




Acting: (8.5)
Effects: (7.5)
Plot: (8)
Entertainment: (8)

Cumulative: (8)

Derek:
Sellers and Scott were both outstanding. The Cinematography and plot were both ridiculous; which, I assume, was the intent. It was a clever satire that probably would have struck a chord more had I been 20 years older.

Acting: 8.5
Effects: 7.5
Plot: 8.5
Entertainment: 6.5

Cumulative: 7.5




Annie Hall (1977)
Directed By:
Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton




Acting: (9)
Effects: (7.5)
Plot: (8.5)
Entertainment: (9)

Cumulative: (8.5)


Derek:
Woody Allen's wit is really the only reason to watch this film. His paranoia and neurosis set the stage for some great lines and his delivery is usually perfect. I've never been a Diane Keaton fan. While the young Keaton was a bit easier to swallow, she still didn't do much for me. I was actually a bit let down by this one.

Acting: 8
Effects: 7
Plot: 7
Entertainment: 7

Cumulative: 7




Brick (2005)
Directed By: Rian Johnson
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Nora Zehetner




Acting: (8)
Effects: (8.5)
Plot: (8)
Entertainment: (8.5)

Cumulative: (8.25)

Derek:
Brick is a film that has to be admired what it attempts and what it accomplishes. Taking the classic film noir experience and translating it into a west coast high school setting sounds alot like the classic square peg in a round hole scenario. It would have been so easy to go over the cliff and fall into a parody, but the film manages to walk that narrow line and create a compelling drama. The dialogue is tricky and difficult to deliver with a straight face. The young cast, most notably Gordon-Levitt, do a remarkable job of fitting the classic character molds normally assigned to actors twice their ages. My ratings for this film actually went up after reviewing it.

Acting: 8
Cinematography: 9
Plot: 9
Entertainment: 8

Cumulative: 8



The Matrix (1999)
Directed By: Andy & Larry Wachowski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss




Acting: (6.5)
Effects: (10)
Plot: (9.5)
Entertainment: (8.5)

Cumulative: (8.625)

Derek:
This has been one of my absolute favorites since the first time I watched it in 2000. 2 Terrible sequels, several copycats, and the simple passing of years changed my impression. The action, though dynamic and revolutionary at the time, has been emulated and mocked so many times that it's impact is almost non existent. The stylistic cinematography looks a bit dated now. The acting has always been mediocre, I used to think that the film looked so good that it didn't matter. Apparently, the Wachowski brothers thought so as well (see: Matrix Reloaded & Revolutions). I still think it's an awfully good Sci/Fi film and I hate to punish an original film in retrospect for what is ultimately something that can't be helped, but it simply doesn't produce the jaw dropping awe that it used to.

Acting: 7.5 (Reduced from 8)
Effects: 10
Plot: 10
Entertainment: 9 (Reduced from 10)

Cumulative: 9



The Big Lebowski (1998)
Directed By: The Coen Brothers
Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi




Acting: (9.5)
Effects: (7.5)
Plot: (8)
Entertainment: (9)

Cumulative: (8.5)