The Bad News Bears

Directed by: Michael Ritchie

Written by: Bill Lancaster










I was channel surfing a while back when I stumbled upon this movie airing on the MLB Network channel.  I'd seen the re-make several times, but hadn't stopped to watch the original since I was a kid.

The film is remarkably still very strong, and manages to avoid dating itself.  Matthau plays the lovable loser coaching a whole team of lovable losers.  The kids, led by Tatum O'Neal, give the film its weight and momentum and feeling.

What gives the film such standing, I feel, is that it manages to have heart, without resorting to the standard Hollywood corn or cheese.  You care about the kids, but not because they prey upon your sympathies.  Instead, they feel like real human beings.  By the end of the movie, you're rooting for them without necessarily being told to.  It's fascinating the way that was handled.

I'd love to watch the original and the re-make back-to-back.  For now, though, I highly recommend the original.

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Extended Edition)

Directed by: Peter Jackson

Written by: J.R.R. Tolkien (book); Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens (screenplay)









When it comes to telling a massive story, adding up to over nine hours (or more) total, your payoff better be huge.  "Return of the King" pays off for all the waiting and wandering of the characters and the audience.

All of the pieces that were set in motion in the first movie (several, several hours ago in film time) move toward their final resolution.  This is no easy task, considering the long list of major and semi-major characters that have been built up.  The "extended edition" I watched had even more scenes added to the climax and resolution.

As a quick side note: the "Mouth of Sauron" scene that was included in this version of the film was exactly as I imagined it when I read the book.  I was originally disappointed that it did not make the final cut in the theatrical version, but is well worth watching if you can get a copy of this cut.

The biggest complain I've heard about this movie is about all the fake-out ending moments - scenes where it seems like everything is wrapped-up and done and the screen fades away, only to fade-in a few moments later with another scene.  I'll admit, these scenes were not handled as well as they could have been, made  more complicated by the seemingly-final transitions.  As a counter-point, I'd say that if you were willing to sit through the entire series up to this point, you should understand that the film or the series is not going to end with a simple fade-out.  It's an epic, and it needs resolution.  We've journeyed with these characters so far, we need to find out what happens to them all, or the story will remain incomplete.

On the whole, "Return of the King" had the grandest scale of the series, giving it a greater sense of "epic" than the previous two.  ("Fellowship" was more of a simple quest. "Two Towers" did not gain any real scale until the final battle sequence.)  The massive battle sequence will be tough to match in future fantasy films, and should rightly be the standard to which all others are compared.

This film, and the rest of the series, are well worth watching.

Harold and Maude (Revisited)

I've seen this movie many, many times.  I'm pretty sure I've already written about it at least twice.

Rather than add any more here, I'll just recommend you see it.

Psycho

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

Written by: Joseph Stefano (screenplay); Robert Bloch (novel)










If there is an iconic horror/slasher film, this is it.  I'm glad my local theater decided to run it as part of their "Classic Film Wednesday" series.

I hadn't seen the movie since high school, so some of the shocks and twists still felt new.

That's the key for this film: It still seems new.  The styles and effects may have changed since it was made, but the tension and mood is still top-notch.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who says they "like movies."

Pulp Fiction

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Written by: Quentin Tarantino (screenplay, story), Roger Avary (story)










"Pulp Fiction" is a film that stands in a class of its own.  It's bloody.  It's violent.  It's crude.  And it's great.

What's most surprising to me is that "Pulp Fiction" only represents Tarantino's sophomore effort.  By his second film, he's already showing an incredible ability to synthesize influences to create an entirely new piece.  (He will repeat this process with martial arts films in "Kill Bill" and war films in "Inglorious Basterds.)

The complexity of the story sequencing is something that stands out no matter how many times I've seen it.  Each of the stories could theoretically stand alone, but is also critically connected to the other parts.  Almost like a house of cards, each part leans on the others to stand up, and it works incredibly well.  Other movies have been made since with a similar structure, but none with nearly as much finesse and artistry as "Pulp Fiction."

Man in the Sand

Directed by: Kim Hopkins

Woody Gurthrie died long before any artist with an instrument could become a recording artist in their own living room.  As a result, many of his songs went unrecorded; the only record, a few lyrics scribbled or typed on random paper.  Billy Bragg and the band Wilco were granted access to these previously unpublished and unrecorded songs.

"Man in the Sand" documents the development and recording of the "Mermaid Avenue"album, including following Billy Bragg as he traces the footsteps of the different phases of Guthrie's life.  It also shows the different priorities of the artists, and the tensions that arose between them as the album moved toward its final form.

It's a neat little film, but not worth watching if you haven't heard the album.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Extended Edition)

Directed by: Peter Jackson

Written by: J.R.R. Tolkien (book); Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair (screenplay)









Being the second part of "The Lord of the Rings"...

When we left off, Frodo and Sam were headed off towards the dark land of Mordor while the rest of the fellowship had been battling orcs and heading to Gondor.  This film picks up almost exactly where the first part left off.

This nature of the story requires that the film follow two distinct stories: that of Frodo and Sam, and that of the rest of the group.  Although the balance is not perfect, the two stories alternate often enough to keep either story from slowing down the pace.

"The Two Towers" does not take great advantage of its sequel status to take on new ground.  Instead, it feels as if it begins and ends rather arbitrarily.  (Compared to, say, "The Empire Strikes Back," which takes advantage of previously established characters to trampoline into a more complex story.)

What does stand out about "The Two Towers" is the epic scene encompassing the battle of Helms Deep, which makes the entire movie worth watching from beginning to end.  The battles of the first movie were rather small in scale.  The Helms Deep sequence is large and loud and chaotic, as all great fantasy battles should be.

The only character who really grows or develops in this segment is Aragorn (Mortensen), and his arc is clear.  Most of the other folks are pretty static to the point of their development being nearly irrelevant.  This lack of development may be a part of why this movie does not stand out from the rest of the series.

You can't watch "The Two Towers" without seeing "The Fellowship of the Ring" first, or following it up with "The Return of the King."  It is more of an episode than a separate film.

I can't remember anything specific standing out in the "Extended Edition" which was not part of the original theatrical cut, so I'll refrain from commenting on anything like that.