Tropical Island Video Vault Draft - ROUND 20 - FINAL ROUND
- Thread starter Jespher
- Start date
Okay. Taking one here that I'm almost certain isn't on anyone's radar, and in fact probably hasn't been seen by much of anyone but me, but that's what I assumed about The Fall and we saw how that worked out, so... For my next pick:
A Single Man (2009) -- This is easily one of my favorite films of recent years for a number of reasons. Firstly, it's insanely gorgeous. The film is directed by Tom Ford, famous as a fashion designer and an art director, and his gifted eye is on full display. I expected that, going in. And with a cast that features Colin Firth (who, admittedly, despite his longstanding reputation, I'd always considered overrated until recently) and Julianne Moore, I expected the acting to be engaging, as well. And it is. Painfully so, in fact. Where I was prepared to be let down, however, was in the writing, also at the hands of Tom Ford. Adapted from a novel by Christopher Isherwood, this film was clearly a labor of love for Ford, and it shows. The script, the pace, the everything is perfect, despite tackling a number of themes -- all stemming from the Firth's character forced to grieve the loss of his partner secretly as his position within the world of academia in 1960s Los Angeles keeps him in the closet -- which could easily go over-the-top melodrama. Like I said, perfect. Couldn't risk losing this one on the off chance someone else has seen it.
A Single Man (2009) -- This is easily one of my favorite films of recent years for a number of reasons. Firstly, it's insanely gorgeous. The film is directed by Tom Ford, famous as a fashion designer and an art director, and his gifted eye is on full display. I expected that, going in. And with a cast that features Colin Firth (who, admittedly, despite his longstanding reputation, I'd always considered overrated until recently) and Julianne Moore, I expected the acting to be engaging, as well. And it is. Painfully so, in fact. Where I was prepared to be let down, however, was in the writing, also at the hands of Tom Ford. Adapted from a novel by Christopher Isherwood, this film was clearly a labor of love for Ford, and it shows. The script, the pace, the everything is perfect, despite tackling a number of themes -- all stemming from the Firth's character forced to grieve the loss of his partner secretly as his position within the world of academia in 1960s Los Angeles keeps him in the closet -- which could easily go over-the-top melodrama. Like I said, perfect. Couldn't risk losing this one on the off chance someone else has seen it.
Okay. Taking one here that I'm almost certain isn't on anyone's radar, and in fact probably hasn't been seen by much of anyone but me, but that's what I assumed about The Fall and we saw how that worked out, so... For my next pick:
A Single Man (2009) -- This is easily one of my favorite films of recent years for a number of reasons. Firstly, it's insanely gorgeous. The film is directed by Tom Ford, famous as a fashion designer and an art director, and his gifted eye is on full display. I expected that, going in. And with a cast that features Colin Firth (who, admittedly, despite his longstanding reputation, I'd always considered overrated until recently) and Julianne Moore, I expected the acting to be engaging, as well. And it is. Painfully so, in fact. Where I was prepared to be let down, however, was in the writing, also at the hands of Tom Ford. Adapted from a novel by Christopher Isherwood, this film was clearly a labor of love for Ford, and it shows. The script, the pace, the everything is perfect, despite tackling a number of themes -- all stemming from the Firth's character forced to grieve the loss of his partner secretly as his position within the world of academia in 1960s Los Angeles keeps him in the closet -- which could easily go over-the-top melodrama. Like I said, perfect. Couldn't risk losing this one on the off chance someone else has seen it.
A Single Man (2009) -- This is easily one of my favorite films of recent years for a number of reasons. Firstly, it's insanely gorgeous. The film is directed by Tom Ford, famous as a fashion designer and an art director, and his gifted eye is on full display. I expected that, going in. And with a cast that features Colin Firth (who, admittedly, despite his longstanding reputation, I'd always considered overrated until recently) and Julianne Moore, I expected the acting to be engaging, as well. And it is. Painfully so, in fact. Where I was prepared to be let down, however, was in the writing, also at the hands of Tom Ford. Adapted from a novel by Christopher Isherwood, this film was clearly a labor of love for Ford, and it shows. The script, the pace, the everything is perfect, despite tackling a number of themes -- all stemming from the Firth's character forced to grieve the loss of his partner secretly as his position within the world of academia in 1960s Los Angeles keeps him in the closet -- which could easily go over-the-top melodrama. Like I said, perfect. Couldn't risk losing this one on the off chance someone else has seen it.
Seems like there's been a run on war movies as of late, and while it's never been my favorite genre (at least not for repeated viewings), there are one or two that have cracked my list. The first:
Jarhead (2005) -- I find that I have nothing terribly important or profound to say about this one (which is not to suggest that my other write-ups have been either profound or important, but... you know what I mean). Interesting take on the genre, helped in part by its focus away from the action, with solid acting, directing, and shirtless Jake Gyllenhaal. The last five or so minutes goes for an epilogue so cheesy as to almost ruin the whole thing, but luckily on my island there will be no one forcing me to watch until the credits roll.
Jarhead (2005) -- I find that I have nothing terribly important or profound to say about this one (which is not to suggest that my other write-ups have been either profound or important, but... you know what I mean). Interesting take on the genre, helped in part by its focus away from the action, with solid acting, directing, and shirtless Jake Gyllenhaal. The last five or so minutes goes for an epilogue so cheesy as to almost ruin the whole thing, but luckily on my island there will be no one forcing me to watch until the credits roll.
There are a few different ways I'd like to go with this pick but the deciding factor for me was which movie would I be more sad about had it not made it back to me..
May be a bit of a gamble, but I love this movie and I just can't imagine not having it on my island to watch over and over...
Thor
I've still yet to pick my favorite movie ever. And that scares me.
May be a bit of a gamble, but I love this movie and I just can't imagine not having it on my island to watch over and over...
Thor
I've still yet to pick my favorite movie ever. And that scares me.
There are a few different ways I'd like to go with this pick but the deciding factor for me was which movie would I be more sad about had it not made it back to me..
May be a bit of a gamble, but I love this movie and I just can't imagine not having it on my island to watch over and over...
Thor
I've still yet to pick my favorite movie ever. And that scares me.
May be a bit of a gamble, but I love this movie and I just can't imagine not having it on my island to watch over and over...
Thor
I've still yet to pick my favorite movie ever. And that scares me.
Alright, been looking at this one as far back as my Groundhog Day pick, and since nobody else seems to want it, I'm not going to let it dangle any longer:
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) PG
I've always got one eye on the premise of this draft with these picks, not only looking for good flicks, but looking for endlessly rewatchable ones. And Ferris has been a retro blast for 25 years now, and is still going strong.
Unfortunately of course at this point I have probably fallen out of sympathy with Kennadog, having now selected a gritty war movie and a movie celebrating a juvenile delinquent who is an expert at duping school personnel and cutting school with back to back picks but that's ok, I'm going to be stuck on this damn island alone.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) PG
I've always got one eye on the premise of this draft with these picks, not only looking for good flicks, but looking for endlessly rewatchable ones. And Ferris has been a retro blast for 25 years now, and is still going strong.
Unfortunately of course at this point I have probably fallen out of sympathy with Kennadog, having now selected a gritty war movie and a movie celebrating a juvenile delinquent who is an expert at duping school personnel and cutting school with back to back picks but that's ok, I'm going to be stuck on this damn island alone.
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My Fair Lady - 1964
Audrey is easily my favorite actress and with my favorite of her movies unavaliable, it's simple enough to slide on to my second.
Doesn't hurt that it's one of the most celebrated film adaptations of a hit Broadway musical, has a score that reads like a hall of fame ballot and a natural character-driven humor.
I am going with:
RED
A fun film, with a good mix of humor and action. The cast is great and works well together (Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Mary-Louise Parker, Karl Urban, Ernest Borgnine, and a hilarious John Malkovich).
A bunch of ex-black ops agents are being hunted down (they are RED - Retired, Extremely Dangerous). They band together to figure out why and put a stop to it. I like this one more than I probably should.....
pm sent
RED
A fun film, with a good mix of humor and action. The cast is great and works well together (Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Mary-Louise Parker, Karl Urban, Ernest Borgnine, and a hilarious John Malkovich).
A bunch of ex-black ops agents are being hunted down (they are RED - Retired, Extremely Dangerous). They band together to figure out why and put a stop to it. I like this one more than I probably should.....
pm sent
Attachments
Next up for me is: Heavenly Creatures (1994 - R)
When I heard that Peter Jackson was going to be directing the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I was a bit worried about how they might turn out, because I'd never heard of him. So I checked out one of his recent films. It soothed my fears immediately. In Heavenly Creatures, Jackson takes a real-life story of an infamous New Zealand matricide and weaves it into a tale of the love and fantasy of two teenaged girls. It's the sort of movie that wouldn't seem to command special effects, but then there they are, and they're flawless. It keeps you gripped until the very end even though you know the ending from the very start of the film. One of my favorites.
Trailer behind the spoiler wall:
When I heard that Peter Jackson was going to be directing the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I was a bit worried about how they might turn out, because I'd never heard of him. So I checked out one of his recent films. It soothed my fears immediately. In Heavenly Creatures, Jackson takes a real-life story of an infamous New Zealand matricide and weaves it into a tale of the love and fantasy of two teenaged girls. It's the sort of movie that wouldn't seem to command special effects, but then there they are, and they're flawless. It keeps you gripped until the very end even though you know the ending from the very start of the film. One of my favorites.
Trailer behind the spoiler wall:
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Ed Wood (1994)
Biopic of Ed Wood, considered by many the worst director ever. Johnny Depp is very good as the naive main character but the one who really steals the show is Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi, able to shift easily from hilarious to dramatic throughout the whole movie.
To me it's mainly a comedy but it also deals with deep issues such as addiction and failing in the things you love doing the most.
One of my favourite scenes:
From now on please send the PMs to Warhawk.
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Well, crap. I have two movies in mind, and I know if I pick one, the other won't make it to the next round.
Animal House (1978)
You can make as many Van Wilder movies as you want, but they won't even come close to this cucumber of a movie. So many good scenes, so many good quotes. Frankly, I thought it would go sooner.
Animal House (1978)
You can make as many Van Wilder movies as you want, but they won't even come close to this cucumber of a movie. So many good scenes, so many good quotes. Frankly, I thought it would go sooner.
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Ed Wood (1994)
Biopic of Ed Wood, considered by many the worst director ever. Johnny Depp is very good as the naive main character but the one who really steals the show is Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi, able to shift easily from hilarious to dramatic throughout the whole movie.
To me it's mainly a comedy but it also deals with deep issues such as addiction and failing in the things you love doing the most.
One of my favourite scenes:
From now on please send the PMs to Warhawk.
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Alright, now I have a list of 8 movies that I'd like for my island. None are favorites, I wouldn't be sad if I lost out on any of them. Most have replacements. So I don't know which order to pick them. I guess this one goes first because it might be the most likely to get picked by someone else and is the most unique of the group when compared to what I have already on my island.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266697/
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266697/
Ed Wood (1994)
Biopic of Ed Wood, considered by many the worst director ever. Johnny Depp is very good as the naive main character but the one who really steals the show is Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi, able to shift easily from hilarious to dramatic throughout the whole movie.
To me it's mainly a comedy but it also deals with deep issues such as addiction and failing in the things you love doing the most.
Another one I almost took twice, but kept pushing down the list in the hopes it'd get lost in the shuffle.
Expanding my second quick pick:
Zathura
This movie is the exact same concept (and author) as Jumanji, but instead of a crummy jungle game, they play and awesome sci-fi game. Killer robots, heat seeking space dragons, a spaceman, asteroids... it has all of the great fantasy elements I enjoy in a film and doesn't take itself too seriously... has throwback sci-fi elements and all kinds of fun and different takes on traditional sci-fi themes... I was going to pick this later, but after Serenity went, I knew I needed to shore up my sci-fi picks now.
Zathura
This movie is the exact same concept (and author) as Jumanji, but instead of a crummy jungle game, they play and awesome sci-fi game. Killer robots, heat seeking space dragons, a spaceman, asteroids... it has all of the great fantasy elements I enjoy in a film and doesn't take itself too seriously... has throwback sci-fi elements and all kinds of fun and different takes on traditional sci-fi themes... I was going to pick this later, but after Serenity went, I knew I needed to shore up my sci-fi picks now.
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Alright, guess I'll grab my golden oldie now.
The Night of the Hunter - 1955
Robert Mitchum brings us one of the nastiest villains ever put to screen and Charles Laughton delivers some amazing expressionist inspired visuals in what sadly would be his only directorial performance, perhaps due to this film's lack of success when it was released, now it is considered a classic. This may be the counterpoint to the old saying that you can't polish a turd because the story and some of the other performances (notably the young girl actress) are just that. It is even told that when Laughton proposed the film to Mitchum he told him he had a turd of a story and was set to make a movie of it. But there are some fantastic shots in this film, most notably Shelly Winters in her car under the water, but also the images of the children drifting down the river on their boat, of the preacher on horseback singing his song through the barn windows that the children have slept in for the evening and of Lillian Gish waiting for Mitchum on the porch holding her shotgun. Then there is the murder of the children's mother - mom lies in her bed - lit like a coffin while the preacher stands beside her, the angular roof line of their bed room lit up like a chapel, as he looks out the window. This is just stirring stuff that directors and cinematographers would emulate decades later.
Then you've got Mitchum's "Reverend" Harry Powell, the preacher with Love and Hate tattooed across the knuckles of his hands who will stop at nothing in his pursuit of stolen bank money that two children are hiding. His call of "Children" along with his constant singing of "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" are just downright creepy. While his accent and mannerisms can be over the top at times, it feels so natural in the way he seems to mesmerize just about everyone he speaks to - except the boy who is onto him from the first meeting.
One of the great things about this movie is how many people have tried to classify it over the years. I've seen it listed on some "Best Noir" lists, but it really isn't noir. Oh sure, it is very aware of noir and it's conventions, some of which are turned on their heads but it also leaves many of the classic noir elements completely out to the point of it being almost the anti-noir. It isn't a true horror or thriller either. The way it is shot is almost like a fairy tale and I've seen it argued that the whole story is just a bad nightmare - which is entirely plausible given the burden that the young boy is faced with when given the money by his father. These elements combined with Mitchum's performance all combine to make it perfectly rewatchable and at ~90 mins it will work perfectly with my other selections as a double feature.
Trailer and a few clips below in spoilers.
The Night of the Hunter - 1955
Robert Mitchum brings us one of the nastiest villains ever put to screen and Charles Laughton delivers some amazing expressionist inspired visuals in what sadly would be his only directorial performance, perhaps due to this film's lack of success when it was released, now it is considered a classic. This may be the counterpoint to the old saying that you can't polish a turd because the story and some of the other performances (notably the young girl actress) are just that. It is even told that when Laughton proposed the film to Mitchum he told him he had a turd of a story and was set to make a movie of it. But there are some fantastic shots in this film, most notably Shelly Winters in her car under the water, but also the images of the children drifting down the river on their boat, of the preacher on horseback singing his song through the barn windows that the children have slept in for the evening and of Lillian Gish waiting for Mitchum on the porch holding her shotgun. Then there is the murder of the children's mother - mom lies in her bed - lit like a coffin while the preacher stands beside her, the angular roof line of their bed room lit up like a chapel, as he looks out the window. This is just stirring stuff that directors and cinematographers would emulate decades later.
Then you've got Mitchum's "Reverend" Harry Powell, the preacher with Love and Hate tattooed across the knuckles of his hands who will stop at nothing in his pursuit of stolen bank money that two children are hiding. His call of "Children" along with his constant singing of "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" are just downright creepy. While his accent and mannerisms can be over the top at times, it feels so natural in the way he seems to mesmerize just about everyone he speaks to - except the boy who is onto him from the first meeting.
One of the great things about this movie is how many people have tried to classify it over the years. I've seen it listed on some "Best Noir" lists, but it really isn't noir. Oh sure, it is very aware of noir and it's conventions, some of which are turned on their heads but it also leaves many of the classic noir elements completely out to the point of it being almost the anti-noir. It isn't a true horror or thriller either. The way it is shot is almost like a fairy tale and I've seen it argued that the whole story is just a bad nightmare - which is entirely plausible given the burden that the young boy is faced with when given the money by his father. These elements combined with Mitchum's performance all combine to make it perfectly rewatchable and at ~90 mins it will work perfectly with my other selections as a double feature.
Trailer and a few clips below in spoilers.
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Need a little comedy on my island. I'm going with one of my favorite comedies of the 1990s, Office Space. This one is definitely rewatchable and is full of great characters and funny scenes. Anyone who’s ever worked a job they hated for a boss that was a jerk should be able to relate to this movie.
Need a little comedy on my island. I'm going with one of my favorite comedies of the 1990s, Office Space. This one is definitely rewatchable and is full of great characters and funny scenes. Anyone who’s ever worked a job they hated for a boss that was a jerk should be able to relate to this movie.
My favorite quotes from that movie:
So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life.
Bob Porter: I looked into it more deeply and I found that apparently what happened is that he was laid off five years ago and no one ever told him about it; but through some kind of glitch in the payroll department, he still gets a paycheck.
Bob Slydell: So we just went ahead and fixed the glitch.
Bill Lumbergh: Great.
Dom Portwood: So, uh, Milton has been let go?
Bob Slydell: Well, just a second there, professor. We, uh, we fixed the *glitch*. So he won't be receiving a paycheck anymore, so it'll just work itself out naturally.
We're gonna be getting rid of these people here... First, Mr. Samir Naga... Naga... Naga... Not gonna work here anymore, anyway.
Bob Porter: I looked into it more deeply and I found that apparently what happened is that he was laid off five years ago and no one ever told him about it; but through some kind of glitch in the payroll department, he still gets a paycheck.
Bob Slydell: So we just went ahead and fixed the glitch.
Bill Lumbergh: Great.
Dom Portwood: So, uh, Milton has been let go?
Bob Slydell: Well, just a second there, professor. We, uh, we fixed the *glitch*. So he won't be receiving a paycheck anymore, so it'll just work itself out naturally.
We're gonna be getting rid of these people here... First, Mr. Samir Naga... Naga... Naga... Not gonna work here anymore, anyway.
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