Ethan's Top 10 Movies of All Time: Part 2 (5 - 1)

5. Dazed and Confused

• Out of every film on this list, I have seen this one more than any of them.  The first time I saw it was sometime in high school, and ever since I have watched this movie at least one time a month.  There were even times where I would watch it nightly or one time after another.  There is just something about this meandering comedy/drama that is endlessly entertaining.  There isn’t really any “story”, but the film is a look at high school students in America during the mid-1970s.  We follow a few different groups on the last day of school, from when school gets out to a raging keg party in the country.  Each scene has quotable material and watching it feels like you’re revisiting some very fond memories.  A slick and entertaining film.

4. the Thin Red Line

• Terrence Malick can be described with one word: divisive.  The Thin Red Line is one of his more accessible films, but even at that it is a tough nut to crack.  Many people write it off because they find it tedious, pretentious, overlong, and confusing.  It is hard to defend the movie, because Malick’s style is so hit or miss.  All of that aside, I find this movie to not only be his best film (with the recent Tree of Life in a close second), but one of the greatest films ever made.  It is a World War II film that focuses not the reality of war and the gritty violence of battle, but rather on the philosophical implications of war and the inherent nature of violence in humanity.  Themes such as mortality, thanatophobia, and religion are all touched in this epic 3 hour long film.  Certainly not for everybody, but an absolute must see for serious film buffs and those who are willing to take on some more challenging material.  

3. Alien

• I remember the first time I saw this movie, and I remember how clearly and distinctly it impacted me.  I was 13 or 14 years old and it was a Saturday night.  I saw that this movie called Alien was playing on television and I decided to stay up to watch it.  Never before had a film so instantly scared the crap out of me.  The first half of this now classic science fiction/horror movie is mysterious and thought-provoking, and the second half is an intense blast of terror.  The iconic Xenomorph creature remains an amazing creation of cinema, and it is impossible to count how many times this film has been ripped off and copied by other filmmakers.  Director Ridley Scott began his hot streak with this film and continued to make great films over the years (which he continues to do… including the recent revival of the same franchise with Prometheus).   Each detail of this movie is stunning, and watching it now still has the same impact.  For a movie as old as this, it is shocking how well it has retained its impact and visual splendor.

2. the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

• If you can’t already tell from the last movie on my list, I have an odd love of horror movies.  I find that their liberties with human logic and their lack of restraint is unique and unmatched in any other genre.  Certainly, horror has become somewhat of a self-satire over the years, but movies such as the original 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre show how a horror movie should be made.  This film is the definition of gritty.  Shot with a tiny budget on 6mm film stock, Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s visual style and relentless plot changed what a horror movie could do.  The cast of relatively unknown actors and the rustic settings make it all the more convincing.  While it may appear quite dated and somewhat tame next to the recent wave of torture-porn horror films, Texas Chainsaw Massacre still retains a surprising shock value that will make you want to take a shower after the end credits roll.

1. There Will Be Blood

• Well here we are.  Perhaps not the most surprising of choices for a favorite film, but definitely much more modern than some critics would approve of.  Before I saw There Will Be Blood I had never seen a Paul Thomas Anderson film, and having now seen his other films I can say that they just barely can be compared in quality with this masterpiece (except for perhaps The Master… but that’s a discussion for a future date).  There Will Be Blood is unlike any movie I have ever seen.  The plot is simple enough (an ambitious man slowly builds up an oil company until he can reap the financial benefits endlessly out of greed and corruption), but the way this film plays out is difficult to describe.  Johnny Greenwood’s terrifying score would have felt out of place in any other film, but for some reason its menace perfectly matches the madness that is slowly overtaking the film’s main character.  I should also mention that Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance is, in my opinion, the finest to ever grace the screen.  While that is obviously debatable, I can’t help but offer this movie up as not only my favorite movie ever, but also the greatest movie ever.  The pacing is slow, the acting impeccable, the cinematography gorgeous (won an Oscar), and the impact is instant.  After I first saw the film in 2007, I didn’t know what to think of it or how to describe it.  After seeing There Will Be Blood countless times since, I have come to realize that it is everything about movies that I love.

***********Beasts of the Southern Wild***********

By Gregimus Malcumis Meridius.

This post is of a film that truly requires no introduction. I would urge you, humble reader, to run as fast as you to scramble out of your window and crash through solid glass  to go see. It's also a film that will grip your heart, steal your soul, and make you wish that this would never happen to any five year old girl.

Hushpuppy has stolen my vote for both upcoming and best actress Oscars. This young five year old did more with her vibrant depiction of lost innocence and growing up far too fast than most actors could hope to achieve in their entire lives. She is the shining star of her generation at this point. Few individuals, if any, have dually merited such praise. She is wonderful to watch and, lest we forget, also improvised more than half of her lines. She makes acting appear child's play. I suppose to her, it is!

Now to the rest of the film. To quote a friend, I wish I could wake up to this film every morning. It fills hearts and souls, minds and bodies with an overwhelming calm that maintains itself throughout. And the joy! The overwhelming joy of the piece! How a first time director could maintain such a careful, pain-stakingly careful mood through a duration the length of the film amazes me.

I had only minor complaints at best and a clear majority of them revolved around the billingand adverts. I expected the beasts to be the giant bores. The beasts were the frolicking humans. The people who showed disinterest in the other woes of a misbegotten world in exchange for a simpler means. A means more sustained by living happy and accepting everything as being their world. Beautiful. Brilliant.  Spellbinding. Love in it's basest and most protective form.

Beasts of the Southern Wild I could, and should go on and on about. But due to time I must cut it short. What I would love to do next would be a close watching of the film and attempting to draw all the metaphors and similarities from this. It plays like it should be Of' Brother Where Arte Thou for a more complex crowd. Hidden and skewed meanings culminating in a feeling of the thought 'Hey buddy, life goes on.'

I gave this movie a 9.18 for being so close to the idea of perfect. A bigger budget would have been welcomed for this film. But the love was still there.

The dude abides.

Ethan's Top 10 Movies of All Time: Part 1 (10 - 6)

A good way to see what kind of details a movie buff pays attention to is by looking at his or her favorite movies.  I feel that a list of any individual's ten favorite movies is not only fun for starting debate and discussion, but is also very excellent for showcasing the kind of things about movies that different people take note off.  All of us certainly interpret movies differently because we focus on different aspects within the picture and therefore develop our own sensibilities.  The following is a list of my top 10 favorite movies (in order) and a small disclaimer as to why I chose each film (10 - 6).

10. Brazil

• Brazil wasn’t the first film directed by Terry Gilliam that I saw, but after seeing it for the first time some years ago it instantly became my favorite in his catalog.  This film simply bleeds atmosphere and aesthetics.  The dystopian future that is portrayed with much humor and wit is also gorgeous and terrifying to look at.  Each set is bursting with detail and imagination and the story about a man trying to escape the trap of a world ruled by paperwork and endless policies is not to be missed.  This is a winner on every level and works brilliantly as a science fiction/comedy/action/romance.

9. Walk Hard: the Dewey Cox Story

• This probably seems like an odd choice.  This satirical comedy film went pretty much unnoticed in theaters but has begun to develop a devoted fan base.  Personally, I find Walk Hard to be the funniest movie ever made.  Most of the comedy play out as most Judd Apatow produced films do (lots of raunchy, bod-related humor), but this movie is unique in how incredibly brilliant the satire is and how heartfelt it is in the end.  Having a somewhat thorough knowledge of 1960’s and 1970’s pop culture (emphasis on the music) helps with some of the references, especially in the extended cut of the movie (when is the only version I watch).  Also noteworthy is the soundtrack.  Its a tragedy that this film went so unnoticed, as a handful of the songs are easily Oscar-worthy in their hilarious satire-soaked absurdity.  Walk Hard is the dark horse on my list, but I stand by it.  I love this film.

8. 8 1/2

• Just a few years ago I purchased the Criterion Collection blu-ray release of Fredrico Fellini’s brilliant film 8 1/2 without knowing much about it except that it is considered a classic and that it was on sale.  When I sat down and watched the film, I was stunned.  When the 2.5 hour film was over, I had zero idea of what to make of the thing.  This movie is surreal and splendid in style and substance.  Dream sequences start and stop without any real context or consideration of linear narrative.  The plot is simple enough (a film director is out of ideas and is making things up as he goes along on the set of his latest movie, all while dealing with his past and the relationships he has formed over the years), but the movie is a tough nut to crack.  I watched 8 1/2 with English subtitles (this is an Italian film), and so much is going on so quickly that I found myself struggling to keep up with the dialogue.  You will need to see this film more than one time.  8 1/2 is a fever dream and is constructed with a brilliant sense of atmosphere and imagination.

7. Casino

• Casino has been treated unfairly since the year it was released.  Martin Scorsese was riding the success of the almost equally incredible Goodfellas when he shot and released Casino.  Almost instantly the consensus was that Casino was so similar in form to Goodfellas that it seemed like an imitation movie that did nothing but copy the former film with no progressive intentions.  While I certainly see where those criticisms are coming from, I have to disagree and say that Casino takes all of the positive elements of Goodfellas and polishes them.  Casino is, indeed, very similar in style to Goodfellas (constant narration, music-video like editing, and strong stories with strong characters), but for me works much better as a whole.  Casino is an epic movie with some of the greatest performances in cinema history.  Don’t write this one off!

6. the Lord of the Rings Trilogy

• I know I cheated here, but I couldn’t help myself.  The three Lord of the Rings films are not to be ignored and continue to be a force to be reckoned with.  Consisting of three films (Fellowship of the Ring, Two Towers, and Return of the King), the Lord of the Rings Trilogy follows the epic story of the ring of power and the various characters that are involved with the emergence of the ring’s power.  Honestly, no other film matches the huge scope of these films nor the precision and attention to detail.  There isn’t a single miscast actor, poor creative choice (derived from the legendary novels written by J. R. R. Tolkien ), or moment of boredom in the entire trilogy (almost some may disagree… I’m talking to you Kevin Smith).  The extended cuts of each film are easily the best way to see them, as they add countless important scenes that fill in each gap of the story.  Lord of the Rings is how big-budget films should look and feel.  While their visual and visceral appeal is undeniable, the emotional depth of the trilogy is also a force to be reckoned with.

Well that is part 1 of my top 10 list!  I’m sure most people will shutter at my choices and others will agree in at least a few of my decisions.  These movies mean a lot to me and help showcase my personal taste in films.  Stick around because part 2 of this list (feature my five favorite movies EVER) will be posted shortly!

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Reviewed by Nathan Regina

Many films have rolled from Cannes to the Oscars and scored big. However, many of these films don’t get many people into the theater. Evidence of this was very clear when I saw Beasts of the Southern Wild. The film blew me away, but my only companion was my fellow blogger Ethan our significant others. Truth be told, I would be shocked if this film does not score big come award season. From the acting to the cinematography, this film does not disappoint.

Before I being telling just how much I love this film, it does come with a major drawback. The film is not one that any movie watcher can go see and instantly love. It takes a significant amount of understanding to fully understand the plot. The plot lacks a real direction and gets a little airy at certain point. However, the elite acting really makes up for any shortcomings.

Quvenzhané Wallis was amazing from the moment she enters onto the screen. Her acting was superb not even accounting for her age. The story is told through her eyes as she flows through her world of change. Her acting, for a small child, blew me away as she had to act out a variety of emotions. As her world changes, her acting evolves which truly amazed me. Once award season rolls around, I will be truly shocked if she doesn’t score big.

Any viewer of this film will wonder if the world depicted in the film is intended to be purely fantasy. The community does resemble many deep southern Louisiana communities. However, they depict a modern society at several points in the film. Regardless, the low budget of the film blew me away with the cinematography and the setting was truly amazing. The world represents something from rural Louisiana but still has some fantasy elements that don’t seem real.

 The biggest element that was impressive to me was the visual elements of the cinematography. Throughout the film one is able to not only see but also feel what the main character is going through. Many films struggle in getting across the emotions of the story. This film went above and beyond to the point you can literally feel sorry, happiness, and desperation. Great job, on behalf of the director, of getting these feelings across while also telling the story.

I am already marking this film among my Oscar favorites moving forward. The film may be small budget with low ticket sales, but it hits a home run in a variety of categories. In addition, the visual elements of the film will blow any film buff away. The acting of Quvenzhané Wallis highlight the entire film for me. I walked in fairly excited for this movie and it truly did not disappoint. Big time home run for this film. look for a full trophy case for actors and director once award season rolls around.

Nate’s Score: 9.3/10

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Reviewed by Ethan Wasdovitch

After reading about and sorting through the huge amount of hype surrounding this film, I finally got to see Beasts of the Southern Wild and see for myself whether or not it lived up to high expectations.  The short answer is yes, it does live up to those expectations, but in a completely different way than I had anticipated after seeing the trailer.  The movie is extremely realistic in regards to the humanity of the characters and the believability of the situations, but also very surreal in style and is jam packed with imagination and creativity.  I was expecting a movie about the struggles of extreme poverty during a disaster but what the film actually is could be described as a fantasy film about growing up and assuming responsibility.

  Told through the eyes of a very young girl who lives in a community separated from supposedly normal America civilization by a levy, Beasts of the Souther Wild begins as I had imagined it would have but quickly goes off on its own creative tangent.    Scenes early in the movie show Hushpuppy (played in a revelatory and inspiring performance by Quvenzhané Wallis) dealing with her father, who’s health is declining (possibly because of his alcoholic tendencies).  At first I found the father to be abusive in how he treats Hushpuppy, but as the film develops his hard edge turns to be paramount in helping his daughter gain the skills she needs to survive.  However, it is easy to say something like “these people shouldn’t be living in such impoverished conditions” and accuse this film of exploiting poor people for art’s sake.  I think those accusations are missing the point of the movie, and fail to see that the heart of the movie is the connection all of the characters have to their home in the bayou.

As the movie goes on, we see that the bayou (called Bathtub) is in danger because a big storm is coming and will flood the entire area (is this a reference to Hurricane Katrina?).  Hushpuppy, her father and some other select residents of Bathtub decide they will stay in their home and that there is no real purpose in living anywhere else.  This is the dynamic in the film that really stuck with me.  The flood does come and does put the entire area underwater.  But the characters adapt and begin to survive in the new environment.  Much of the film shows this in dreamy montage with Hushpuppy narrating with lines about how everything in the universe is connected (reminded me of Terrence Malick’s films).  They are surviving and refuse to leave their homes because this is the way they live, and there isn’t any real reason for them to change that.

One of the most convincing things about this film is the acting.  Quvenzhané Wallis is simply stunning in the leading role, and rarely do such incredibly young actors have the ability to carry a film while portraying a realistic and emotional character.  The father is also surprisingly sympathetic because of the performance.  He isn’t a character that one would normally like and cheer for, but the lifestyle they live and the environment they live in makes him seem like the most caring, loving father anybody could have.  The relationship Hushpuppy has with her father is fleshed fully out and creates a real emotional connection with the audience.  As for every other character in the film (especially the people who live in the bayou), they could have convinced me that this film was a documentary.  The way everybody talks and is made up is completely genuine and makes you feel like you’re living on floating homes with the locals in the bayou. The same can be said about the sets, everything looks grimy and realistic. This is no small feat for a film with such a minuscule budget.

There are several fantasy elements in the film as well.  Unfortunately this is where the small budget of the film shows.  I feel as if the filmmakers wanted to make a movie with more fantasy elements and more surrealism but the small budget somewhat restricted them.  There are some simply stunning scenes involving giant boars slowly trudging their way towards the bayou (a visual metaphor).  I don’t think this is a huge problem with the movie, and if anything the more minimalistic approach to the fantasy elements may in fact help with the concept humanity that is central to the film.  Also, for a movie with such a small budget, they certainly did make the fantasy elements that are present in the movie believable.  Since I wasn’t expecting anything like this in the movie beforehand, it was a pleasant surprise.  I definitely want to see the movie again to make more sense out of the surreal elements of the movie.

By the end of this film I was utterly confounded and nearly blown-away by the entire ordeal.  First it had completely shattered my expectations, than it introduced deeply humane concepts of family bonds and cultural relativism, and finally it wrapped up all of these elements smoothly all while being crafted with clear talent and precision.  There are elements of fantasy, which serve to help the audience understand that the movie is through the eyes of a six year old girl with a very vivid imagination.  The film is gorgeous in a somewhat dark, gothic way and the settings ands characters are to thank for that.  Out of nowhere Beasts of the Southern Wild is touching and inspiring.  It is a look at a group of people who celebrate life in their own unique way and refuse to let others take it away from them.  It does this mainly by showing us how a six year old’s relationship with her father and with the bayou itself allows her to grow up into a person who is ready for the uncertainty and unpredictability of everyday life.

9.5/10

Coming soon and updates

All three of us have now seen Beasts of the Southern Wild and our individual reviews of that film will be written and posted shortly!   It has gained much hype since its debut at the Sundance Film Festival where it was awarded the Grand Jury Prize.  This will most likely be a major Oscar contender this year so check in shortly for what we thought of it!

Also we will hopefully be doing a group discussion of Cabin in the Woods either in audio format or a scripted review.  There is plenty to talk about!  Eventually we will do the same with Beasts of the Southern Wild.

More things to looks forward to.....

• Top 10 favorite films of all time from all three of us!
• Reviews and discussion of the highly anticipated The Master (next weekend) 
• Oscar predictions.

Thanks for reading!

Ethan Wasdovitch

Cabin in the Woods!

Review by Nathan Regina

Modern horror cinema has been fairly predictable within the last few years. Most films, in an effort to be different, have taken gore and plot twists to an entirely new level. But it seems that many films have forgotten the few core elements that make horror movies appealing. Also, the problem of repetition has also become a major problem. Films seem to almost blend together and some almost appear to be clones of one another. The genre has still remained very strong, but a majority of films just don’t seem to cut it. The

I am glad to say Cabin in the Woods was very refreshing to watch. The classic elements of horror were very present and well written out. The story was great and really keeps the viewer guessing throughout the film. The concept of movie is fairly unique and I felt it was very well laid out. Horror films based in the wild are fairly common. But this film brings in elements that are fairly unique. This allows the viewer to keep guessing and most likely be wrong. The plot twists are also excellent and are very well placed. Towards the end of the film the twists are huge and entirely unpredictable.

The death scenes in the beginning and middle of the movie left something to be desired. The ending scenes were simply great and really lived up to expectations. However, the death scenes early on were a little bit too predictable and lacked a true gore factor. While this isn’t really a gore film, you still a presence in these movies. Cabin in the Woods could have used just a hint more of blood. But we all know, most movies can’t be perfect.

The characters, while the typical crew, were well cast and acting was pretty decent. The typical buff guys and hot girl horror characters were present. The acting of the troup was fairly good with a few weak spots. But in horror movies, good screams and terrified facial expressions are key. Kristen Connolly and Fran Kanz were solid. The directors and writers did a good job of clearly defining the characters and they all acted their part.

I will attempts to not give too much away about the ending, but it was absolutely fantastic. The massive amounts of gore made up for the rest of the film. The end borders on epic with great special effects and a horror set makers wet dream. The ending, as is common, serves as a massive plot twist and definitely will not disappoint. The true ending may slightly confuse you but will leave you smiling or at least entertained. This element of the film knocked my rating up significantly and really was great.

Overall, this film was well done and will definitely entertain, even most horror film buffs may come to enjoy this film. The movie keeps you guessing and contains several moments that you may refer to as epic. In addition, the ending is truly unpredictable and is also highly entertaining. This film really sets itself apart from the typical horror genre film. My totally great for this film is going to be a 8.4 out of 10. Good job Drew Goddard, you made contact on this one.

Rating: 8.4/10