Expectations

Films and expectations can be a tricky thing. Too many times a film is promoted to death and the movie is a huge disappointment. This is one of the things wrong with the movie industry today. Films become promoted in the media so much that the films can not possibly live up to the hype created by the explosion of publicity the film receives. Furthermore, the saturation of the market by items advertising the film further advances what is expected from the film.

Occassionally, one's expectations for a film can be reached or even exceeded. These are wonderful moments in one's journey through the pantheon of film. Sometimes you go into a film with low or no expectations and can be pleasantly surprised. I can recall two times when this happened to me specifically. The first time was when I was still in the process of matriculating from Clemson University. I was just beginning to appreciate films for all they had to offer. The different types were each unique and special in their own way, like a snowflake. One night, solely on a whim, a couple of friends and I decided to travel to a nearby town to see Old School, the comedy starring Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn. Going in, I had absolutely no expectations of this film whatsoever. It turned out to be a fantastic film and I was extremely pleased.

The second time I remember was when I went to see Pan's Labyrinth. I decided to see this film at the recommendation of a friend, so knowing that he had never steered me wrong before, we went and it turned out to be one of the best films I have ever seen. Going in, I was a little hesitant because I had no idea what to expect, but it turned out my friend was correct, the film was indeed spectacular. I went back and saw that film in the theater four times and have seen it countless times since.

So, I guess what I am trying to say is given the amount of publicity that many of the Hollywood blockbuster films receive, it is best to temper your expectations and be wary of expecting the unacheiveable. However, don't let that keep from you from always going in with an open mind, because you never know what hidden gem might await.

Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner

Patrick Swayze (1952-2009)

Patrick Swayze did many popular movies. Dirty Dancing and Ghost come to mind. But the one movie with Swayze that will always stand out in my mind is Road House.

Road House is the one of the funniest films I have ever seen for a couple reasons. The interesting thing about it is that none of these reasons are meant to make the film funny. Then there is the scene where you see Swayze doing Tai Chi. It is such a random scene that it makes me laugh every time I see it. It is as though Swayze just went up to the director and was like, "Hey, I have a GREAT idea." Or maybe it was the blind guitar player's idea.

All of the backwoods characters are so fantastically funny it adds an entirely new level of comedy to the movie. Emmett, the owner of the barn, reminds me so much of Uncle Jesse on The Dukes of Hazzard that I expect the General Lee to come peeling around the corner with Roscoe P. Coltrane following behind in "hot pursuit!"

Road House is not a film that changed the industry by any means, but I believe it was definitely the best of Swayze's work.

Movies Of The Decade

Unfortunately, this post is rather disappointing. The 00's, in retrospect, have been lacking in spectacular movies. Compared to the previous decade, the 00's seems to me to be an amalgam of mediocrity, blockbusters that fell short, and the occassional film that would stand out above the others.

Let's compare one man's opinion of some of the great films of the 00's to the great films of the 90's. In this decade, there haven't been many that come close to the best the 1990's produced. So many wonderful films came from the 1990's that it makes the 200's look like a lineup of 'B' movies. For example:

I consider the best five movies of the 1990's to be (in no particular order): Shawshank Redemption, Saving Private Ryan, Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction and Silence of the Lambs. Choosing this list is nearly impossible and, depending on the person, many of these films could be replaced with other great films of the decade and receive no argument. Consider the films that have been left off this list. Amazing films like Schindler's List, The Matrix, Jurassic Park, Usual Suspects, Se7en and Fargo among others are not on the list. But since this is solely based on opinion, I would have no problem with changing any of the aforementioned films for one of these or a few others.

Now, consider what have been some of the best films of the oo's. Gladiator has to be on the list. I would also include The Departed, but everyone should see the film it based on, Infernal Affairs. It is a Hong Kong crime thriller directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. It is a wonderful film as well. Personally, I love The 25th Hour. Edward Norton is fantastic and has one of the best monologues I have ever seen on film. There are a few others as well like Lord of the Rings, Almost Famous, The Reader and Revolutionary Road. However, as good as these films are, there is only one film from the 2000's that I would include among the best of the 1990's. That film is Pan's Labyrinth. It is a foreign film, directed by Guillermo Del Toro. Visually, the world created by Del Toro is like nothing I have ever seen. It is absolutely amazing. This is the only movie, in my opinion, of the 2000's that deserves to be listed among the best of the 1990's.

Side note-You will notice the omission of two very popular films, Forrest Gump and Slumdog Millionaire. From this point forward, I refuse to acknowledge that these movies are in any way good because I believe both are WAY too overrated. I believe that Forrest Gump is good once, but I don't want to watch it again, and Slumdog Millionaire, well, that movie wasn't even the best movie of the year, much less one of the best of the decade.

The Best That Is Never Talked About

We are all aware of some of the great actors currently out there. Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and the like. I could go on about the works these people have put out ad nauseum but there is no point because everyone already knows. And therein lies my problem. I believe one of, if not the best actor of our generation never gets mentioned because he chooses not to do blockbuster films that lack substance in favor of choosing parts in some lesser-known films that don't receive as much public attention. Therefore he doesn't receive the acclaim that the aforementioned actors receive. The man I am talking about is Philip Seymour Hoffman. His portrayal of Truman Capote in Capote is, along with Ledger's portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight is without a doubt the best performance of the last decade, perhaps longer. This was an Oscar-nominated movie, and when I ask people whether or not they have seen it, the general consensus is almost always "No." Thus, this has been termed "The best movie nobody has seen."

This was not Hoffman's only stellar performance. He has been in many movies, not always a leading role, but still always shines on the screen. Whether it be a small role in Almost Famous, a CIA agent in Charlie Wilson's War, or a troubled brother of Laura Linney in The Savages, Hoffman is clearly the best on screen. I urge everyone who has not seen his work to do so, you will not be disappointed.

In It's Infancy

Welcome. Since this blog is indeed in its infancy, I would like to talk about films in general before getting into specifics. Films are fascinating for a myriad of reasons. I think it is interesting how many different purposes one film can serve. For example, a film can be used for a date. It can be used as a form of catharsis when the stresses of one's life become overwhelming, allowing one to escape from their troubles into a world not their own for a period of time. A film can also provide many answers to life's great questions. Actually, most of these answers can be found in one film, The Godfather. Films can also be used simply as a form of entertainment.

I also enjoy films because of the range of emotions they are able to induce, from extreme happiness and laughter to unbearable sadness (see: The Green Mile). The intense debate and moral uncertainty that a film can spark is amazing as well. Whether it be a movie that leaves an ambiguous ending or a film with a protagonist who is doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, they have the capacity to make one question what he or she believes and feels about a certain situation. A perfect example of this can be seen in the movie Gone, Baby, Gone. I will refrain from telling you of the events that transpire, but when I left the theater I was very torn about said situation.

Films are amazing in the entertainment, emotional release, and cogitative ability they provide. This, my friends, is why I love them.