Next month’s Genre has been chosen by Reut of Sweet Archives. We will be reviewing our favorite dark comedies. Please get me your submissions by the 25th of July by sending them to darkcom@movierob.net Try to think out of the box! Great choice Reut!
Let’s see what S.G. thought of this movie:
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Footloose (1984)
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Rock ‘n’ roll is banned,
And dancing they won’t stand
In Bomont and in many places fearing for their kids.
But Ren McCormack’s new,
And though it is taboo,
He wants the biased town to now embrace what it forbids.
Take a look at Round 5 of Opinion Battles over at Movie Reviews 101. Excellent films abound, but I picked DreamWorks’ The Prince of Egypt. Vote for your favorite and may the best cartoon win!
This weekend we have just had ‘Minions’ come out so what better subject to look at than Non Disney/Pixar animated film. We have also chosen to avoid animé as we will look at them later in the year too. We all have a place in us that like to watch animated films but just which is our best choice.
Our next subject with be parodies/spoof (comedies that make light of a serious idea) films, if you would like to join in email moviereviews101@yahoo.co.uk by the end 12th July 2015.
Darren – Movie Reviews 101
The Lego Movie (2014)
When I look for the best animated films I always look for one that I can pick up and watch from any point of the film. I enjoy watching this one because it has so many clever references, characters you will know in supporting roles but most…
Here’s my first entry for MovieRob’s latest Genre Grandeur of Teen Romance: From Up on Poppy Hill, an underseen drama from Studio Ghibli. Thanks for letting me take part again, Rob!
For this month’s next review for Genre Grandeur – High School/Teen Romance Movies, here’s a review of From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) by S.G. of Rhyme and Reason
Next month’s Genre has been chosen by Reut of Sweet Archives. We will be reviewing our favorite dark comedies. Please get me your submissions by the 25th of July by sending them to darkcom@movierob.net Try to think out of the box! Great choice Reut!
Continuing with my Top 50 film score countdown, the next five jump from the 1970s to the 2010s. Again, these are scores (not collected soundtracks) that both complement their respective films and make for some superb listening music. I love to just put these on in the background and write away. Exciting, inspiring, heart-breaking, gorgeous—movie music has some of the greatest diversity of any genre (at least, I consider it a genre). Enjoy!
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#35: Superman (1978), Oscar nominee – John Williams
One of those bombastic themes that is instantly connected with its source film, the score for Richard Donner’s Superman wears its heroism on its sleeve, as well as a giant S on the chest. S for sensational, symphonic, stately, stunning, soaring, strong as steel, and, oh yeah, hope (see Man of Steel). Those blaring trumpets always bring the “real” man of steel to mind, spiraling through the earth’s atmosphere. As iconic as it is, I do feel I should give a shout-out to the theme for the animated TV series, which is surprisingly heroic and awesome in its own right, though obviously much shorter than the film’s score.
Listen to this score, and you will see the stark moors and wind-swept heather so prominent in Wuthering Heights. This 1970 version with Timothy Dalton and Anna Calder-Marshall may not be the most famous adaptation of Emily Brontë’s gothic novel, but it’s the one that always leaves my VC a blubbering mess, thanks in large part to its haunting melodic backdrop. Beautiful with or without the film, the eerily romantic score tends to linger in the mind, making this my favorite version of the story.
#33: The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos (2008), no nomination – The Cinematic Orchestra
I feel a little stupid since I was originally going to place The Theory of Everything here, because I was blown away by the hypnotically flowing melody of the ending music. What I didn’t know until recently was that this song, called “Arrival of the Birds,” was not originally from the Steven Hawking biopic, but rather this Disneynature flamingo documentary. I haven’t seen it, but with music like this, I now want to; from what I’ve listened to, the remaining score is equally lovely. (For the record, I do enjoy the rest of the Oscar-nominated music in Theory of Everything too, but this really spoke to me.) The Cinematic Orchestra’s work has apparently been borrowed by many different TV shows and films, and I’m now very interested in this group as well. Those violins are glorious, whether they’re for a handicapped genius or a flock of pink waterfowl.
I don’t think anyone can claim that Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy is better than The Lord of the Rings, but if there’s any area that it comes close, it’s Howard Shore’s score. Like the rest of The Hobbit movies, the music doesn’t compare with its predecessor, but it still carries the splendor of epic fantasy. It builds on the first trilogy’s scores with several evocative themes worthy of Middle Earth, like “Misty Mountains” and the medieval march of Laketown. Perhaps it might have stood out more, were it not compared with LotR, but The Hobbit’s score is still a grand achievement for Shore.
#31: Inception (2010), Oscar nominee – Hans Zimmer
As I said in my review, Christopher Nolan’s Inception remains the only film that completely and utterly blew me away, and its music played a large part in its impact. The building grandeur of the music bears suspicious similarity to Zimmer’s score for The Thin Red Line, but boy, does it pack an emotional punch! Electronic with some violins, trumpets, and electric guitar thrown in for good measure, the majestic yet tender climax alone is enough to make it on this list.
The world of movie music lost a great composer on Monday, June 22 when 61-year-old Oscar winner James Horner became the lone victim of a California plane crash. Since I’ve been listening to a lot of film scores lately, his death came as quite a shock to me. His music touched so many movies and their viewers, and he will be greatly missed. Rest in peace, Mr. Horner, as well as other recent cinematic losses, including Sir Christopher Lee, Dick Van Patten, Ron Moody, and Patrick Macnee.
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Your compositions made the movies grander than they were before.
We cried and smiled; all the while, you were present keeping score.
Your music was a character, invisible but always heard,
And moved the hearts of audiences, oft without a single word.
With Kirk and Spock, you battled Khan, and then with Ripley battled worse.
You helped to build a baseball field and make the Grinch’s heart reverse.
You launched to space, and sought a trace of missing children tucked away,
Survived a magical board game, if not a nuclear delay.
You marched to battle with Daikinis and the valiant 54th,
With Trojans, Navajos, Cristeros, and the Scots to England’s north.
With Russian mice, you emigrated; with a jet pack, saved the nation;
Found cocoons, and shrunk the kids, and morphed into an illustration.
You joined with hackers and Jack Ryan, fishermen and dinosaurs,
With androids, Fix-Its, apes, and Zorro, Ludlows, and Pandora’s wars,
With ghosts and faeries, housing feuds, and schizophrenic geniuses,
And grand Titanic’s tragic voyage. These adventures too were his.
Hearts will go on, like your music, every listener a mourner
And a witness to the talent of the late, great Mr. Horner.
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(For those who don’t recognize all of the above references, they include many of the best-known films he scored: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; Aliens; Field of Dreams; How the Grinch Stole Christmas; Apollo 13; both The Forgotten and Flightplan; Jumanji; Testament; Willow; Glory; Troy; Windtalkers; Cristiada/For Greater Glory; Braveheart; An American Tail; The Rocketeer; Cocoon (and its sequel); Honey, I Shrunk the Kids; The Pagemaster; Sneakers; both Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger; The Perfect Storm; both The Land Before Time and We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story; Bicentennial Man; *batteries not included; both Project X and Mighty Joe Young; both The Mask of Zorro and The Legend of Zorro; Legends of the Fall; Avatar; Casper; The Spiderwick Chronicles; House of Sand and Fog; A Beautiful Mind; and, of course, Titanic, which won him his two Oscars for Best Original Score and Best Original Song.)
The next five film scores on my Top 50 countdown were all in a three-year period, except one from the 1980s. Ranging from depressing to inspiring, these beautiful scores complement their respective movies and are equally enjoyable as easy listening. Again, these are background scores composed for each film, not collected soundtracks of individual songs. That’s another list and shall be told another time. Enjoy!
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#40: Backdraft (1991), no nomination – Hans Zimmer
To accompany Ron Howard’s action film about heroic firemen, Hans Zimmer delivered a score that just screams heroism. With military-ish background drums and an occasional soothing choir, the music for Backdraft might have been equally at home in a war movie. Here it was another early step on Zimmer’s rise to film music stardom. Even the cooking competition Iron Chef recognized the score’s noble presence and appropriated its theme for the Japanese show.
#39: Schindler’s List (1993), Oscar winner – John Williams
I’ll be honest here: I haven’t yet been able to bring myself to watch Schindler’s List. My VC saw the first part of it and couldn’t continue because she found it too disturbing, which is exactly what the Holocaust was. John Williams’ score, though, has a heartrending power whether you’ve seen it or not. Itzhak Perlman’s violin is as stark as a raw nerve, drawing praising adjectives like “haunting,” “sublime,” and above all profoundly “sad.” Even without the film’s images, that violin makes me want to cry.
Warning for some violence and disturbing images (not the worst of it, though):
Foreboding yet subtly action-oriented, Brad Fiedel’s synthesized score really sets the tone for this classic sci-fi thriller. It’s a repetitive, slowly swelling score akin to John Carpenter’s music, and it’s hard to imagine the Terminator films without it. Evoking both the desolation of the future and the mechanical danger of the present, the first film’s soundtrack is simple but hard to top, so good luck to Lorne Balfe, who will be scoring next month’s Terminator Genisys.
After succeeding with the Oscar-nominated score for Hoosiers, Jerry Goldsmith re-teamed with the same director and writer for Rudy, one of the greatest and most satisfying underdog stories ever, whether you like football or not. While this one didn’t get a nomination, the music became another favorite for movie trailers. Ebullient as Rudy’s gridiron aspirations, this score is as uplifting as they come. Yes, hobbits can play football too.
#36: The Last of the Mohicans (1992), no nomination – Trevor Jones/Randy Edelman
While I can’t say I enjoyed the overall film, the music for this adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper’s most famous work is surprisingly exceptional, considering the headaches that apparently plagued the score’s production. “Promontory” is my favorite track, even though it accompanies the most tragic scene. Properly grand and intrepid, this Celtic-infused musical beauty might have won an Oscar, but its dual composers supposedly made it ineligible. Those darn Academy rules!
Though Hiro Hamada has bots on the brain
And uses his genius for fun and for gain,
His brother impresses
That cooler successes
Result from hard work to assist those in pain.
The huggable Baymax, Tadashi’s creation,
Is there for young Hiro through grief and temptation.
When evil arises,
His crew improvises,
Inventing a tech-fitted team transformation.
Revenge and respect struggle in good and bad,
And heroes are born from the hopes of a lad.
To overcome grief
And a merciless thief,
New bonds must be forged to replace what he had.
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Rating: PG
After so-so CGI attempts like Bolt and The Wild and vastly improved near-classics like Tangled and Wreck-It Ralph, it’s now safe to say that Disney animation has found its stride. As an animated superhero film, Big Hero 6 doesn’t just copy The Incrediblesbut succeeds as a unique and entertaining fusion, of Disney storytelling and Marvel action, of Californian and Japanese culture, of soft-bellied caretakers and hard-edged vigilantes.
Too often lately, animated films give so little away in the trailers that it’s hard to get excited about a film we know little about. Thus, while I was tempted to see Big Hero 6 in the theater, I opted to wait for the DVD, a decision I now regret. It has everything you could want in an animated superhero tale. The animation is crisp and detailed, and the characterization of Hiro and his friends is smooth and effortless, elements that serve to heighten the tension and appeal of the action sequences. It’s rare nowadays, but I found it refreshing that every character (aside from the villain) was smart and likable, with the stand-out being the film’s mascot Baymax, that marshmallow man whose endearing innocence and literalness manage to keep the superhero team grounded. Again, I was pleased at how fond I became of this lovable sidekick, sort of like how I was surprised that Olaf was one of the best aspects of Frozen. The character designs and voice acting are perfect, especially for Hiro, Go Go, and hilarious Aunt Cass, and once the fully powered team assembles, the action occasionally approaches an Avengers level of awesomeness, offering new angles and even the unwritten rules of car chases. In addition, the film passed my personal test for animated films, in that I immediately wanted to see it again.
With mind-controlled microbots, experimental wormholes, and unexplained kite turbine things floating above the city (seriously, what were those things? Wind power?), this is obviously not the real world, if the culture-clash of San Fransokyo wasn’t a clear enough hint. Yet the film’s moral speaks to very real emotions of grief, anger, bitterness, and letting go. Hiro’s relationship with his brother Tadashi defines his goals for the future, and despite the holes in his heart, it is encouraging and touching how Baymax manages to fill them. While the film overall is refreshingly original, the core bond between Hiro and Baymax has recognizable resonances with The Iron Giant, and anyone who enjoyed one will most likely love the other. (At one point, I almost expected to hear “You go; I stay,” but that would have been too obvious a connection.) Big Hero 6 also completes an unexpected trilogy of films in which James Cromwell plays the father of some great advancement in robotics, the other two being I, Robot and Surrogates.
While the film’s science is clearly comic-bookishly advanced, certain up-and-coming real-world technologies were included as goals to strive for, such as the idea of a soft care robot or the 3D printer that Hiro uses to create everything from robot parts to costumes. It’s been said that the “geeks” and “nerds” are the ones who change the world, and this film is part of a growing trend to put animated nerds in the heroic spotlight (like Hiccup’s reading in How to Train Your Dragonor Flint’s inventing in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs). Big Hero 6 is a home-run for Disney animation, which has now firmly planted itself above DreamWorks and just short of Pixar. From the funny and sweet short film Feast before it to the unexpected after-credits scene that cements this as a Marvel movie, Big Hero 6 is a super hit from start to finish and deserved its Oscar win.
Best line: (Aunt Cass, having prepared hot wings) “All right, get ready to have your face melted! We are gonna feel these things tomorrow, you know what I’m saying?”
VC’s best line: (Baymax, referring to the cat) “Hairy baby, hairy baaaby!”
The Sun Also Sets has the drama we crave,
The soap with the stars that all smile and wave,
But drama onscreen isn’t nearly as juicy
As backstage commotions the cast and the crew see.
The overwrought diva, the starving new star,
The beau with a grudge who is sick of the bar,
The boss who wants ratings, the nag who wants fame,
The desperate producer in need of a dame—
With all these nutcases who ravish and rage,
Forget the soap opera; just peek at backstage.
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Rating: PG-13
My VC wants me to review some films from the ‘90s so she insisted upon this star-studded comedy, and while I had seen it before, I forgot just how funny it is. As a send-up of the histrionics of soap operas, Soapdish pokes fun at all the right places: back-room machinations, intentional overacting, absurd plot points, desperate stars, praise-needy stars, guilt-ridden stars, has-been stars, stars who climb on rocks.
The film also brings together some considerable star power, led by three extremely watchable actors—Sally Field, Kevin Kline, and the lovely Elizabeth Shue—and a host of supporting characters played by Whoopi Goldberg, Cathy Moriarty, Robert Downey, Jr., Kathy Najimy, and other pleasant surprises, whose lives imitate art imitating life. While no one involved delivers their best work, everyone involved has at least one chuckle-worthy moment, and often several laugh-out-loud ones. Field, in particular, is manic, catty, and generally amusing as Celeste Talbert, reminding everyone that she can handle comedy just as well as drama.
While the majority of the film is entertaining, with plots to get rid of Celeste, pointed squabbles between Field and Kline, and ludicrous family drama, the climax is easily the best part. Similar to the end of Tootsie, an impromptu live broadcast puts everyone on their worst behavior, and their improvised antics are comedy gold (“a rare case of brake fluid?!”). Soapdish may not rank among the best comedies, but it certainly has its moments of witty fun.
Best line: (Montana Moorhead, playing Nurse Nan) “Sudden speech, the last sign of brain fever. She could blow at any moment!”
Rank: List-Worthy
Round 4 of Opinion Battles is here, this time presenting everyone’s favorite heist films. While this is far from my favorite genre, there’s one I can watch any old time, Inception. Be sure to vote for your favorite! (Show Inception some love!)
I have had this selection pick by Drew from Drew’s Movie Reviews and I think this will be an interesting discussion between the contestants. We all love a good heist movie because most of the time the leads are likeable even though they are doing something wrong.
As always I would like to thank everyone who has taken part and to everyone who has voted on previous rounds, we will be announcing the winner of the Sequel round over the next couple of days too. Our next subject will be Non Disney/Pixar Animated films and if you would like to get involved email moviereviews101@yahoo.co.uk we will be covering Animé later in the year so don’t expect to see any of them make the selection. We will need your selections by 28th June 2015.
To continue counting down my top 50 musical scores, here are the next five, some of which might not show up on other people’s lists of favorites since none were even nominated for Best Score. Again, these are exceptional soundtracks that I enjoy listening to. I love pop, classical, country, electronic, alternative rock, and even a little hard rock every now and then, but for magnificent background music, nothing beats movie music, whether it’s the background for some mundane activity or a favorite film. Enjoy!
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#45: Glory (1989), no Oscar nomination – James Horner
Befitting the film’s title, the score combines military-style drums with the Boys Choir of Harlem to evoke the heroism and the sad eminence of soldiers marching into deadly battle. One section of the music sounds suspiciously like Horner’s later theme for The Pagemaster, but it’s so lovely that it’s hard to fault him. The 54th Massachusetts Regiment deserved a moving tribute, and both the film and its music delivered just that.
#44: Requiem for a Dream (2000), no nomination – Clint Mansell
From what I’ve heard and seen, I have no desire to see Darren Aronofsky’s acclaimed study of addiction, which has been labelled the most depressing film ever made. Yet, despite its subject matter, its slow-burn score with those grating violins is surprisingly…um… addictive. Its centerpiece “Lux Aeterna” has been used in multiple movie trailers and with good reason. You could set any film’s best scenes to this song and make it look positively epic. Even more awesome is the remix created for a trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, known as “Requiem for a Tower,” which illustrates my point in the following video. Can you handle the epicness? (Yes, that’s a word…now.)
Mild violence warning, though nothing graphic:
#43: Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), no nomination – Craig Armstrong and A.R. Rahman
I can’t speak to the quality of this sequel to 1998’s Elizabeth since I have yet to see it, though it’s reportedly poorly written and anti-Catholic, but I was easily impressed by the grandeur of its music. You might recognize the best track, “Storm,” from one of the trailers for Man of Steel. It’s another one of those spectacular songs that adds awe to imagery like spice to chili. As you can tell, I’m drawn to music that creates a sense of wonder and majesty… oh, and I like chili too.
This is one soundtrack that is near and dear to my heart, since this film was a memorable piece of my childhood. To provide the score for Disney’s remake of 1963’s The Incredible Journey, Bruce Broughton was brought on and gave Shadow, Chance, and Sassy some inspiring travel music. Lighthearted but motivational, the music spurs the listener to explore what might be over the next hill.
The video shows the film’s ending, so spoiler warning for some and nostalgia warning for others:
#41: Ruby Sparks(2012), no nomination – Nick Urata
This was somewhat of a last-minute entry, and as such, I must apologize to my VC for the elimination of one of her favorite scores (The Horse Whisperer). When I saw this film just recently, the charming score immediately grabbed my attention and never left my mind. It may not fit into the epic mold that many of my other choices do, but I’ve found some quite inspiring writing music, thanks to Nick Urata of the quartet DeVotchKa, who provided the score for the directors’ previous film Little Miss Sunshine. The track “She’s Real” (the last in the video) is my favorite, one of those lovely, repetitive songs that easily gets stuck in my head, like The Verve’s “Bitter Sweet Symphony.” For me, it was the best part of the movie.
For this month’s next review for Genre Grandeur – High School/Teen Romance Movies, here’s a review of Footloose (1984) by S.G. of Rhyme and Reason
Rhyme and Reason 