Drunken Mystic

Favorite Movies #5

When Harry Met Sally

Movies don’t come around like this very often. I saw this movie in the theater (yes, I am that old!), and I laughed out loud through the whole thing. Something just clicked with this movie, and to be honest, its been a little forgotten by everyone lately. I mean, ask someone twenty years old or younger about this movie. You’ll feel old, trust me.

This movie had all the right elements. A great cast in the prime of their careers (with the exception of Princess Leia, who still did a great job). Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan went on to do more movies and required bigger salaries after this one, although Crystal never again captured the character and spirit of Harry. Rob Reiner made a real name for himself with this one (although his best still has to be either the Princess Bride or A Few Good Men). And Nora Ephron’s writing never hit a cultural chord the way she did here.

The music was also incredible. All the old standards sung by the greats glues this movie together. And the little vignettes by old couples talking about how they met, seeing the love and the joy in their eyes … amazing. It was a timeless love story that you could have watched twenty years before and you could watch twenty years from now and still have it tug at your heart. The soundtrack by Harry Connick, Jr. (his big break) is still in a regular rotation of CD’s I listen and sing to.

The writing is, as you can tell, the type of writing I like. Classic story with good lines that you wish you had said or things you wish you had been bold enough to do. The story flows over years quickly but easily understood and sincere.

And the scene in the diner? “I’ll have what she’s having”

Peace out.

Favorite Movies #6

The Matrix

Okay, so I’m bound to get some flak because of this one. But come on, have you watched the original one lately? Brilliant and spiritual, this movie really works as a sci-fi movie and as a story of a man coming into his gifts and becoming the One.

This movie has almost been ruined by Reloaded and Regurgitated … I mean Revolutions. They were decent movies, but nothing like the first one. Fortunately, I am able to put aside my disappointments with a failed trilogy and admit the achievement of the first. The special effects were revolutionary, the combination of martial arts, computer technology and philosophy/spirituality gave us a modern type of mythology and some really cool fight scenes. I mean, think about it. Everybody loved this movie. Guys loved the fight scenes, geeks loved the technology, chicks and the educated loved the philosphy and the spirituality. With the exception of one f-word at the beginning of the movie (to purposefully give it an R rating … you know, because R ratings are more cool!), it was really clean.

And … okay, I’ll say it … it was the most original sci-fi/fantasy movie since Star Wars. Which made the next two all the more disappointing.

But I still love it!

Peace out.

Favorite Movies #7

Man From Snowy River

Jim is a young man who lives with his father in the high country of Australia. His father dies in an accident and is told by the high country community that he is not yet a man. The high country is hard, they say, and it takes a man to handle it. They tell him to come back when he’s a man to take over his father’s place.

Jim goes to the valley, the low country, and gets a job as a hired hand with an American rancher, Harrison, and falls in love with the man’s daughter, and the conflict ensues.

This is an Australian western and very well done. Many of the western aspects are there, but we are introduced to a different cultural take on it. Kirk Douglas plays two parts (twin brothers) and the other actors are believable and endearing. The wild horse chase at the end of the movie is excellent.

But the message here is great. In our modern society where manhood just seems to naturally happen, we are reminded of a time when manhood was earned and achieved. The overall story is one of a boy becoming a man independent of the laurels of his dead father or mountain heritage. We can all learn from that.

Peace out.

Favorite Movies #8

As Good as it Gets

This one is just pure genius.

I know that some people really don’t like this movie, but I can’t get over how good this movie is. It is seriously one of the most well done movies of all time. And yes, I’ll tell you why.

We could mention the great basic story of how this older man with a serious obsessive compulsive issue is redeemed through caring for a dog, a homosexual artist and a waitress, maybe not in that order. We could mention the incredible lines that pepper the movie. Movies don’t have great lines much anymore, but this one did. We could mention the performances of every one of the actors and actresses, brilliant performances that took time and effort to perfect, which also took impeccable casting, everything down to the dog himself.

But what makes this movie genius to me is the main character, Melvin Udall. From the writing to the direction to Jack Nicholson’s performance, this movie manages to give a character that we hate and love at the same time. I’m not talking about a character we love to hate. That’s different. I’m talking about a person who is walking that edge of doing things that turn people away, but who also possesses characteristics that draw people to him … even though they “evict” him from his “life.” Through this, we experience his struggle as well as the struggles of those around him.

And the end of the movie satisfies me with a realistic picture of redemption and hope for the future, despite all the obstacles.

Peace out.

Favorite Movies

#9 School of Rock

This is a recent addition to my list of favorites. I think Jack Black is hilarious. Its amazing to look back at how many movies he’s been in, even in bit parts. The problem is that its difficult to find a proper avenue for his very unique crazy, energetic style. He’s not a comedian, an actor, a musician or a vocalist, but he’s kinda all four. Its his energy that carries anything he does (along with those eyebrows) and a sense he has of musical history, style and what is absolutely cool and what a farce being cool is. He is mainstream and yet mocks it good heartedly all at once. He’s not a romantic lead, but he fills the screen with his talent.

So they had to write a movie just for him. And someone did. Nothing he’s done comes close to this movie, and I’m afraid nothing else ever will. For those of us who have been in bands and listened to rock as a religion and a law, we remembered the dorks we were with pride.

But the movie isn’t just great because of Jack Black. The kids are amazing. They are cute and talented all on their own (except for that bass player … did she actually play any of the songs?). The messages of finding yourself and playing one good rock show that could change the world and believing in something bigger than yourself and playing an important role are all well played and genuine. The movie is also fairly clean, which is many times the downfall of other Jack Black movies. Joan Cusak is funny in just about everything, so we should have expected nothing less than a great performance from her and that’s just what we got.

And any time you pray to the God of Rock, I’m sold.

Peace out.

Favorite Movies
#10 The Blues Brothers

I’ve decided to begin my postings with the one thing I know the most about. Movies. I know you might think that’s sad …. and guess what … it is. But there will be some variety, and it took me a while to narrow it down to ten.

Please notice the title. FAVORITE movies. I am not saying these are the best movies ever, just my favorites and I’ll give a little blurb about each one. Each one of these movies are films I could watch over and over again and have memorized at least parts of them … sometimes whole scenes.

First we have the Blues Brothers. It comes in at #10, if only because of the music. People think they’re cool to even know about this movie, but there are some of us that have watched this countless times. Blues Brothers 2000 was a waste of talent and film, but this one was genius. Every scene is hilarious and the cameos are incredible. Everyone in this movie just propels it along to one of the most ridiculous endings ever. Akroyd and Belushi make the film and it makes us all want to be on a mission from God.

Peace out.