AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2 - Page 10

Adam_S · 12-18-2007, 07:57 PM

cool. looking forward to hearing about the new list.

as for spacy/bacon. I attribute that to a brainfart.

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Adam_S · 12-19-2007, 01:11 AM

Paleface 7 of 10
Songs list - Buttons and Bows
OARDVD 12/18/07

terrific Bob Hope/Jane Russell comedy western. The song isn't much though, one of the more lame entries on the list and it has no bearing on the film at all. it's simply a lyric interlude that gives Hope a chance to sing, badly, off pitch and out of tune the entire time because he's trying to make it sound 'country/hillbilly/folky' and failing miserably at pulling off the vocal effect.

Hope plays a dentist, Painless, Russell plays Calamity Jane. The government springs Calamity from jail to pardon and recruit her to stop someone from laundering guns to the indians, when her cover 'husband' is killed she recruits Hope, marries him while leaving him unaware of her true identity and mission. There's a lot of pratfalls, and easy going send up of the western genre, capped off by a rollicking chase climax that was quite effective. The portrayal of the Indians is problematic, but that was the era, still it's the major thing marring an otherwise excellent film.

Adam_S · 12-19-2007, 10:40 AM

Bright Eyes - 5 of 10
Songs list - On the Good Ship, Lollypop
OARVHS 12/19/07

Shirley Temple vehicle that's not that great. but it's better than Footloose or Beaches. the song is okay, not special or spectacular, merely representative of the songs Temple would sing. Much more appropriate as a great song she sang would be her moving rendition of Auld Lang Syne in Wee Willie Winkie, but I suppose this song is more associated with her.

Bright Eyes, like virtually every Temple film, is about finding a sugar daddy to care for the orphaned (or soon to be orphaned Temple) so that she doesn't have to worry about the Depression.

Shirley's mom is a maid for a rich family, they have a spoiled little girl a year or two older than Shirley and a crotchety, rich old grandfather that doesn't like his family. Shirley's father was an aviator who recently died. She's sort of the defacto mascot of all the pilots at the airfield, but especially to her godfather and father's best friend. Her mother is soon killed in an automobile accident and that eventually results in a custudy battle between the crotchety rich grandfather and the godfather. But never fear all will work out right in the end.

Adam_S · 12-19-2007, 10:42 AM

thanks for the comments George, there's very few films on these lists that I actively dislike, most of them are at the very least competently made in some respect, even if I have issues with something or another in the film, there's often enough good in it to merit at least a four or a five.

Adam_S · 12-19-2007, 04:50 PM

rollin right along, it's nice to be able to move my laptop around and watch movies while I'm working in the kitchen or doing laundry.

Jailhouse Rock - 6 of 10
Songs list "Jailhouse Rock"
OARDVD 12/19/07

The first Elvis film I've watched is actually a pretty solid musical. The script is nothing special, but the performances are solid and Elvis is somewhat charismatic. The songs are for the most part first class throughout, though the highlight is the titular tune (and the one on the list). What makes the film interesting is to see how it progresses Elvis through traditional country into the more rockabilly bluesiness that he made famous. I had to laugh though, and Elvis' character getting all upset about having his 'arrangement' for a traditional country tune stolen by the big record company for their A lister. Since Elvis based a lot of his music style off of stealing--sorry, borrowing--from the true pioneers of the sound in R&B and Soul Music it was especially ironic to see him get upset at having the trick pulled on him. But anyway the progression from prisoner, to country crooner to rocker to hollywood star was nicely done, and it was cool that the film allowed Elvis to become a grade A asshole by the end of the film, though the actual happy ending was more than a little bit of a let down.

Apparently though, Elvis was a bit of an idiot, becauses he thought going from owning his masters and 60% of the take to 7.5% of the take and having a big record company own his masters was "a deal too good to pass up," because he got a one time payoff of 750,000. Big money upfront at the time, but chump change compared to the long range view, which is why the record company offered the deal, they could see long range, and Elvis' character couldn't.

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Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - 10 of 10
Songs list "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend"
OARDVD 12/19/07

What an incredible script! I was stunned to discover that this is one of Hawks' best films, and the first Marilyn film I've seen that can really compare to Some Like it Hot. And I actually like Marilyn better in this film (still prefer SLiH overall though). Superb in absolutely every respect, but especially in the script department.

Marilyn and Jane Russell are a big time New York stage act. Marilyn's got her eye on a wealthy boy and Jane just loves a big strong man, playboys are her turnoff. Marilyn's supposed to be married and go to Paris on her honeymoon, but her future father in law has different ideas. Instead Marilyn ends up going on the trip alone, with Jane as her chaperone, and the father sends along a private detective to spy on her, and hopefully catch her in a scandal that will get the gold digger out of his son's pockets. Marilyn doesn't disappoint, she homes in straight on the owner of a diamond mine, and promptly begins to try to wiggle some sparkly largesse from him.

The film moves quite brilliantly throughout, the musical numbers are superb, with the highlight being the number on the list, although the opener, "A little girl from little Rock" is good enough to make the list as well.

Adam_S · 12-21-2007, 06:08 AM

Hair - 5 of 10
Songs list - Aquarius
OARDVD 122007

A big yawner of a film that doesn't make much sense but is primarily about how cool it is to be an asshole and have long hair. they also sing a lot. but overall a pretty ineffectual musical, though the skinny dipping part was good. I'm not sure but I think the story goes that an Oklahoma boy goes to NYC before he reports for the draft and he doesn't get further than Central Park when he's accosted and 'befriended' by a bunch of homeless free spirits. They bother a rich girl riding her horse and later crash a party at her house. she's also experimenting with pot so eventually she runs off with them as well and falls for the Oklahoma boy, they swim in a pond/lake somewhere (central park) and then he goes off to Basic training and the rest of them sort of lay around bored until they drive across the country to try to bust him off the base, only their replacement to sneak him off base, the main hippy, ends up going off to Nam in the Okie's place.

The Aquarius song is pretty good and a classic, the other songs were for the most part charming, but overall the most disappointing Foreman film I've seen. Blown away in every respect by Across the Universe this year, which is very similar to this film. Still, this is better than several of the other dregs of this list.

Adam_S · 12-21-2007, 09:15 AM

The Bodyguard - 2 of 10
Songs list - I Will Always Love You
OARDVD 12/21/07

What an incredibly stupid script executed very poorly. The concept isn't bad, but nothing in this film made a lick of sense. I'm not sure if Whitney Houston was also playing her characters sister or not, but sis was somehow involved, or she wasnt'--it doesn't matter because sis gets shot anyway. combined with the incredibly bad slowmo and ridiculous amount of red herrings (to add tension) and the boneheaded retarded idea that the real bad guy was one of Costner's buddies this film is just terrible all the way around. The song is even pretty annoying. oh and the way they kept the identity of the killer secret was incredibly badly done. There are 1000 dollar budget horror films that are better at executing the filmmaking it takes to shoot around a surprise.

bad, bad, bad.

Adam_S · 12-21-2007, 08:07 PM

The Blackboard Jungle - 6 of 10
Songs list "Rock Around the Clock"
OARDVD 122107

Great Song, Good film, with fine performances, but the script is a little too unbelievable for its own good. I like Sidney Potier though, he stole every scene he was in. a breathtaking screen presence even at this young of an age.

Adam_S · 12-29-2007, 05:12 PM

Finished the Cheers list:

Sounder - 8 of 10
Cheers list 122807
MARDVD

Excellent film about a family of sharecroppers who just barely get by, but when the father is sentanced to a labor camp for stealing food the rest of the family must come together and the son must go on a journey of self discovery and enlightenment in an attempt to discover where his father has been sent to. The father returns home early due to a dynamite accident at the labor camp and the son must then set aside his desires to stay with his family and go on without them to get the education that will allow him to escape the vicious cycle of sharecropping. Fantastic performances, wonderful cinematography and a pitch perfect script. A fine film indeed and a triumph that it was nominated for Best Picture.

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The Pink Panther - 9 of 10
Scores list - 122907
OARDVD

Superb score and incredible comedy make this a wonderfully fun film to watch. All sorts of double crossings mistaken identities and extended Clouseau gags that are simply brilliant and hysterical. as fresh today as it was back in the day. Great great film I look forward to seeing again, hopefully with an audience.

MatthewLouwrens · 12-29-2007, 06:30 PM

Congratulations.
I really need to start working on seeing these films again.