With my "Fight Club" blog as my last entry, I decided to keep the Fincher-theme going and make what very well could be my last blog an entry on "SE7EN," a film that, without exaggerating, is one of the greatest films you will ever see, whether or not you're a horror fan.
This 1995 thriller sees a serial killer who cryptically calls himself John Doe take inspiration from the Seven Deadly Sins: Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Lust, Pride, Envy, and Wrath. In thinking about what piece of cinema I could possibly call my favorite, I had a hell of a time, but finally came upon one scene (minor spoilers contained herein.)
I was also conflicted when it comes to revealing who plays Doe himself. While it's not exactly a secret, and if you really wanted to, you could find out yourself, I think the impact of the revelation would be tremendous if you didn't already know who the actor was. It is this actor's unparalelled skills that truly make this scene.
Following John Doe's fifth murder (that of pride, in which he slices off a model's nose..."to spite her face," as the old saying goes), he enters the police station and reveals himself to Detectives Mills & Somerset (Brad Pitt & Morgan Freeman, respectively.) Through his attorney, he then reveals that there are two extra bodies buried in the desert, and should Mills & Somerset accompany him to find those bodies, he will plead guilty to every murder he has committed.
What follows is most definitely one of the most compelling scenes in cinema, and it all takes place in a simple police car. From behind the mesh divider, Doe explains the reasoning behind his actions at length, defining it as a sort of "cleansing" process, when what he's done is written off as just "killing innocent people." "Innocent? Is that supposed to be funny?", snaps Doe at a smug Detective Mills.
I wouldn't want to risk diminishing the impact of the speech, so I won't transcribe it here word for word. I recommend buying "SE7EN," if you don't own it already, or at least renting it from your local video store, and witnessing great writing, directing, and acting coming together in a disturbing, yet unimaginably impressive picture.
Well, Inscapers...it's been fun. Not much more to say.
Stay classy, Riverside.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Perfect piece of cinema
As I stated last week, “Jurassic Park” is one of my favorite films of all time. It is only fitting that my favorite scene in a movie is from the film.
Back at the start of summer when we created a list of topics for us to blog about, I thought about how much I loved this particular part in “Jurassic Park” and suggested this topic.
The scene I am talking about is when the main characters arrive at Jurassic Park and are driving in the Jeeps. The scene really focuses on three characters; Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Nei1l), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum.)
Sattler is looking at some plant life, which she says has been extinct for millions of years and all of a sudden Grant’s hand turns her head to look at the dinosaur (I believe it is a Brontosaurus).
The great thing about this movie is that the main characters see the dinosaurs the same time as the audience does, so there is a shared feeling of “WOW!”
Everything is perfect and dead-on with this scene. The directing hits all the right marks, the writing makes you feel like you are right there and the acting is as good as it gets. Neill’s performance in this scene was overlooked by many people. Here was a man who had studied fossils all his life and now he was looking at a living breathing dinosaur in front of him, he does what most people might do (well, other than run screaming…), have to sit down. The look on Grant’s face when he sees the dozens of other dinosaurs in the distance is also great and so full of emotion, especially when he comes to the realization that he was right in his work “They're moving in herds. They do move in herds.”
I challenge anyone to say that they hated this scene (must have a good arguement!).
On a sad note, this is my last blog for this site. Stay tuned for a new set of writers to take over. I promise they will at least try to be entertaining.
Thank you and goodnight.
Back at the start of summer when we created a list of topics for us to blog about, I thought about how much I loved this particular part in “Jurassic Park” and suggested this topic.
The scene I am talking about is when the main characters arrive at Jurassic Park and are driving in the Jeeps. The scene really focuses on three characters; Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Nei1l), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum.)
Sattler is looking at some plant life, which she says has been extinct for millions of years and all of a sudden Grant’s hand turns her head to look at the dinosaur (I believe it is a Brontosaurus).
The great thing about this movie is that the main characters see the dinosaurs the same time as the audience does, so there is a shared feeling of “WOW!”
Everything is perfect and dead-on with this scene. The directing hits all the right marks, the writing makes you feel like you are right there and the acting is as good as it gets. Neill’s performance in this scene was overlooked by many people. Here was a man who had studied fossils all his life and now he was looking at a living breathing dinosaur in front of him, he does what most people might do (well, other than run screaming…), have to sit down. The look on Grant’s face when he sees the dozens of other dinosaurs in the distance is also great and so full of emotion, especially when he comes to the realization that he was right in his work “They're moving in herds. They do move in herds.”
I challenge anyone to say that they hated this scene (must have a good arguement!).
On a sad note, this is my last blog for this site. Stay tuned for a new set of writers to take over. I promise they will at least try to be entertaining.
Thank you and goodnight.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
The first rule is...
As much as I'd love to say that I hate "Fight Club," I simply can't. As much of a cult hit as it has become, it'd be easy for me to sit here and say, "I don't see why everyone loves it so much," but I can't say that. Simply put, "Fight Club" is my favorite movie, bar none.
Between David Fincher's ("SE7EN, Panic Room") darker-than-dark directing, Jim Uhls' fantastic screenplay based on Chuck Palahniuk's book of the same name, and the jaw-droppingly skillful acting trio of Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham Carter, "Fight Club" is not a movie you can easily ignore.
Brad Pitt steals the show in this film, no questions asked. His portrayal of Tyler Durden has created a character that has become legendary in cinema, a smugly anarchistic man's man that is the embodiment of what the contemporary male longs to be.
Being a projectionist named Tyler D. myself, I feel a certain connection with the character. Pitt's delivery, his manner of speaking, makes the role, and one of the most unforgettable moments in the movie, albeit not a single line (although the first two rules are the most famous), is his recitation of "the rules," the fight club ethos. These are as follows:
"Gentlemen, welcome to fight club. The first rule of fight club is you do not talk about fight club. The second rule of fight club is...you do not talk about fight club. Third rule of fight club...someone yells "stop," goes limp, taps out, the fight is over. Fourth rule...only two guys to a fight. Fifth rule...one fight at a time, fellas. Sixth rule...no shirts, no shoes. Seventh rule...fights will go on as long as they have to. And the eighth, and final, rule...if this is your first night at fight club...you have to fight."
Of course, this is just a sample of the incredible dialogue that comes out of Tyler Durden's mouth, or anyone in the film's, for that matter. See more of it here.
Or, better yet, go out and buy the book by Chuck Palahniuk, definitely my favorite author and one of the best ones around today.
Between David Fincher's ("SE7EN, Panic Room") darker-than-dark directing, Jim Uhls' fantastic screenplay based on Chuck Palahniuk's book of the same name, and the jaw-droppingly skillful acting trio of Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham Carter, "Fight Club" is not a movie you can easily ignore.
Brad Pitt steals the show in this film, no questions asked. His portrayal of Tyler Durden has created a character that has become legendary in cinema, a smugly anarchistic man's man that is the embodiment of what the contemporary male longs to be.
Being a projectionist named Tyler D. myself, I feel a certain connection with the character. Pitt's delivery, his manner of speaking, makes the role, and one of the most unforgettable moments in the movie, albeit not a single line (although the first two rules are the most famous), is his recitation of "the rules," the fight club ethos. These are as follows:
"Gentlemen, welcome to fight club. The first rule of fight club is you do not talk about fight club. The second rule of fight club is...you do not talk about fight club. Third rule of fight club...someone yells "stop," goes limp, taps out, the fight is over. Fourth rule...only two guys to a fight. Fifth rule...one fight at a time, fellas. Sixth rule...no shirts, no shoes. Seventh rule...fights will go on as long as they have to. And the eighth, and final, rule...if this is your first night at fight club...you have to fight."
Of course, this is just a sample of the incredible dialogue that comes out of Tyler Durden's mouth, or anyone in the film's, for that matter. See more of it here.
Or, better yet, go out and buy the book by Chuck Palahniuk, definitely my favorite author and one of the best ones around today.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Jeff Goldblum gets all the good lines!
Over the next two weeks and two blogs you will notice something... that
“Jurassic Park” is one of my favorite films of all time.
One of my favorite things about the film is the dialogue, especially of the character Dr. Ian Malcolm, played by Jeff Goldblum. I think the fact that Michael Crichton, with David Koepp, had a hand in the screenplay, based on his book, was a determining factor in the dialogue being so well-written.
When it came to picking one quote from the film that I liked the best, it was a no-brainer.
John Hammond: All major theme parks have had delays. When they opened Disneyland in 1956, nothing worked, nothing.
Dr. Ian Malcolm: But, John. If the Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don't eat the tourists.
Malcolm also has some other great lines that I enjoyed.
Dr. Ian Malcolm: I'll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you're using here: it didn't require any discipline to attain it. You read what others had done and you took the next step. You didn't earn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don't take any responsibility for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could and before you even knew what you had you patented it and packaged it and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox, and now you're selling it, you want to sell it!
Dr. Ian Malcolm: But again, how do you know they're all female? Does someone go into the park and, uh... lift up the dinosaurs' skirts?
Dr. Ian Malcolm: [Ian Malcolm leans to face camera in electric tour car when the T-Rex doesn't appear] Now eventually you might have dinosaurs on your, on your dinosaur tour, right? Hello? yes? [he taps the camera lens and breathes on it]
Check out some other great lines from “Jurassic Park” here
“Jurassic Park” is one of my favorite films of all time.
One of my favorite things about the film is the dialogue, especially of the character Dr. Ian Malcolm, played by Jeff Goldblum. I think the fact that Michael Crichton, with David Koepp, had a hand in the screenplay, based on his book, was a determining factor in the dialogue being so well-written.
When it came to picking one quote from the film that I liked the best, it was a no-brainer.
John Hammond: All major theme parks have had delays. When they opened Disneyland in 1956, nothing worked, nothing.
Dr. Ian Malcolm: But, John. If the Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don't eat the tourists.
Malcolm also has some other great lines that I enjoyed.
Dr. Ian Malcolm: I'll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you're using here: it didn't require any discipline to attain it. You read what others had done and you took the next step. You didn't earn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don't take any responsibility for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could and before you even knew what you had you patented it and packaged it and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox, and now you're selling it, you want to sell it!
Dr. Ian Malcolm: But again, how do you know they're all female? Does someone go into the park and, uh... lift up the dinosaurs' skirts?
Dr. Ian Malcolm: [Ian Malcolm leans to face camera in electric tour car when the T-Rex doesn't appear] Now eventually you might have dinosaurs on your, on your dinosaur tour, right? Hello? yes? [he taps the camera lens and breathes on it]
Check out some other great lines from “Jurassic Park” here
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
The Best Kept Secret in Hollywood...
With the topic being "the actor that needs to be in more movies," my original pick was Chris Kattan. Between the comic relief he provides in 1999's "House on Haunted Hill" to his dimwitted but lovable portrayal of danceaholic Doug Butabi in 1998's "A Night At the Roxbury" (alongside a then fairly unknown Will Ferrell), Kattan is a much funnier personality than people give him credit for.
But, when thinking about the different Kattan movies that I enjoy, my focus quickly turned to one of his older brothers in 2001's "Corky Romano," Peter Berg (the other being another underrated talent, the late Chris Penn.)
Lately, Berg has been making a name for himself in the field of directing, helming such titles as 2003's "The Rundown," starring The Rock in one of his first starring roles, 2004's "Friday Night Lights," and the upcoming Jamie Foxx vehicle, "The Kingdom."
While his directing skills are quickly becoming some of the most sought-after in Hollywood, Berg's acting skills (and specifically, his comedic chops) are oft-overlooked.
One of his most hilarious performances is Berg's straight-laced portrayal of boxer-turned-rocker-turned-boxer-again, "Irish" Terry Conklin, in 1996's "The Great White Hype." Berg never cracks a smile while delivering some of the funniest lines in the movie opposite Damon Wayans' just-as-deadpan James "The Grim Reaper" Roper, not the least of which is an acoustic song entitled "Mr. Roper, Mr. Roper," in which Conklin enthusiastically promises to "open up a case of butt-whippin'" on Roper.
Also worth checking out is Berg's performance in the afore-mentioned "Corky Romano," playing the tough but illiterate older brother of the title character, as well as his brief role as "Pistol" Pete Deeks in this year's "Smokin' Aces."
Tyler's bottom line: as good of a director as he is, Peter Berg deserves to be on-screen just as much as behind the camera in the future.
But, when thinking about the different Kattan movies that I enjoy, my focus quickly turned to one of his older brothers in 2001's "Corky Romano," Peter Berg (the other being another underrated talent, the late Chris Penn.)
Lately, Berg has been making a name for himself in the field of directing, helming such titles as 2003's "The Rundown," starring The Rock in one of his first starring roles, 2004's "Friday Night Lights," and the upcoming Jamie Foxx vehicle, "The Kingdom."
While his directing skills are quickly becoming some of the most sought-after in Hollywood, Berg's acting skills (and specifically, his comedic chops) are oft-overlooked.
One of his most hilarious performances is Berg's straight-laced portrayal of boxer-turned-rocker-turned-boxer-again, "Irish" Terry Conklin, in 1996's "The Great White Hype." Berg never cracks a smile while delivering some of the funniest lines in the movie opposite Damon Wayans' just-as-deadpan James "The Grim Reaper" Roper, not the least of which is an acoustic song entitled "Mr. Roper, Mr. Roper," in which Conklin enthusiastically promises to "open up a case of butt-whippin'" on Roper.
Also worth checking out is Berg's performance in the afore-mentioned "Corky Romano," playing the tough but illiterate older brother of the title character, as well as his brief role as "Pistol" Pete Deeks in this year's "Smokin' Aces."
Tyler's bottom line: as good of a director as he is, Peter Berg deserves to be on-screen just as much as behind the camera in the future.
Monday, August 6, 2007
This actor needs to be working more!
Meet Alan Tudyk.
OK, the name might not be familiar, but chances are you have seen him in a few movies. In fact he was just in the movie “Knocked Up” as the E! boss of Katherine Heigl’s character. But, I think he needs to be in more movies… and not just in a minor role. He is a great character actor that deserves to be in a leading role.
Tudyk might be most well known for his role of Wash on the television show “Firefly” and its film version “Serenity.” He was the pilot of Serenity and was usually the comic relief, providing one of my favorite parts of the film:
Hoban 'Wash' Washburn: This landing is gonna get pretty interesting.
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: Define "interesting".
Hoban 'Wash' Washburn: [deadpan] Oh God, oh God, we're all going to die?
Another comedic role he is known for is of Steve the pirate in “Dodgeball.”
One role he might not be well-known for is the robot Sonny in the film “I, Robot.” Sure he supplied the voice for the CGI robot, but many people might not know is the filmmakers took a page out of the “Lord of the Rings” playbook and had Tudyk provide the body movements of the character as well. That can’t be an easy job. His performance in the film is one of the reasons I love that film so much... yeah I love a Will Smith movie, sue me.
He took two different routes in playing a serious, dramatic role of a child molester on the television show “CSI.” Watching the episode and his performance makes you forget all about Steve the pirate.
Tudyk has two movies coming out soon. First the comedy “Death at a funeral” which, from the previews, looks to be a good sized role. He is also going to be sharing the screen with Christian Bale and Russell Crowe coming up in the western “3:10 to Yuma,” which is a dramatic turn.
Tudyk is extremely underrated in Hollywood and I really want to see him in more movies. He should be working more than people like Jack Black and Will Ferrell.
A list of his acting work to check out!
OK, the name might not be familiar, but chances are you have seen him in a few movies. In fact he was just in the movie “Knocked Up” as the E! boss of Katherine Heigl’s character. But, I think he needs to be in more movies… and not just in a minor role. He is a great character actor that deserves to be in a leading role.
Tudyk might be most well known for his role of Wash on the television show “Firefly” and its film version “Serenity.” He was the pilot of Serenity and was usually the comic relief, providing one of my favorite parts of the film:
Hoban 'Wash' Washburn: This landing is gonna get pretty interesting.
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: Define "interesting".
Hoban 'Wash' Washburn: [deadpan] Oh God, oh God, we're all going to die?
Another comedic role he is known for is of Steve the pirate in “Dodgeball.”
One role he might not be well-known for is the robot Sonny in the film “I, Robot.” Sure he supplied the voice for the CGI robot, but many people might not know is the filmmakers took a page out of the “Lord of the Rings” playbook and had Tudyk provide the body movements of the character as well. That can’t be an easy job. His performance in the film is one of the reasons I love that film so much... yeah I love a Will Smith movie, sue me.
He took two different routes in playing a serious, dramatic role of a child molester on the television show “CSI.” Watching the episode and his performance makes you forget all about Steve the pirate.
Tudyk has two movies coming out soon. First the comedy “Death at a funeral” which, from the previews, looks to be a good sized role. He is also going to be sharing the screen with Christian Bale and Russell Crowe coming up in the western “3:10 to Yuma,” which is a dramatic turn.
Tudyk is extremely underrated in Hollywood and I really want to see him in more movies. He should be working more than people like Jack Black and Will Ferrell.
A list of his acting work to check out!
Friday, August 3, 2007
The Soundtrack With A Little Dead Humor
A great movie soundtrack not only stics with you after you watch the movie, it reinforces how great the movie was. "Shaun of the Dead" has this and more; listening to the soundtrack reminds you of every hillarious scene. The movie itself, being a lampoon of cheesy zombie movies, has the same style when it comes to the soundtrack.
The first two tracks lace together to give you a nice idea of where this movie takes you. After some opening dialouge taken from the movie, "The Blue Wrath" by I Monster kicks in, with synthesizers and trumpets creating a completely, rediculously undramatic zombie atmosphere. Those who have seen the movie will immediately remember the opening scene where zombies do a choreographed dance (or... well, march) to the song.
Cheesy music aside, there's also some great songs by The Smiths and Queen, most notably "Don't Stop Me Now" by the latter band. It's a nice upbeat song that brings back the image of the cast members beating a local bar owner/zombie with pool sticks before Shaun (Simon Pegg) gets a dart in the side of his head.
Another memorable track is "White Lines (Don't Do It)", made famous in the preview for the movie where Shaun and Ed (Pegg, Nick Frost) sing unwittingly with a zombie (thought to be a drunkard by the two men) in the streets.
The "Shaun of the Dead" soundtrack is laced with wildly absurd-yet-catchy songs and hillarious dialouge.
The first two tracks lace together to give you a nice idea of where this movie takes you. After some opening dialouge taken from the movie, "The Blue Wrath" by I Monster kicks in, with synthesizers and trumpets creating a completely, rediculously undramatic zombie atmosphere. Those who have seen the movie will immediately remember the opening scene where zombies do a choreographed dance (or... well, march) to the song.
Cheesy music aside, there's also some great songs by The Smiths and Queen, most notably "Don't Stop Me Now" by the latter band. It's a nice upbeat song that brings back the image of the cast members beating a local bar owner/zombie with pool sticks before Shaun (Simon Pegg) gets a dart in the side of his head.
Another memorable track is "White Lines (Don't Do It)", made famous in the preview for the movie where Shaun and Ed (Pegg, Nick Frost) sing unwittingly with a zombie (thought to be a drunkard by the two men) in the streets.
The "Shaun of the Dead" soundtrack is laced with wildly absurd-yet-catchy songs and hillarious dialouge.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
The ROCKIN' Sounds of Cinema...
In terms of movie soundtracks, I'm going to have to agree with Mr. Guy's post below this one and say that I prefer a good compilation over a score 9 times out of 10. My particular favorite, however, is a fairly sharp departure from "That Thing You Do!" (as much as I do love that movie and its music)
As a huge rock/metal fan (converted from country), I'm going to have to name "Saw 2" as my favorite soundtrack. With 2004's "The Punisher" a close 2nd, the next year's "Saw 2" is an essential album for any rocker.
The "Saw" films are some of my favorite movies in general (and yes, Tim, I recall your disdain for "torture porn"), and a large part of the reason why is the music behind the films. As soon as the movie faded to black, and Mudvayne's "Forget to Remember" began playing over the end credits of the film, I knew I had to run out and get the soundtrack.
The soundtrack to "Saw 2" is the exact opposite of that of the first movie. That is to say, the "Saw" soundtrack was largely a score album (with amazing work done by Charlie Clouser), with only a couple actual songs thrown in (including Fear Factory's haunting "Bite the Hand That Bleeds), whereas "Saw 2" saw almost all tracks done by existing bands, with only one Clouser composition, a mix of the signature "Saw" theme entitled "Don't Forget the Rules."
"Saw 2" brings together a veritable all-star roster of rockers, including Marilyn Manson, Ministry's Al Jourgensen, Queens of the Stone Age, Sevendust, and Skinny Puppy, along with lesser known (but still unbelievably talented) acts like A Band Called Pain and Bloodsimple to create a compilation disc just as chilling and intense as its namesake.
Tyler's bottom line: See the movie. Buy the CD. The end.
As a huge rock/metal fan (converted from country), I'm going to have to name "Saw 2" as my favorite soundtrack. With 2004's "The Punisher" a close 2nd, the next year's "Saw 2" is an essential album for any rocker.
The "Saw" films are some of my favorite movies in general (and yes, Tim, I recall your disdain for "torture porn"), and a large part of the reason why is the music behind the films. As soon as the movie faded to black, and Mudvayne's "Forget to Remember" began playing over the end credits of the film, I knew I had to run out and get the soundtrack.
The soundtrack to "Saw 2" is the exact opposite of that of the first movie. That is to say, the "Saw" soundtrack was largely a score album (with amazing work done by Charlie Clouser), with only a couple actual songs thrown in (including Fear Factory's haunting "Bite the Hand That Bleeds), whereas "Saw 2" saw almost all tracks done by existing bands, with only one Clouser composition, a mix of the signature "Saw" theme entitled "Don't Forget the Rules."
"Saw 2" brings together a veritable all-star roster of rockers, including Marilyn Manson, Ministry's Al Jourgensen, Queens of the Stone Age, Sevendust, and Skinny Puppy, along with lesser known (but still unbelievably talented) acts like A Band Called Pain and Bloodsimple to create a compilation disc just as chilling and intense as its namesake.
Tyler's bottom line: See the movie. Buy the CD. The end.
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