Cinematic New Year's Resolution

Paco

It's true. There are movies out there that I haven't seen. Movies that any self-respecting cinephile should have watched (and what am I if not self-respecting?) and yet our paths have not crossed. Some omissions are too egregious to mention here *cough* Lawrence *cough* of Arabia *cough I'm waiting to see it on the big screen cough* but I think in part of my 12 cinematic step program it's a must.

Below is my very own Shelf of Shame (that snazzy name duly homaged --or stolen-- from Film Nerds)  where I have listed twelve films I am ashamed I've never seen for one reason or another. The idea is to watch one a month and hopefully do a little write up about each. The best part? CoCo has agreed to watch them all with me! Muaaaahahahahaa

How did I whittle it down to only twelve? There were a number of criteria that I considered. Chief among them: Can I get CoCo to watch this? Other than that I looked at some directors' work I wanted to delve into more, a wide spread of eras, languages and I wanted to pop in one animated film. Sorry, documentaries. Better luck in 2014.

Without further ado:

She should share

January

My Neighbor Totoro (Hayao Miyazaki, 1988)

The lone animated film. I've been meaning to delve deeper into Miyazaki's movies (having only seen Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away) and figured that if I must put an animated feature on this list then of course it would be one of his films. Studio Ghibli churns out animated films that appeal to both adults and children (think Pixar but more nuanced). The few of theirs that I've seen really moved me so I'm looking forward to this one. Fortunately, so is CoCo. 

No room for color here!

February

Stagecoach (John Ford, 1939)

I haven't seen any John Wayne movies (yes, I know that means The Searchers, Rio Bravo and Red River are also on my Shelf of Shame... One day, one day!) because he comes off as a schmuck. The whole old school western genre doesn't speak to me. It seems so old-timey in a way that rings false to me. They had their heyday in a time when US mainstream culture was predominantly white and the films reflected that. I like the hell out of some revisionist westerns (late 60's to modern era where the western genre is deconstructed. examples: Wild Bunch, McCabe & Mrs. Miller) but I was never attracted toward the true westerns. As a cinephile I've got to put away my prejudices and meet these films halfway. So why Stagecoach? It is heralded with igniting John Wayne's stardom and considered a true classic of its time. I figure if I've got to watch his films then I might as well go chronologically. CoCo factor: cold to ice cold. She hates westerns. Even modern day ones. I'll be watching this one solo.

Adorbs

March

Election (Alexander Payne, 1999)

The movie that put Alexander Payne (Sideways, The Descendants) on the map. I've enjoyed everything of his since Election and considering how well regarded it is in many circles I can't believe I haven't seen it yet. If this movie is half as satirical and inappropro as I've been lead to believe then I'll be one happy dude. CoCo factor: She has seen it and is down to revisit it.

April 

Slacker (Richard Linklater, 1991)

Another 90's gem (don't worry the oldies are still to come). I'm a big Linklater fan (Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise/Sunset, Waking Life) so it irks me that I never saw the movie that got him a bunch of exposure (cinematography pun unintended but highly welcome). He's always been a unique voice in the sea of Hollywood mediocrity and after last year's surprisingly hilariously warm Bernie, I've decided to right this wrong. CoCo factor: I don't think she's heard of it and the premise (a camera following random people in a town around ala that sweet "day in the life of Springfield" Simpsons episode) won't be too enticing.  

Who's Chopper is this?

May

Short Cuts (Robert Altman, 1993)

Jesus, another 1990's movie. Okay, I promise it's the last one but May is my birthday month so screw it I'm going to watch one of my all time favorite directors do his thing. Having recently removed the phenomenal Nashville (1975) from my Shelf of Shame I am in an Altman kind of mood. Too bad I have to wait until May. Damn. When people were going gaga over Crash in 2005 the snarks were all like yeah I liked it better when it was called Magnolia and then they got out snarked by the dudes who were all like I liked Magnolia better when it was called Short Cuts. I strive to be that dude one day. CoCo factor: I'm not sure. She fell asleep in the first thirty minutes of Nashville asking when it would start. When it ended I woke her up and told her it was 2 hrs 30 mins of never starting. 5 stars!!

   

They'll probably downplay my Angloness with a throw away line

June

The Last of the Mohicans (Michael Mann, 1992 <---- damn it!)

Light summer fare. With Daniel Day-Lewis considered to be one of the best living actors around I guess I should see this puppy. Growing up I lumped this film into something sappy like a Legends of the Fall or bloated and boring like Braveheart (sorry, friends) but once I knew the director of Heat was behind it something changed. I was open to it but never made it happen. CoCo factor: She loves it, loves period pieces and wants to see it again. Let's do it.

Different Strokes

July

The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock, 1963)

Summer fun! If I had done a Shelf of Shame list this time last year there would be a ton of Hitchcock. A year ago, I had seen but one of his films (North By Northwest) but one Hitchcock college course later and boom I'm proud to say I've seen about 1/3 of his filmography. Not bad if you consider the man made over 50 features. I stayed away from The Birds since I'd always heard it was phony and over the top --not classic Hitchcock. But after talking to some other folks whose cinematic tastes I respect I think I'll give it a go. Plus, I've seen all his other big ones. CoCo factor: She's expressed interest in Hitchcock's oeuvre so I think it'll be pretty high. I hope those CGI birds don't throw her off his scent.  

GIVE ME BACK, MY WIFE

August

Straw Dogs (Sam Peckinpah, 1971)

The early 70's. My favorite era in cinema. Peckinpah (The Wild Bunch, Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia) is the man but I suppose it's the subject matter that kept me away. A nebbish man in England has his home invaded by some jerks who do terrible things to his family. Seems like a great one for the dog days of summer (note: I put Straw Dogs in August only so I could make that joke...) CoCo factor: I have no idea. After reading this probably not. Prove me wrong, baby!

Holy Moly, Joseph Cotten is in this!

September

Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941)

I've never seen Citizen Kane. There I said it. Look, I never took a film course in high school or in college. When else do people see this movie? I put it off for a long time because I didn't want to feel like it was homework (how is this any different than that? I'll get back to you) and I always knew what Rosebud meant. But I think I'm ready now. I'm versed enough in cinema's history and filmmaking techniques of its time that I think I'll appreciate its legacy. CoCo factor: I doubt it unless my cinephilia has some how rubbed off on her and she sees it as a sort of cinematic rite of passage.

I Want You... To Buy More Blu Rays

October

Videodrome (David Cronenberg 1983)

A Halloween special! I'm a massive Cronenberg nut and having recently scratched off his version of The Fly (1986) which I thought was genius. I'm super pumped to take this one off my Shame Shelf. I hate horror films (I don't like being afraid) but his films I adore. I think it's because he strays from cliches and holds his camera on the brutality or gore that is unfolding in real time before the audience. Most importantly, his films always tend to subversively comment on some societal malignity. CoCo factor: If I play my cards right and play up the horror and gore angle there might be a chance she'll watch this one with me.  

We seem to be made to suffer. It's our lot in life.

November

Hidden Fortress (Akira Kurosawa, 1958)

Like I need an excuse to watch a Kurosawa film. Every one of his I've seen I've loved (Ikiru, Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Yojimbo, Sanjuro and to a lesser extent Dreams). This film is said to have severely influenced George Lucas into creating Star Wars and I want to see that for myself. Honestly, I could make a whole Shelf of Shame exclusively filled with Kurosawa films. CoCo factor: It's foreign and old and black/white. That's a trifecta that few average movie-goers can muscle through but I'm rooting for you, baby!

Chevy Chase called. He wants his smile back.

December

The Jerk (Carl Reiner, 1979)

We'll round off the year with a light hearted one. Considering by the time I came of age Steve Martin was in full-fledged has-been mode this one always slipped through the cracks. Once I learned that he used to be really funny and clever and weird I was on board to give this one a go. About a year ago, CoCo showed me a little movie she used to watch as a kid a lot called, The Man With Two Brains starring Steve Martin. I loved it. It was so silly, ridiculous and genius. It turns out it was directed by Carl Reiner and they did The Jerk together as well as Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid too (also on my shelf). Anyways, The Jerk is considered a classic comedy and there's no anxiety riding on this one. While watching Ocean's Eleven the other night I pointed to the old guy and told CoCo that he directed The Man With Two Brains. She chuckled. CoCo factor: Pretty high. 

And there you have it. My 2013 Cinematic Resolutions. I could make a Shelf of Shame list for every month until I'm 95 years old and I still wouldn't be halfway there. That's the beauty of it all. There's so much! That's not to mention revisiting films too. I tell people that the best part about getting older is that there are great films out there that I haven't seen in over ten years and soon it'll be twenty, thirty, forty!! It'll be like watching it with fresh eyes again. <---- I can't believe I wrote that. Thank goodness, I have CoCo. 

Philly to the Max!

Hello cyber-world. CoCo here. Usually it's the other half of Francoco posting about movies, but today, it's me.

I can't describe how happy I was to hear the Iron Man 3 teaser trailer is out. Yup, you heard me. Iron Man 3. Go ahead. Call me a philistine (Franco already has, after he scoffed when I exploded with joy and told him the teaser is out).

Iron Man 1 was exactly the type of movie I love. When I go to the movies I want to have fun, and I had so much fun watching Iron Man 1. I will never get over the beginning part in Afghanistan. Pure movie genius!

Iron Man 2 was another story. Being a sequel, I didn't expect too much. I pretty much got what I expected, a blah movie. But as I've made clear I am an Iron Man junkie and so I had a good time. I'm a loyal fan.

Iron Man 3... well I did't expect much. I didn't even really care about it. Until I watched the teaser trailer (see below). It got me all excited again. The creepy bad guy voice reminded me of Bane in the most recent Batman film, which I loved (I can hear Franco scoffing). The dramatic music and scenes of buildings dropping into the ocean reminded me of Inception, which I also loved (I know, more scoffing!). This teaser gave me everything I wanted from Iron Man 3. Now I hope the movie will live up to my new expectations.

I know, I'm a sucker. When is the third movie ever any good? Oh well, keeping my fingers crossed for this one. Now I gotta go watch that teaser trailer again. Hasta luego.

Alien to Alien pt. III

[This entry is  part of an ongoing series concerning Franco and CoCo's Alien franchise marathon. For the opening entry click here, for the Alien entry click here, for the Aliens entry click here]

This Franco.

After crossing off the classic and better received (critically and commercially) first two Alien movies it was time to visit the infamous Alien3. I warned CoCo that this one is considered the worst and its concept is a bit silly. Ripley's pod crash lands in a desolate planet that harbors an abandoned prison colony full of born-again inmates (whom have committed violent crimes) that run the facility themselves. They haven't seen a woman in many years so her presence is a point of contention. The crash landing brings something a little more sinister along in the form of a facehugger who shortly after its arrival impregnates a dog (or if you watch the inferior "Studio's Extended Cut" it's a yak). 

Okay, so this sounds ludicrous but it kind of works. It strips down the franchise to its humble beginnings while continuing Ripley's character arch. The inmates have no weapons to defend themselves from the alien thus giving the film a tone similar to the first one. The similarities with Alien don't end there. They both were directed by relative newcomers (Alien - Ridley Scott and Alien3 - David Fincher) whose strengths lie with visual presentation. After the mega success of Aliens the masses were hungry for more. 20th Century Fox wanted to take their money. So after a few false starts they hired music video genius David Fincher (Fight Club, Seven, The Social Network) to direct. Having no clout in Hollywood he got pushed around by the bean counters and the result is a good movie wearing bad movie clothes. Fincher himself disowns the picture stating it's not his baby. Despite all this it's my second favorite of the franchise after the original Alien. It's one alien against a group of defenseless humans who have to outwit the beast in order to survive. The film is shot with an eye for visual storytelling. There isn't much dialogue in it and what there is isn't there to hold your hand. If you blink you could get lost. The opening credits alone are worth the price of admission. 

CoCo enjoyed it stating it to be ballsy in how utterly bleak the situation is for all those involved. There's a reveal halfway through the second act that envelops the film with a sense of nihilism that most would consider poison to box office prospects. I don't thinks she "enjoyed" the film but she thought it was good and a fitting conclusion to to Ripley and the alien franchise. I couldn't concur more. Ripley is one of the most iconic characters in American cinema history but few people give her character arch through the first three films the artistic props it deserves. Maybe that's because the studio inexplicably made a third sequel that tainted the character and the series as a whole. 

Up next: The unnecessary Alien Resurrection

I leave you with a bad trailer for Alien3 that speaks a little to the environment and expectations the film was saddled with. 

Almost There

Only a few minutes to go. Luckily, Franco got in line at 5:30 so we
have pretty good seats.

Here we go!

Alien to Alien pt. II

[This entry is  part of an ongoing series concerning Franco and CoCo's Alien franchise marathon. For the opening entry click here, for the Alien entry click here]

This Franco.

As I have stated earlier, CoCo asked me to marathon the Alien franchise (four films) in preparation for the Prometheus release which in itself is a sort of prequel to the Alien franchise. Said franchise being one of my favorite of all time, I became excited and accepted her challenge. 

After viewing Alien (link to our thoughts at the top), CoCo whom had never seen any of the Alien films was excited to see James Cameron's entry. After Alien, she was ready for a movie whose pacing and plot was more in line with conventional Hollywood storytelling. I, on the other hand, was not. For me it was a case of diminishing returns after the original Alien and my only intrigue with Aliens was that we were about to embark on the director's cut version that I had never seen before. 

While we were watching the film CoCo laughed many times at the ridiculous dialogue (i.e.God damn it, that's not all! Because if one of those things gets down here then that will be all! Then all this - this bullshit that you think is so important, you can just kiss all that goodbye! --and-- We're all in strung out shape, but stay frosty, and alert. We can't afford to let one of those bastards in here.) and the clunky plot lines crowbarred in (Ripley's surrogate daughter Newt arch). I agreed with her. Aliens although being a classic has not aged well for me. Growing up it was my favorite for the very reasons CoCo was looking forward to it. The story moved quickly and there was a lot of action since there were multiple aliens as opposed to Alien's single threat. The problem with having many aliens in Aliens is that it doesn't matter when one dies because there are so many more coming in its stead. It becomes a zombie film rather than a tense brooding thriller. Add the marines in there (for a large body count) and you've got yourself a fast-moving zombie war film. The Alien mythology becomes tertiary. 

Overall CoCo enjoyed the film due to its easy-going structure but noted that it was just another big dumb movie. Unfortunately, I felt the same way. The added scenes for the director's cut didn't add any layers to the story or characters but instead slowed down the movie. 

Up next: the much-maligned Alien3. I wonder if CoCo liked this one a little better. 

Alien to Alien Pt. 1

[This entry is  part of an ongoing series concerning Franco and CoCo's Alien franchise marathon. For the opening entry click here]

As I have stated in an earlier post, CoCo and I have decided to watch the Alien prequel, Prometheus, on opening night. In an effort to have the series fresh in our minds CoCo suggested we marathon the previous four entries. Last night, we visited Ridley Scott's world of Alien (1979). If you're unfamiliar with the plot it can be found here.

Disclaimer: If I had to make a list of my favorite movies of all time I'm pretty sure Alien would be in my top 5. The Alien franchise is near to my heart as I got into these films as a pre-teen and used it as nerd currency with my girlphobic classmates. I love this franchise and especially the first entry in the series.

The suspense is so well crafted that I consider it more a suspense film or a thriller in the vein of Psycho with its slow boil pacing and nuanced approach to film scoring. Not only that but the lighting and shot selection of the film is phenomenal. After working on a couple sets and taking a cinema production class I can only imagine the ingenuity and hard work that went into the execution of Alien's cinematography.  Most of the film is in the dark with sparse lighting that creates hard shadows on the set design and faces. Speaking of set design, my God. The set is meticulously designed in such a way that informs the claustrophobic tone and the dirty, lonely world of space mining. It serves as a perfect venue for a cat and mouse tale. I was so in awe of the film that within the opening five minutes of the film CoCo elbowed me to calm down. She took umbrage to my celebrations of long scenes of immaculately-lit empty corridors. In my defense, I was cheering silently by only thrusting my clenched fist into the air. I don't see how that could bother anyone.  

So that's where I'm coming from. CoCo, on the other hand, figured out very quickly that she had never seen the original Alien. Upon further grilling, I discovered that CoCo had only seen Alien: Resurrection (the fourth installment) and was not sure if she had seen Aliens. It turned out she didn't remember a single thing about the Alien mythology (no recollection of face-hugging, chest-bursting, Ash's turn, nothing nothing nothing). You can imagine my envy. What I would give to experience this film for the first time again! Needless to say, this got me very excited. I felt like something important was about to happen -- our energies were about to intertwine in a way that only soul mates whom possess a love for the same bull can.

It turns out CoCo thought the movie was okay but slow and slept through some of it. In her defense we had just worked out and she said her body fell asleep on her (and then she proceeded to fall asleep on me). She gives it a 3 out of 5 stars which I can live with. This morning she woke up early with me and made and packed my lunch-- on a Saturday. So I have nothing to complain about. Quite the contrary.

It's just a shame she won't be down to watch the Director's Cut of Alien with me any time soon. :)

I leave you with what probably will go down down as one of the greatest trailers of all time. Enjoy.

 

All Things Shining

Franco:

Check out my final project for my basic cinema production class. I wanted it to have a Terrance Malick vibe since going a little experimental was an available option to us this time around. I shot the whole thing on Super 8MM as opposed to using a digital camera. It was pretty nerve-wracking since I had no idea what my shots looked like until over a week after shooting since I had to wait for the film to be processed at a lab in southern California. What made it even more precarious was the fact that I chose to shoot the whole thing at the golden hour with an unreliable amount of dwindling light source. The film could've turned out to be very underexposed (too dark) or overexposed (due to opening up the aperture, or iris, of the lens in an effort to overcompensate for lack of light). It turns our most shots were okay and some were too underexposed which I didn't use. A couple were overexposed and you can easily tell which are which but given that the film exists mostly in a non-narrative dreamscape it doesn't seem too out of place. Unfortunately, the film came out grainy as all hell. This was due to the 100 ISO film speed which is, apparently, the only available speed on the market for Super 8MM nowadays. Crash photography course: ISO (aka ASA, EI, or film speed) measures the sensitivity to light of the film. The higher the ISO the more sensitive it is to light. For shooting at sunset I should've used at least 200 ISO but couldn't get my hands on any. Oh well, again, the grain could seem alright since the film could've taken place at a different time in the past.

Thanks to everyone who helped along the way and to CoCo for putting up with my expensive time-consuming hobby. A special thanks to Willow and Ray for letting me shoot your sweet baby.

     

In Space, No One Can Hear You Nerdgasm

Franco:

After watching The Avengers at CoCo's behest (I rather enjoyed the film, mind you) it is now time for me to drag her to watch one of my most highly anticipated summer films: Prometheus. This film serves as a prequel to Alien, one of my most beloved film franchises, and boasts the same director (Ridley Scott) as the seminal film that started my love for the property.

During the trailers (there were about seven!) ahead of The Avengers, CoCo leaned over and whispered that she would like to watch the Alien films ahead of the June 8th Prometheus release. I told her there were four (I do not include those cynical cash grabs aka Alien vs Predator films) and she said we'd have to do one a week. I'm very lucky to have married somebody who would suggest marathoning my most cherished film franchise with me. Although, I did marathon all Harry Potter films with her before #8 hit theaters. That was mostly satisfactory except for #2 and #4 which were quite difficult to stomach. 

Expect detailed reports of our Alien marathon in the weeks to come. I leave you with the great Prometheus teaser trailer.

One more thing: It seems everyone has Avengers fever (I don't blame them. It was pure summer fun akin to the Indiana Jones films of yesteryear) so here's a little funny bit about Batman vs Avengers and the surprisingly forgotten Spider Man too. ha.

Hello, is it nachos you're looking for?

Franco:

Below you will find a short film I made for a cinema production class I'm currently taking for funskees. The assignment was to show a character moving from one location to another using the editing/shooting methods of visual continuity we learned in class. In other words, don't disorient your audience. Have the character walk into frame and then walk out. If he/she is walking from left to right in one shot don't have him/her walking from right to left in the next shot. Cutting on action was stressed as well. If a character goes to pick up, say, a plate of nachos make the cut as he/she is moving then have the next shot (of a different angle and/or zoom) begin where the action left off, in this case picking up the nachos. It all sounds pretty obvious but it can be a big headache if you don't plan for it before a shoot. For my film I not only had a lack of preconceived shot selection but I had no idea what it would be about. I am not the most creative person and staring at a blank canvas paralyzes me. For weeks I was racking my brain as to what my film would be about. I knew I had the help of my film nerd, Niraj, and once my brother-in-law Tal and his girlfriend Sarira, volunteered to help I thought I could use some sort of a love triangle dynamic. Beautiful Dolores Park was a great location to shoot with its hills and greens and people. I was racking my brain as to what the film should be about when Sarira stated she was starving and bought some nachos at the Mexican food truck. Once I saw the mammoth plate of nachos I knew what my film would be about. That sort of serendipitous luck was the genesis to what you are about to view. I like the little film but would've shot it differently had I time to think out the shots. Being prepared in filmmaking is a must. I wasn't. As a result, some shots don't particularly work that well but oh well. The whole point of this is to learn and to learn cinema you must practice. Enjoy.