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Reviews
Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)
Amazing and so bittersweet
My son, an avid skateboarder, sat me down and made me watch this with him. As I love documentaries, it didn't take a whole lot of pressure on his part. The whole amazing story of it all - a bunch of dirt-poor kids drift together and end up creating something revolutionary out of thin air - well, more out of some wood, wheels and lack of waves to surf - it just floored me. It still does. I didn't think I would enjoy it the way I did, nor did I think I would tear up watching Stacey Peralta tear up over the fate of Jay Adams. And just watching Jay Adams himself.....the sheer genius of the kid skating and the shrug of the adult remembering. I watched it again last night for what has to be the 10th time and I still get goosebumps watching him fly down the hill with Jimi Hendrix's "Freedom" playing in the background. And I teared up, again. Not too many movies have the same impact with me after several viewings. Brilliant.
Here Come the Double Deckers! (1970)
So much fun
This was one of my favorite shows when I was eight. In fact, the summer I turned 9, my family and I went to London, and at the Bank Holiday Parade, the Double Deckers were IN THE PARADE!!! For an 8-year-old to unexpectedly get to see her favorite TV actors in the flesh, that was quite a moment! They were of course riding in a double decker bus, hanging off the sides and waving and smiling. I was jumping up and down, a complete hysterical screaming mess. My mom fumbled with the camera and able to get one good picture. I wish I could see this show again. I was very tickled to see how most of the actors have gone on to bigger and better things.
L.A. Confidential (1997)
Tip for the first-time viewer
This is a stunning movie, film noir at its finest. Fully developed characters, perfect soundtrack, and enough plot twists and turns to keep you guessing from one minute to the next. You'll absolutely feel taken back to post-war Hollywood, and all of the drugs, crime, sex, and stardom (in several senses of the word) that went along with it. If you haven't seen it, please take my advice and do the following: watch the DVD at home, where you can pause as needed for bathroom breaks, etc. The plot is so intricate in this movie that if you miss so much as one small scene, you'll never be able to recapture the thread. Don't be daunted - this is so wonderful and fun to watch, you won't WANT to miss a minute.
Lord of the Flies (1963)
Horrifying
The first time I saw this movie was when it aired on PBS when I was 13. I watched it and I was absolutely shattered. For a good month I actually did sleep with my light on, and hummed any song I could think of so that the sing-song chant of "Teery-ay, Teery-oh" couldn't creep into my head. My memories of this movie have stayed with me so vividly that I haven't felt the need to see it again, even though it's now 30 years later. Frightening or not, it is more than memorable because of what most perceive of as its flaws - i.e., the b&w photography, the uneven editing, the faulty acting. These all made it much more realistic and therefore more frightening to me. My comments aren't meant to discourage anyone from watching this movie at least once - if anything, I recommend it heartily. Just don't be surprised if the sing-song chant doesn't play an eerie, constant refrain in your head as well.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Oh, I love this movie!
One of those when the sequel truly has more of everything than the original: more excitement, more wit, more pathos, and so much more depth. I know that "depth" perhaps isn't a word that most people wouldn't associate with a comic book character, but it absolutely exists here. There's a lot of exploration and soul-searching in this movie that came off, to me, as being honest and natural. Plus the chemistry between Tobey Maguire and Kristin Dunst (former lovers, I might add) is genuine. Just go stand in line, pay your eight bucks, and see this on the big screen before the summer's over. No way will anyone feel let down after this movie. For eight bucks, you get more than your money's worth.
Pixote: A Lei do Mais Fraco (1980)
Not for the faint hearted
I first saw Pixote over 20 years ago, and the thing that I always think about the movie is how, when I was first watching it, my friend who was also watching it nudged me and whispered "His face...look at his face", referring to Fernando Ramos De Silva. "His face is growing harder, and older, and angry...how do you ACT that?" It's true: watch the movie and you'll notice that the face of Pixote becomes visibly more and more changed over time due to the life that he lives. The see-saw of the "adult" means of which he's forced by circumstance to live his life and the reality of being a boy, a little boy alone, looking not only to survive but to gain at least a small semblance of childhood that is pretty much a lost cause. I think the most heart-rending scene is when he nurses at the breast of the prostitute - not for sex, but because of his need to have a mother, to be only a baby nursing at his mother's breast. You see that, and you also see that the prostitute recognizes his suckling for what it is, and for a moment she accepts this, and encourages this, until she remembers who she is, and that she is not about to undertake raising a child. She then stops his nursing and sends him away.
And that's just one moment out of so many in this movie. This is a film that, without being in the least exploitive, nonetheless throws doors open wide to let the viewer see exactly what exists on the streets of Brazil (reminding us that if it exists there, the chances are pretty good that the same sort of thing exists elsewhere). It doesn't show us anything but the truth. There's no need for embellishment - the actuality is sobering enough. It's a hard movie to watch. I haven't watched it since I've had children of my own - truthfully, I've been kind of afraid to. I will again, though. This movie is too, too good to see only once, even if once is all you think that you can stand.
Mulholland Dr. (2001)
Please, it's David Lynch
I've been reading over the User Comments, and it seems like the reaction to Mulholland Drive is either one of awe or one of scorn. The latter opinion tends to be laden with confusion as to the plot and "the meaning" of the movie. I'm not going to go into what my interpretation of what this movie is about; there's enough folks out there doing that already. David Lynch's movies have always consisted of far more than meets the naked eye, and you can view his films one of two ways: you can either attach some meaning, some hidden premise to the thing, or two, you can let the beautiful, disturbing imagery (and his imagery truly is beautiful and disturbing) wash over you, accepting it on a purely visual level. Personally, though I don't feel one hundred percent that I "understand" this film, I know that I absolutely accept it.
Moment by Moment (1978)
Absolutely The Greatest Movie Ever Made
Shakespeare, Ibsen, Tolstoy, Brecht - all very competent when it comes to writing love stories, but none of them ever came close to writing such a tale of beauty, romance, pathos, and stripping. Why is it that when people get together and discuss fine films, the name "Moment by Moment" never comes up? I see no reason why it should not be regarded as a film MASTERPIECE. As an actress, I know that I could only gain creative motivation simply by repeated viewings of this cinematic gem. It has all of the components necessary to a riveting plot: Lily Tomlin portrays the mopey, dour "older woman" who doesn't smile once in the entire film; John Travolta serves as the pretty-boy, pouty catalyst; and the beach becomes the perfect backdrop for these two lonely individuals to come together and get some sparks a'flyn'! Someone release this treasure on DVD immediately!!!!
Over the Edge (1979)
Just the way it was
I first saw the movie when it opened in the spring of 1980, on a double bill with "Little Darlings". I ended up seeing it twice. I was the age of the kids in the film at the time, and my bull***t detector didn't go off once during the course of watching this film. The kids were real, the words natural and unaffected, and the whole thing about the boredom that is so prevailing when you're a teenager was right on the money. I remember as I watched the movie thinking that the clothes the kids were wearing looked worn just enough, like they had come out of the actors' own closets. Matt Dillon's first movie - I read that he auditioned for the part as something to do while he skipped school for a day. He reminded me utterly of my then high school boyfriend, right down to the voice, clothes and cocky attitude. The music was exactly what me and all my friends were listening to - Cheap Trick (the earlier, not-played-on-the-radio songs) and the Cars. Ok, so perhaps it was a little unrealistic at parts, and the soundtrack could have done without the Valerie Carter song, but wow, what a great little movie. Rent a copy, go home, slap it in your vcr, and get out your bong and a couple of beers. You won't be dissapointed, not even a little bit.
Dazed and Confused (1993)
Capital L-I-V-I-N'
One of my all-time favorite films. In my high school,I knew Slater, I wore Michelle's jeans, and I attended that kegger. I just wanted the movie not to end, but to go on and on, into Senior year. Perhaps longing to enter into a movie isn't the most typical thing to want to do, but no other film has evoked this reaction from me. This is a movie I purchsed, loaned to someone who moved away, and purchased again. I own the soundtracks (question: anyone have any idea why "Sweet Emotion" didn't make it on the soundtrack?)and somehow, these songs that I know pretty much by heart sound so much better when listened to in context with this movie. Anyone else love this film as much as I do? Please e-mail me with your comments; I promise a response.