Grade: ****
"Can somebody tell me what kind of world we live in, where a man dressed up as a *bat* gets all of my press? This town needs an enema." -- The Joker
OK, before I get into it, I have to tell you the spooky coincidence that happened today. First of all, JC and I watched this a couple of weekends ago (we paired it with The Dark Knight for a Batman Double Feature). I just got around to writing about it today. So, I started reminiscing about seeing this movie on opening night back in '89. So, I wanted to look up when this movie actually opened. June 23. Spooky, right? Today is Tim Burton's Batman's 21st anniversary.
The smartest decision Tim Burton made in Batman (besides casting Jack Nicholson) was hiring production designer Anton Furst to create Gotham City. The sets literally look like something right out of a comic book or 1930s film noir. Gotham City was as much a character in the movie as Alfred or Commissioner Gordon.
The second smartest decision (besides casting Jack Nicholson) was hiring Danny Elfman to compose the soundtrack score. It was instantly iconic and set the stage for just about every comic book movie that followed.
I remember back in 1988 when it was announced that Mr. Mom was going to be my Batman, my first reaction was "he's not going to be MY Batman!" I was a little upset. Sure, I loved Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice, but this was freakin' Batman. Had there been an Internet back then, I'm sure the fanboys would have broken it. But as soon as we found out that Jack Nicholson would be putting on the clown make-up as the Joker, all was right with the world.
As a HUGE comic book nerd, I couldn't have been more excited about this movie. I had the Danny Elfman score on something called a "compact disc." Heck, I even had the Prince soundtrack of songs that were "inspired" by the movie. (In retropsect, "Batdance" is an awful song and should only be played for the purpose of torture.) I was there on opening night, in what had to have been the longest line that I had ever stood in for a movie. I was hooked from the opening scene where Batman foils a couple of muggers and utters the now, simplistically iconic line, "I'm Batman."
Don't get me wrong, this movie has its flaws. Jack Nicholson is fantastic as the Joker, but there are times when scenes are played out just a little too long. Specifically, when he and his thugs invade the musuem. My guess is that there was an agreement that at least one of Prince's songs had to be played in its entiriety. So, the Joker and his gang deface valuable works of art to the tunes of "Partyman." This is also the point of the movie when Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) begins her non-stop screamfest. Just do what I do. Turn it into a drinking game. Get your favorite drink and take a swig every time she screams, screeches or squawks. You'll be so plastered by the end of the movie you won't even realize she's doing it anymore.
Another thing I realized after I first saw this movie, Michael Keaton wasn't such a bad casting decision after all. He was at least better than Val Kilmer and/or George Clooney. Keaton was able to turn Bruce Wayne into a troubled, brooding orphan with serious identity issues, which is exactly what the character should be. It would have been easy for him to resign himself to playing second fiddle to Nicholson's Joker in his own movie, but he stood his ground and was the best, in my opinion, Batman in the original franchise.
This movie is a must-see, especially if you're a comic book nerd, like me. Even if you're not, it's still a great action flick with lots of quotable lines ("Wait'll they get a load of me...") and outlandish visuals (choreographed mime attack, anyone?). It's a great comic counterpart to The Dark Knight, which is great to watch as a double-feature. Just do whatever you can to avoid Batman & Robin, one of the worst movies in American cinema history.
Did you know?: I wasn't the only angry comic book nerd. 50,000 protest letters were sent to Warner Bros. offices when it was announced that Michael Keaton was cast as Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Prince wasn't the first choice to write and perform songs for the movie. Michael Jackson was originally approached, but he had to turn it down due to his concert commitments.
Credits:
U.S./G.B. (Polygram, Warner Bros.) 126m Technicolor
Director: Tim Burton
Producer: Peter Guber, Jon Peters
Screenplay: Sam Hamm, Warren Skaaren, Bob Kane
Photography: Roger Pratt
Music: Danny Elfman, Prince
Cast: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, Jack Palance, Jerry Hall, Tracey Walter, Lee Wallace, William Hootkins, Richard Strange, Carl Chase, Mac McDonald
Oscar: Anton Furst, Peter Young (art direction)
Why you should watch Tim Burton's Batman: it set the standard for what a great comic book movie should be.
Why you should skip it: you can't deal with Kim Basinger's screeching.
Up Next: The Dark Knight (2008)
Grade: *****
"I see dead people." -- Cole Sear
I promise not to spoil the ending of this movie, but, come on, it's 11 years old. There has to be a statute of limitations on spoiler alerts, right?
Without giving away the ending, this is a great film with a solid story, fantastic acting, and a surprise ending reminiscent of Hitchcock. The concept here is that little Cole (Haley Joel Osment) sees ghosts, and they torment him night and day, to the point of physical abuse. He eventually meets the award-winning child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis), who tries to help him out.
Meanwhile, Cole's mom (Toni Collette) and Malcolm's wife Anna (Olivia Williams) are having problems of their own relating to the men in their lives. Cole is obviously afraid to tell his mom that he's being physically abused by gh-gh-ghosts... I mean, who wouldn't put their kid away for something like that? The subplot with Malcolm and his wife also serves its purpose by movie's end.
Without question, this is Shyamalan's best movie, and based on the previews for The Last Airbender, it will remain his best movie at least for another year or two. Don't get me wrong, I love Signs and even Unbreakable was better on repeat viewing, but I wish I had one of those Men In Black memory-erasing things so I could forget The Village and The Happening (or as JC calls it, The Crappening). Favorite quote from that movie: "We've got to stay ahead of the wind!" Um, ok, Marky Mark, how exactly do you run from the wind?
But, I digress. Shyamalan obviously knew what he was doing with this story and these actors. He got a great performance out of Willis, and, even though he over-enunciated everything, little Haley Joel Osment wasn't half as annoying as most child actors. My favorite performance in the movie though was Oscar-nominated Toni Collette. There's a scene at the end of the movie that has me in tears every time I see it. EVERY time, people! I'm getting misty just thinking about it now.
This is one of those movies that really requires multiple viewings in order to appreciate how wonderful it truly is. Not that it isn't fantastic upon first viewing, but there are subtle clues sprinkled throughout the movie like little breadcrumbs trying to help you get to that surprise twist. Shyamalan also loves his symbolism. Pay close attention to the color red.
This is on my list of must-own movies, so if you haven't seen it yet, let me know and I'll have you over for a screening. And I promise not to give away the ending.
P.S. Dorothy had the power to go home all along, and Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father.
Did you know?: M. Night Shyamalan also wrote the screenplay for Stuart Little. I haven't seen it, but I'm wondering what the twist ending to that movie is.
Credits:
U.S. (Hollywood, Spyglass, Kennedy/Marshall) 107m Technicolor
Language: English / Spanish / Latin
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Producer: Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Barry Mendel
Screenplay: M. Night Shyamalan
Photography: Tak Fuijimoto
Music: James Newton Howard
Cast: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams, Trevor Morgan, Donnie Wahlberg, Peter Anthony Tambakis, Jeffrey Zubernis, Bruce Norris, Glenn Fitzgerald, Greg Wood, Mischa Barton, Angelica Torn, Lisa Summerour, Firdous Bamji
Oscar nominations: Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, Barry Mendel (best picture), M. Night Shyamalan (director), M. Night Shyamalan (screenplay), Haley Joel Osment (actor in a supporting role), Toni Collette (actress in a supporting role), Andrew Mondshein (editing)
Why you should watch The Sixth Sense: it's one of the best ghost stories ever told and the acting is top-notch.
Why you shouldn't watch: you saw The Happening and just can't find it in yourself to forgive M. Night.
Up Next: Batman (1989)
Grade: ****
"It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog." -- The Beatles
I had to resist the urge to tune out the visuals and just sit back and enjoy one of the most awesome movie soundtracks of all time. I'm glad I resisted that urge. This has to be one of the funniest and most unique movies ever made. Now, it's definitely not for every one, but if you're a fan of The Beatles, you should give it a watch (if you haven't already). Shot before The Beatles had hit it big in America, the movie follows a day in the life of the Fab Four, as they travel to a TV appearance and an evening concert and experience various misadventures along the way.
Of course, there's very little substance to their adventures -- running from fans, attending parties, and losing Ringo (all with Paul's grandfather (Wilfrid Brambell) in tow). There are moments that make their trip worthwhile. Like when Paul's grandfather rushes to Ringo's aid when the boys are joking about the size of his nose, "He can't help having a hideous great hooter! And his poor little head, trembling under the weight of it!"
Oh, and there's the music. With unforgettable classics like 'And I Love Her,' 'Tell Me Why,' 'If I Fell,' and the title track, I found myself singing along and probably driving my neighbors batty. The great thing about this film is that it's not just a light comedy or a brainless concert movie, it's also a telling look into the music scene of the '60s and the outbreak of Beatlemania. Those screaming girls and fainting groupies are often imitated, but here's where you can find the originals. And, yes, this is the movie that inspired the opening sequence of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.
Did you know?: Phil Collins has a blink-and-you'll-miss-him cameo as one of the screaming teenagers at the concert. Of course, that's what Phil's been telling everyone. It could have been any 13-year-old kid.
The word "Beatles" is never used in this movie.
This was the first movie ever put out on DVD.
Credits:
G.B. (Proscenium) 87m B&W
Director: Richard Lester
Producer: Walter Shenson
Screenplay: Alun Owen
Music: George Harrison, John Lennon, George Martin, Paul McCartney
Cast: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Wilfrid Brambell, Norman Rossington, John Junkin, Victor Spinetti, Anna Quayle, Deryck Guyler, Richard Vernon, Edward Malin, Robin Ray, Lionel Blair, Alison Seebohm
Oscar Nominations: Alun Owen (screenplay), George Martin (music)
Why you should watch A Hard Day's Night: the fantastic soundtrack and dry, witty script.
Why you shouldn't watch: if you're not a Beatles fan.
Up Next: The Sixth Sense (1999)
Grade: ★★★★★
"Auric Goldfinger. Sounds like a French nail varnish." - James Bond.
Goldfinger has everything you could possible want in a Bond movie: the maniacal arch villain, his ridiculously elaborate plot, the gorgeous temptress, her ridiculously suggestive name, the dangerous henchman, the gadgets, the cars, the ejector seat, Miss Moneypenny, a catchy theme song, and, of course, the martinis (shaken, not stirred).
Sean Connery is back in the third (and my favorite so far) installment of the nearly 50-year-old franchise. This time he finds himself in Miami puzzling over the death of his latest conquest who has been killed by gold paint asphyxiation. All fingers (pun intended) point to Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe), whom Bond is assigned to shadow across Europe. He'll have his work cut out for him, since he'll not only have to deal with Goldfinger and his wildly elaborate and convoluted plot, but he'll also have to take on his mute henchman Odd Job (Harold Sakata), whose bowler hat doubles as a deadly Frisbee. Arguably the best scene in the movie is when Goldfinger has Bond exactly where he wants him: strapped to a table with a laser beam aimed at his groin. Bond asks, 'Do you expect me to talk?' 'No, Mr. Bond,' Goldfinger famously replies. 'I expect you to die.'
In the original script, the scene had a spinning buzzsaw (as envisioned in the original novel) until it was decided that this was too passé. And so, the laser beam made its very first appearance in a movie...ever.
Of course Bond escapes this predicament, only to be captured again by Goldfinger and his "personal pilot" with man-hands, Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman). Once they make it back to his secret American lair, Goldfinger begins revealing his plan -- complete with scale models and a pre-PowerPoint presentation -- to a gathering of mob bosses immediately prior to gassing them all, which begs the question: Why bother explaining the plan to them?. You know it's because he wanted to show off his model of Fort Knox. And so, Operation Grandslam is put into motion. Now all Bond has to do is take out Odd Job, capture Goldfinger, defuse an atomic bomb, get the girl (which won't be easy since Pussy likes the ladies), and save the world before the movie ends. Piece of cake.
So, even though this wasn't the first Bond film, it is the one that set the standard for every one that followed. It is essentially the movie that turned "Bond movies" into their own genre and is well-deserving of a 5 star-rating and its place on the list of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
Did you know?: Gert Fröbe spoke very little English, so his voice was dubbed over by a different actor (Michael Collins). And contrary to popular belief, Shirley Eaton, the actress who played Goldfinger's gold-painted victim, did not really die from paint-poisoning. She went on to star in several other movies until she chose to retire in the late '60s.
Credits:
G.B. (Danjaq, Eon) 112m Technicolor
Director: Guy Hamilton
Producer: Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman
Screenplay: Richard Maibaum, Paul Dehn, from novel by Ian Fleming
Photography: Ted Moore
Music: John Barry, Monty Norman
Cast: Sean Connery, Honor Blackman, Gert Fröbe, Shirley Eaton, Tania Mallet, Harold Sakata, Bernard Lee, Martin Benson, Cec Linder, Austin Willis, Lois Maxwell, Bill Nagy, Michael Mellinger, Peter Cranwell, Nadja Regin
Oscar: Norman Wanstall (special sound effects)
Why you should watch Goldfinger: it's one of the best Bond movies ever made and it turned a fledgeling franchise into its own genre.
Why you shouldn't watch: Operation Grandslam might make you crave Denny's at 2 in the morning.
Up Next: A Hard Day's Night (1964)
