Welcome to the final installment of Thursday American Cinema Classic. I was taking a course called American Cinema Since 1960 where we charted the history and development of American Cinema from the 1960s to the present. We’ve watched some pretty iconic films, some of which I hadn’t seen before. Now, here’s the final entry as the course comes to a close.
The Hurt Locker Directed by Kathryn Bigelow Released June 26, 2009
When this movie first came out in limited release (I wasn’t in the New York area and had to drive fifty minutes to Waltham to see it), the general public had never heard of it, but reviews were uniformly excellent. Now, almost a year later, most people still haven’t seen it, but everyone knows it as the little film that could that took down megahit “Avatar” and won the Oscar for Best Picture, in addition to having the first female director to win an Oscar. My original review of the film was an enormously positive one, and at the end of the year I ranked it the sixth best film of 2009. I stand by both at this point, and I highly encourage any readers who still have yet to see it to check it out soon.
Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Thursday American Cinema Classic. I’m taking a course called American Cinema Since 1960 where we’re charting the history and development of American Cinema from the 1960s to the present. We’ll be watching some pretty iconic films, some of which I haven’t seen before. Each week, I’ll be providing a short review of one contemporary classic from the annals of recent history.
The Matrix Directed by Andy & Lana Wachowski Released March 31, 1999
This universally-known film has been quite a cult phenomenon in the decade since it was released. The trailer provides a nice, dated look at what it was first like when this movie first came out and no one really knew exactly what the Matrix was. Now it’s a constantly-referenced and oft-parodied concept, with its slow-motion dodging bullets and leaping over buildings. This was the one that got it started though, and while the two sequels, released in 2003, weren’t received so favorably, this one was. It won all four of its Oscar nominations, taking home trophies for Best Film Editing, Sound, Sound Editing, and most importantly, Best Visual Effects. It’s tough to decide who has a cooler voice – Laurence Fishburne or Hugo Weaving – but they are both definitely awesome and this is the height of that. Even Keanu Reeves isn’t so bad, and this movie is definitely one fantastically awesome ride. The blue pill or the red pill? Take both and watch this movie, or at least watch the trailer to relive the excitement.
Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Thursday American Cinema Classic. I’m taking a course called American Cinema Since 1960 where we’re charting the history and development of American Cinema from the 1960s to the present. We’ll be watching some pretty iconic films, some of which I haven’t seen before. Each week, I’ll be providing a short review of one contemporary classic from the annals of recent history.
Boyz n the Hood Directed by John Singleton Released July 12, 1991
This film earned twin Oscar nominations for writer-director John Singleton, who made history as both the youngest director ever nominated for an Oscar and the first African-American up for the award. The movie is engaging portrait of one young man who grows up in a harsh, violent world where a life can be taken for a reason as arbitrary as someone bumping into someone else. It has a definitive style and, while its story is reminiscent a number of other recent films, it’s important to remember that this was one of the first ones. Among the cast you’ll find a very young Cuba Gooding Jr, Morris Chestnut, Ice Cube, and Laurence Fishburne. The film features many scenes which could come off as corny if done the wrong way, but Singleton makes this a very intimate and personal experience. While the plot plays out pretty much exactly as you’d expect it, to, it’s no less powerful and compelling. Chronicling Tre’s childhood from when he first moved to South Central Los Angeles to when he grows up and tries to escape from his life there is an incredibly interesting and dynamic story that still resonates twenty years later.
Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Thursday American Cinema Classic. I’m taking a course called American Cinema Since 1960 where we’re charting the history and development of American Cinema from the 1960s to the present. We’ll be watching some pretty iconic films, some of which I haven’t seen before. Each week, I’ll be providing a short review of one contemporary classic from the annals of recent history.
Roger & Me Directed by Michael Moore Released December 30, 1989
Michael Moore’s first film is also the first nonfiction feature screened in this course, and it’s interesting to see how much the Michael Moore of twenty years ago resembles the Michael Moore of today. Sure, he’s a little bit more nervous and certainly skinnier, but he still deigns to wreak as much havoc as possible, and refuses to dress up or even take off his baseball cap when trying to infiltrate an elitist social club. Moore also has a tendency to get sidetracked in telling his stories, like his unnecessary demonstration of a woman slaughtering a rabbit on camera to drive home his point that the plants being closed have had a detrimental effect on Flint, Michigan. There has also been discussion that Moore purposely altered the chronology of events as depicted in the film to heighten its dramatic effect, which isn’t much of a surprise but is still disappointing given how, like all of his films, it would be much stronger if it were all actually true. From this, it is clear Moore is a talented documentary filmmaker and an entertaining host to witness the destruction of the (allegedly) once-great city of Flint. Both “Fahrenheit 9/11” and “Sicko” (I have yet to see “Bowling for Columbine,” since I was too young when it was first came out) are far better documentaries, but this one is quite intriguing too. Check out the ridiculous trailer above.
Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Thursday American Cinema Classic. I’m taking a course called American Cinema Since 1960 where we’re charting the history and development of American Cinema from the 1960s to the present. We’ll be watching some pretty iconic films, some of which I haven’t seen before. Each week, I’ll be providing a short review of one contemporary classic from the annals of recent history.
Top Gun Directed by Tony Scott Released May 16, 1986
Like last week’s entry, “Jaws,” this is another film with an extremely recognizable musical score. In this case, it’s not one that provokes fear but instead nationalist pride (and considerable laughter for audience members all too familiar with it). This All-American film is a fantastic capsule portrait of the 1980s, chock full of corniness and plenty of homoerotic insinuations. As an action movie, it’s a lot of fun even if it’s terribly predictable. Tom Cruise is fantastically unhinged and completely hilarious, walking around as if he owns the world. His attempts to seduce Top Gun instructor Charlie (Kelly McGillis) are so over-the-top and incessantly funny. The movie, though less than twenty-five years old, feels hopelessly dated and gloriously excessive in every possible way. The flying is fun, and though the dialogue ruins pretty much all of the dramatic effect, it’s still enjoyable and a little bit thrilling. It probably works better as a satire than as a film taken at face value, and it’s immensely entertaining, cheesy music and all. Relieve the ridiculousness with this terrific YouTube montage set to the eternally memorable theme. It’ll take your breath away.
Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Thursday American Cinema Classic. I’m taking a course called American Cinema Since 1960 where we’re charting the history and development of American Cinema from the 1960s to the present. We’ll be watching some pretty iconic films, some of which I haven’t seen before. Each week, I’ll be providing a short review of one contemporary classic from the annals of recent history.
Jaws Directed by Steven Spielberg Released June 20, 1975
This is one film that pretty much everyone in the world has heard of, and for good reason. It was director Steven Spielberg’s first big hit, and broke the box-office record at that time, besting the take by “The Godfather” three years earlier. “Jaws” stills stands as the seventh highest-grossing film of all time, having earned nearly $975 million adjusted for inflation. The screening of this film was designed as an example of the rise of the blockbuster, and it was either this or “Star Wars,” which was released two years later. This fun flick helped to instill terror in beach-going audiences for years to come with the deadly shark chewing up multiple human victims and taking a boat or two with him in the process. Thirty-five years later, the film is devastatingly corny but just as awesome as it is hilarious, and the cast is a big part of that. Richard Dreyfuss is at his neurotic, nerdy best as a visiting oceanographer with a particularly passion for studying sharks. Roy Scheider is a great do-gooder who always knows what’s best even if his sea legs aren’t that strong, and Robert Shaw is fantastically unhinged as a hardened and insane shark hunter. The three of them together make for quite an oddball, entertaining team. The movie is just as much an adventure film as it is a horror movie, and the visual effects contribute to the effectiveness greatly. The film’s most spectacular asset, of course, is its incredibly iconic score by legendary composer John Williams, only just beginning his prolific career. This is a wonderfully enjoyable and fun film, and it’s one I don’t feel I need to recommend highly because I suspect that most readers have already seen it.
Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Thursday American Cinema Classic. I’m taking a course called American Cinema Since 1960 where we’re charting the history and development of American Cinema from the 1960s to the present. We’ll be watching some pretty iconic films, some of which I haven’t seen before. Each week, I’ll be providing a short review of one contemporary classic from the annals of recent history.
The Last Picture Show Directed by Peter Bogdanovich Released October 22, 1971
This Best Picture nominee is a trip way back in time, both when it was originally released in 1971 and in the present day, painting a colorful (albeit black-and-white) picture of the 1950s. It’s particularly interesting to look at the film in terms of the performances showcased, especially since most of the actors, now in their sixties and seventies, are still actively working today. Seeing Jeff Bridges in one of his first big film roles (and his first Oscar nominated-one) is quite a sight after his career-encompassing, Oscar-winning performance in “Crazy Heart” last year. Timothy Buttoms seems such an innocent soul at this young age, and he’s quite different from his parody of George W. Bush as seen on the short-lived TV farce “That’s My Bush” from 2001. Cloris Leachman, who made this film before she earned any of her twenty-one Emmy nominations, already seems very old compared to the rest of the cast, but delivers a meaningful and impressive performance. Ellen Burstyn steals all of her scenes, which isn’t much of a surprise, and Cybill Shepherd is magnetic in her first film role. The cast are just part of the experience of this tribute to an ailing Texas town, and it’s a wonderfully complex exploration of friendship, relationships, sex, and movies. Watch the opening of the film with the YouTube clip embedded above.
Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Thursday American Cinema Classic. I’m taking a course called American Cinema Since 1960 where we’re charting the history and development of American Cinema from the 1960s to the present. We’ll be watching some pretty iconic films, some of which I haven’t seen before. Each week, I’ll be providing a short review of one contemporary classic from the annals of recent history.
Easy Rider Directed by Dennis Hopper Released July 14, 1969
This film serves as an excellent example of the counterculture in the 1960s featuring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper as bikers heading south to reach New Orleans in time for Mardi Gras. It’s a film that indulges in lengthy drug trips and truly gets inside the minds and mindsets of these men. The soundtrack and images are iconic, and it’s a truly classic film. Fonda is subdued and compelling as Captain America Wyatt, and Hopper, also working behind the camera, is magnificently unhinged and crazy as his loudmouthed buddy Billy. The best performance, hands-down, in the film is tha of Jack Nicholson as crooked lawyer George Hanson. It was Nicholson’s first Oscar nod, and it’s clear that this actor has an incredible amount of potential. He displays the token Nicholson traits that have become so familiar over the past forty years, though he seems so innocent and youthful at only 32. He’s only onscreen for a very limited amount of time, but it’s an extraordinarily memorable turn. Watch the clip above for an excerpt of his brilliant portrayal. The feel of this movie is one of unfettered exploration, and it’s certainly an experience. By its end, it gets more than a bit caught up with its drug trip sequences, but that’s all part of it, and part of what makes it such a singular film representative of an era.
Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Thursday American Cinema Classic. I’m taking a course called American Cinema Since 1960 where we’re charting the history and development of American Cinema from the 1960s to the present. We’ll be watching some pretty iconic films, some of which I haven’t seen before. Each week, I’ll be providing a short review of one contemporary classic from the annals of recent history.
Night of the Living Dead Directed by George Romero Released October 1, 1968
The horror genre is one I’m generally unfamiliar with since I’m not a fan of the supernatural and the frightening things that come about as a result of its involvement in a film. It’s therefore especially interesting to see one of the first and most influential major horror movies. I’m much more intrigued and willing to see this kind of movie, that doesn’t feature excessive jump scenes and unnecessarily gory-looking and fearsome undead villains. However corny it may seem now or may even have seemed then, the way this movie works and serves to create fear is extremely effective. These zombies start wandering and maiming humans while it’s still light out, fueling clueless main character Barbra’s fears about being in a cemetery. They’re unresponsive and don’t want anything other than to kill and eat humans. Inside the house in which Ben and Barbara end up boarded up, the only connection to sanity and the real world they have is the very sterile-seeming news broadcasts they watch on television. There are obvious undercurrents of meaning implied in the film related to the events of the time when the film was first released. It’s very layered, but it’s enjoyable even just on the surface level as a cheesy zombie movie that produces more laughs than scares. There’s even more to discuss about the film’s ending, but I’d like to avoid that here in order not to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t yet seen it. This is definitely a cult classic that’s worthy of watching if you’re a diehard zombie movie fan or even just a casual moviegoer without any particular inclination for seeing the undead rise. Check out the clip above of the film’s opening scene and enjoy.
Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Thursday American Cinema Classic. I’m taking a course called American Cinema Since 1960 where we’re charting the history and development of American Cinema from the 1960s to the present. We’ll be watching some pretty iconic films, some of which I haven’t seen before. Each week, I’ll be providing a short review of one contemporary classic from the annals of recent history.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Directed by John Ford Released April 22, 1962
(Spoiler alert: Do not watch the clip if you haven't see the film!)
I took a course completely about Western films, and this film was screened in that class as one of the most intriguing instances of a Western since it brings together iconic stars James Stewart and John Wayne for the first time in the same movie. It also marks one of the final films in the long list of 21 collaborations between four-time Oscar-winning director John Ford and Wayne. Looking at this film in a different context other than one of the many great and unrewarded at the time Westerns sets it up as the classic Western in the history of American cinema from the 1960s to the present. It isn't a typical Western in many ways, and putting two very different character types together makes for a fascinating comparison of the old gunslinging West, exemplified by Wayne's Tom Doniphon, and the more civilized, literary East, typified by Stewart's Ransom Stoddard. It's a film that feels very dated due to the unintentionally comic nature of some of its interactions, especially those involving Lee Marvin's deep-voiced villain Liberty Valance, who calls everyone "dude." Still, it hasn't lost its relevance, and certainly gives its audiences plenty to think about and contemplate on in terms of the implications of violence and the transformation of an outlaw-ruled society into a civilized democracy. The added subplot of voting for statehood contributes to this film as a symbol of change. For me, the most powerful performance after having seen this film isn't Wayne's, or Stewart's, but rather that of Edmond O'Brien, who won an Oscar eight years earlier for his role in "The Barefoot Contessa," as newspaper man Dutton Peabody, whose dedication to his printing press was unrivaled. He's by far the most entertaining character in the movie, but at the same time, probably the smartest and noblest, second only to lawyer Stoddard. There's definitely much to say and discuss about this film, and it's absolutely worthy of preservation in the canon of film history. The clip above is the big reveal that features some great shouting from both Stewart and Wayne and provides the film with its title.
Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Thursday American Cinema Classic. I’m taking a course called American Cinema Since 1960 where we’re charting the history and development of American Cinema from the 1960s to the present. We’ll be watching some pretty iconic films, some of which I haven’t seen before. Each week, I’ll be providing a short review of one contemporary classic from the annals of recent history.
The Graduate Directed by Mike Nichols Released December 22, 1967
This is a universally agreed-upon fantastic film that launched the very prolific career of actor Dustin Hoffman and contains so many classic scenes that it’s hard to pick just a few to mention in a quick review. This certainly wasn’t my first time screening it, but watching it with a classroom full of people and appreciating the dated nature of the film just makes it all the more entertaining. The soundtrack by Simon and Garfunkel helps to give it a distinctive sedated feel, and that’s also aided by the performances from the entire cast. This film came out over forty years ago, which is quite unbelievable considering the fact that both director Mike Nichols and star Dustin Hoffman are still making quality films, like “Charlie Wilson’s War” and “Last Chance Harvey.” Of course they can’t possibly live up to the greatness of “The Graduate,” though some of Hoffman’s follow-up films certainly did, like “Tootsie” and “Rain Man.” This film is particularly important because, along with “Bonnie & Clyde” the same year, it represented explicit, previously unexplored and prohibited pictures of indecency in a non-gratuitous way that appealed greatly to audiences. The revamping of the motion picture rating system the following year enabled more films like this to be released, but this was really one of the trailblazers that paved the way for it. Hoffman’s performance is hilariously muted and dry, and Anne Bancroft does a magnificent job of not letting him get away with anything. The script is brilliant, and the transitions in the film are stellar. This is a classic that needs no revision, and those who try, like Rob Reiner, Jennifer Aniston, and Kevin Costner with 2005’s “Rumor Has It,” surely think better of it after the fact. As I mentioned earlier, it’s difficult to find just one scene to represent the film, but I think the above clip does a fine job.
Film and television enthusiast, with a special emphasis on seeing every Oscar-nominated movie and fall TV pilot each year! Visit my movie and television sites, both of which should have something of interest for you! E-mail me at abe@movieswithabe.com with any questions or comments!
