Rain Man

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Rain Man!

Original image located here. Accessed 29th January 2021

It is nothing new to slam previous winners of the Oscar for Best Picture - usually accompanied by the words 'doesn't hold up against the passing of time' and 'undeserved winner'. Is this movie one such film? Maybe but personally, I think one could make a case for this movie starting the trend of 'mentally-handicapped-person-helps-shallow-person-find-meaning-in-life = Oscar success'.

Still i did enjoy this movie. Having said that though, a lot of it rests on the shoulders of its two leads. I've never thought much of Tom Cruise but here he brings his A-Game. And Dustin Hoffman impresses with his committed portrayal of an autistic savant.
There is a part of me that should hate this movie because a) it started the above mentioned trend and b) creating a lot of stereotypes about autistic people. And yet somehow I do not.
In a way i was dreading this to be a slog to get through but to my surprise that was not the case. So yes, I'm glad I saw this one.
And hey, looks like we have a well-deserved winner of the Best Picture Oscar.

Anne of Green Gables: Road to Green Gables

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Akagi no An (Anne of Green Gables)!

Original image located here. Accessed 22nd January 2021

Yep, we taking another dive into the anime well - and in this case, the World Masterpiece Theater. And what is World Masterpiece theater you may ask?
From 1979 to 2000, Nippon Animation would annually produce a TV series based on famous work of classical literature. Such titles to get the anime treatment would be Little Women, Heidi, Tom Sawyer and others. Some of these would even get shortened down into a feature length release.
World Masterpiece Theater is also notable for being a early work for future Studio Ghibli founders Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki. And this is one such work with Takahata directing, Miyazaki doing layouts and another Ghibli alumni, Yoshifumi Kondo, proving character designs.

I must admit that watching this movie was a challenge on multiple fronts. Firstly I have no familiarity with the source material so this was going through new ground. Secondly, this is a a one hundred minute movie made up of the first six episodes of a 50 episode strong (!) series, thereby making it a glimpse into something greater. And thirdly, I have found a lot of anime made in the late seventies tend to age quite drastically.
But to view this movie as an early Ghibli work is a fascinating one. Already some of the Ghibli trademarks are in place: Detailed artwork, gorgeous scenery, animation with realistic movement, moments of whimsy, and a female protagonist who is both spunky and charming. And Takahata once again proves to be the master of the quiet moment.
It may not be on par with the future triumphs that Ghibli would bring but from the looks of it., it was already on it's way.

Argo

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Argo!

Original image located here. Accessed 15th January 2021

Maybe it's just me but it would appear that interest in this movie has dropped off completely. What was once a critical darling and a Best Picture winner at the Oscars is now a movie that has slipped through the cracks - Perhaps it is indeed telling that I would get this at the Salvos for $3. Is this what happens when you make a movie based on historical facts but neglect to mention some crucial details?

Still, this movie sets itself out to be a tense thriller and to that end it succeeds. Sure it may play like any caper movie, what with the planning process and the carrying out of the act itself, but I really enjoy caper movies and this one certainly delivers. I don't know Ben Affleck for his directorial ability but I must say: When he hits he can clearly knock it out of the park.

Dr No

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Dr No!

Original image located here. Accessed 8th January 2021

I have a goal for this year and that is to watch more James Bond movies.
Now I have enjoyed the James Bond movies but the amount I have seen all the way through is surprisingly few. Sure I have seen bits and pieces of some but that doesn't really count to this ongoing series.
So I plan to rectify this in 2021 by watching a James Bond movie every month and playing catch up. After all, with a new movie on the way, I couldn't ask for a better time.

And so what better place to start than at the very beginning.
It may be easy to dismiss Dr No as being the starting point of the franchise and thereby trying to figure itself out. But already some familiar elements are in place: John Barry's unmistakable theme, the gun barrel introduction, how Bond introduces himself, Car chases, Bond's tendency to quip upon defeating a foe, exotic locales, Bond's choice of martinis, a final showdown in a grandiose enemy lair and bikinis.
Of particular note is that this Bond comes across as a different one than his future incarnations: he is less suave and more thuggish. And as there are no gadgets, he is more dependent on his own ingenuity. I have to wonder: is this James Bond more in line with that from the source material?
Still, this movie was enjoyable: the series hits the ground running. And it can only go up from there....