Kamikaze Girls

Recently I saw Kamikaze Girls (Shimotsuma Monogatari: Yankī-chan to Rorīta-chan)!

Original image located here. Accessed 5th November 2024

For me, there are three kinds of Japanese cinema. There's the first which is anime. There's the second that says it's own thing to an attentive world (ie the films of Akira Kurosawa). And there's the third kind: one's that dedicated to throwing as much weird/random stuff as it lay it's hands on.
But the most fascinating thing I have found about the third kind is that it's relationship to the other two: It seems to be a cousin of the first kind whilst trying to distance itself from the second kind as much as possible. 
And Kamikaze Girls belongs firmly in the third kind. And belong it does with mad colours, weird hair, randomness, a celebration of Japanese sub-cultures and a truly off-the-wall sense of humour. Needless to say, it's the kind of movie that takes a particular mindset to be appreciated.

It should be noted that I watched this movie in the company of some Lolitas so it's fair to say that this movie is one that knows its audience exactly.

The Lost Weekend

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Lost Weekend!

Original image located here. Accessed 23rd February 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 18 (1945)

There's been this joke circulating that winning the Best Picture Oscar is guaranteed if one makes a movie about someone trying to overcome some sort of personal struggle. To that end, the blame for such a trend can be laid on the shoulders of this movie that depicts a guy fighting a losing battle with alcoholism and alienating those around him. 

The difference is however that this movie still packs a punch decades later and still sets a standard that many of it's imitators can't hope to reach. It certainly isn't easy to watch, being a harrowing experience with sprinkles of dark humour, but it certainly is a compelling one. 
It's also a rare instance that, when they feel like it, the Academy can take a risk and reward a challenging movie. Wish they did it more often...

Mrs Miniver

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

Original image located here. Accessed 16th February 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 15 (1942)

In recent years I've heard complaints that the Oscars are being too political. Such a notion never made such sense to me as it would seem that they have always been political. Such was the case with this movie as it was a made during a major worldwide event - that being World War II.

So what we have here is a family, and a community, being effected by the War. Of course, this subsequently comes across as being a propaganda piece. Nevertheless, there are some moments of note: The tension from the pilot scene, the character development and the finale in the church. 
It may have been dull in places but it seems that it's humane approach is what makes it succeed.

How Green Was My Valley

And this week's Friday night movie has been... How Green Was My Valley!

Original image located here. Accessed 9th February 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 14 (1941)

I'm over a month into this year-long undertaking and already something has become clear: The Best Picture Oscars are not necessarily awarded to the best movies, more what was popular at the time.
Having said that I will never understand the hate that Shakespeare in Love gets. Are people really salty that it achieved an upset victory over Saving Private Ryan? And going by that logic, do people hate Moonlight for winning over La La Land?
So what has the above got to do with this movie? Well folks, it's the one that beat out Citizen Kane for the Best Picture Oscar.

Sadly this one didn't do much for me. The trials and tribulations of a Welsh mining town may sound like potential for a compelling narrative but it simply didn't connect with me. Maybe it's because the movie is showing it's age, or maybe the portrayal of the Welsh as singing drunks or maybe it's how depressing life as a Welsh miner really is.
Am I missing something here?
Oh well...

Rebecca

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

Original image located here. Accessed 2nd February 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 13 (1940)

To say that Alfred Hitchcock was one of the greatest filmmakers ever lived is a statement that goes without question. However such status doesn't necessarily translate into Oscar success. Hitchcock never won the Oscar for Best Director and only one of his films got the top award. 
And this is it.

I've seen several Hitchcock movies so I am well aware of what to expect. And this one delivers: Excellent cast, moody imagery, suspense, creeping paranoia, shadows and a gothic setting all round. 
Mind you, this is quite a ballsy choice for Best Picture winner: Thrillers/horror movies never really do well, let alone one with a lesbian subtext. But given the source material, accompanied by a master director and producer who knew what he was doing makes for an unstoppable force.

The Life of Emile Zola

    And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Life of Emile Zola!

Original image located here. Accessed 26th January 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 10 (1937)

Stop me if this sounds familiar: There's this guy who has a talent in a creative field. He produces works that bring him fame but antagonises those in power. He falls into a slump but then becomes aware of a man going to prison for a crime he didn't commit. Guy then rouses the public using well-worded speeches in the pursuit of truth and justice. The narrative then shifts to the courtroom where those in power are challenged and are ultimately overcome. 
If such a narrative was made today one would think it had 'Oscar Bait' written all over it.
But the thing is, that's the plot of this movie which was made in 1937.....

It would seem that time has not been kind to this movie, with the major problem being the application of self-censorship as to not antagonise 1930s Germany (ie references to the accused being a Jew removed; why the image used in the poster does not resemble the protagonist). 
Personally, it wasn't bad: It does present an interesting version of historical events. Muni does a magnificent job in the lead role. And I can't say it was dull.
But reading up on the production of the movie, I was struck by the constant clashing between producer Henry Banke and exec. producer Hall B Wallis. And someone should adapt that because that would make a movie worth watching.

Mutiny on the Bounty

   And this week's Friday night movie has been... Mutiny on the Bounty!

Original image located here. Accessed 19th January 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 8 (1935)

This film is an interesting case in Oscar history. It was nominated for eight awards but only won one (need I say which one?). Also it had three entrants into the Best Actor category which led to the foundation of the 'Best Supporting Actor/Actress' categories. 

In recent years people have come put forth the theory of 'Oscar Bait': By fulfilling a particular set of criteria, success is guaranteed. And this could well be the earliest example of such a practice: Grandiose setting? Check. Historical piece (accuracy be damned!)? Check. Big name actors? Check. Presence of previous Oscar winners? Check. Exotic locales? Check. Plot involving rising up against an unjust authority? Check.

Cynicism aside however it would seem that time has been kind to this movie. It was a rollicking adventure film and was fun to watch. But the MVP is still Charles Laughton, commanding the screen every time he appears and proving he was truly born to play villains (how he never got the Oscar for Best Actor, I'll never know).

It Happened One Night

  And this week's Friday night movie has been... It Happened One Night!

Original image located here. Accessed 12th January 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 7 (1934)

This film has quite the reputation behind it: It was the first movie in Oscars history to scoop the top five awards (Best Picture/Actor/Actress/Director/Screenplay) and several elements inspired the mannerisms of Bugs Bunny. But perhaps the greatest legacy of this movie is that it is the progenitor of the modern rom-com.
You know those movies where two people come together, by chance, start hating one another and then form a romantic bond that cumulates in a disrupted wedding? Yeah, you can thank this movie for that.

Ultimately however this is still pretty funny and age has not withered the humour present. Likewise for the presence of our two leads - which is an impressive achievement considering Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable hated making it. But you wouldn't think that watching it now.
In fact, this movie still comes across as fun even when it has been copied countless times (but never bettered). Truly a gem.

Wings

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

Original image located here. Accessed 5th January 2024

This year marks a full decade since I started this series. So to acknowledge such a milestone, I'm going to attempt something ambitious:

For every week in 2024, I will be watching a movie that won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Certainly watching the Best Picture winners is something I've been wanting to do for a while so now is as good a time as any to do so. After all, these movies are the best of the best - or so it would seem so it would be interesting to see if such a notion holds up. Of course, it would be easy to kowtow to the ongoing joke that the Academy get wrong time and time again but at the same time, it would be interesting to see if said joke still holds up. 

So some ground rules:

• The one rule of this series - watch a movie I've never seen before - still applies
• At time of writing there have been 95 Best Picture winners. Already I have seen 28 of them. Of course I'm not going to get through all of the remaining 67 so I am allowed to be selective. 
• I have a rough plan mapped out but I am open to suggestions

And now, what better way to commence this year-long plan than with the very first Best Picture winner.

A lot of this movie's reputation is being the first winner as well as being the only silent movie to gain the top honour. It was also worth keeping in mind, in my approach to this movie, that time may not have been kind to it and it may come across as dated now (a notion that may be ever present as this plan continues).

So what we have here is a war movie where air combat is married to a human drama off the battlefield. As it turned out, I wasn't exactly thrilled with the latter (indeed you could easily have shaved half an hour off and no one would've noticed) but the former is where the movie shines. The aerial sequences are astonishing - moreso when considers this was all done with practical effects - and still hold up nearly a century later. Director William A Wellman was a WW1 pilot himself and he shows a great knowledge for realism and how to convey air combat into the screen. 

It looks like this is going to make for an interesting year.....

Blazing Saddles

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

Original image located here. Accessed 29th December 2023

So how do I see out 2023? By watching one of the most funniest/offensive movies ever made.

It's a popular statement nowadays to declare that this movie wouldn't have a hope in hell of being made today but I feel such a declaration is selling the movie short. Because it is still really funny. There are some genuinely laugh-out moments and there is some biting satire. I knew from watching Spaceballs in my youth (many many times) I thought I'd know what to expect from Mel Brooks' brand of humour but this movie still manages to surprise.
Indeed, I do remember, quite vividly, seeing the climax but seeing it now, and with proper context, it is still a riot (pun intended).

Anywho, this concludes this series for 2023. Thank you for joining me on this journey and for following these ramblings over the past twelve months.
Next year will be 2024 - and thereby making it ten years since I started this series. So do I have something special planned for the tenth anniversary? Well it's funny you should mention that..

Scrooged

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

Original image located here. Accessed 22nd December 2023

I have spoken previously of my admiration of A Christmas Carol and how the source material is strong enough that it can adapted so many times and still work. So it was only a matter of time before I came across this.
On paper this sounds like it has potential: Bill Murray playing the Scrooge role? And it's updated with Scrooge playing a TV bigshot? And it utilises an adaptation of the original text as a framing device? Sounds like something that could work. So does it?

Watching Scrooged, I can't shake the feeling that it was looking over Ghostbusters' shoulder, with the presence of Murray, the use of horror & fantasy and ingenious special effects. Also it is difficult to ascertain the mood the movie is going for, with it starting being critical of Christmas sentimentality before giving up by the end and embracing it.
But in the end, this movie works because of Murray - proving that he is his best when he gets to play complete jerks. The afore-mentioned framing device works, and I will admit that I enjoyed the speech at the end.

You know, when I was a kid, I saw the music video to Put a Little Love in Your Heart on rage and wondered what movie it was selling. Now I know. 

Incidentally, would anyone else want to watch The Night the Reindeer Died?

Anywho, hope you all have a Merry Christmas. 

Ratatouille

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

Original image located here. Accessed 15th December 2023

And here we have another movie that originally escaped my notice the first around and, through some miracle, managed to do so for the next sixteen years, And once again, it is better late than never.

Ultimately, this is a Pixar movie so one expects it to be of very high quality. And Ratatouille delivers with it's animation, it's ingenious attempts at physical comedy, it's humour, it's depiction of Paris and the careful attention to detail with it's characters, Yes such strengths may be par for the course with Pixar but when they do what they do so well who am I to complain?
But perhaps the greatest takeaway I got from Ratatouille is the message of trying something and keeping at it no matter the risk or the number of failures one might experience on the way. Such a message may be nothing new in a kids movie but here it is delivered in a way that is nothing less than exceptional. Indeed, the concluding review from the character of Anton Ego is truly the apex of the movie - and is of particular resonance as I continue to bash these words out.

And one day I might actually learn how to correctly pronounce 'Ratatouille' (whilst writing this review I was referring to it as The Rat Movie).

Elemental

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

Original image located here. Accessed 8th December 2023

I will admit that this year I have indulging in my inner film geek with my viewing choices. But, as we head into the final weeks of this year, there is still time for me to bring something more crowd pleasing to the table.

This movie has quite the shelf life: What started as a disappointing opening weekend has eventually grown into a success, finding an audience who appreciated the immigrant angle. Yet at the same time, there have been some whispers that this is one of Pixar's weakest efforts. I suppose such feedback would be inevitable considering the triumphs the studio has enjoyed in the past and it is only a matter of time before a misfire happens and/or the output starts to look formulaic. Still, I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt: Not everyone can produce a high quality body of work AND make each entrant an unique entity (Stanley Kubrick anyone?).

However I can't fool myself: This was a gem. The usual Pixar inventiveness is on display - indeed it was a treat seeing how this world works - and the animation is, once again, of high quality. 
But, as always, the real strength of this movie is it's heart, showing the trials and tribulations of an immigrant family, the need to forge one's own path and the necessity for connection (which indeed resonated with an Aspergan such as myself). Indeed that 'Touch' scene was truly a thing of beauty.
And it wouldn't be a Pixar movie if it didn't leave me an emotional wreck by the end.

So it the end I don't know what the nay-sayers are complaining about: This is another solid entry in Pixar's (admittedly well-stocked) library.