Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Category: Movies Page 16 of 29

Movie Review: Saving Mr. Banks

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On July 28, 2020

In Movies, Reviews

Saving Mr. BanksSaving Mr. Banks IMDB Link

Directed By: John Lee Hancock
Starring:  Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson
Release Year: 2013

My Rating: [rating=5]

I realize this movie is 7 years old but nobody is really going to the theater right now so I might as well review something new I’ve watched. Perhaps others on the fence about this movie will finally reach their decision about whether or not to watch it.

Tom Hanks must be one of those actors that can be made to look like anybody. It’s an uncanny transformation to be able to go from Fred Rogers to Walt Disney. Personally I think his portrayal as Fred Rogers is nearly spot on, while he mostly just nailed the look and mannerisms of Walt Disney. He never actually sounds like Disney, however, that is not a deterrent in this film.

Brief Synopsis and Biggs’ Review

This movie is based on true events about the adaptation of Mary Poppins to film. Walt Disney has been pursuing the rights to produce Mary Poppins for 20 years but the author, P. L. Travers, refuses to give them up. Finally, in 1961, she agrees to travel to Los Angeles to oversee the adaptation of the film. However, she is not very forthcoming and really pushes Walt Disney to his wits end.

Maybe its my love for Mary Poppins but I really enjoyed this movie. Based on some of the reading I’ve done, the events in this movie, for the most part, are historically accurate. They took a few poetic liberties, but since they had the actual tapes of her and one of the Sherman brothers, you know they couldn’t bend the truth too much. I love how they incorporated some of the real life Disney culture into the film, such as the “man is in the forest” phrase animators would say when they heard Disney approaching.

There isn’t a lot of humor in this, it’s pretty much your typical heart-strings drama however it gave me an immense amount of nostalgia. I doubt the real P.L. Travers would ever approve of this film but it’s really interesting to see the story of this beloved Disney classic was, almost, never made.

I definitely recommend this movie, especially if you are a Disney fan and/or love Mary Poppins.

film_reel“The screen is a magic medium. It has such power that it can retain interest as it conveys emotions and moods that no other art form can hope to tackle.”
– Stanley Kubrick

 

Biggs’ Top 5 80’s Comedy Movies

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On July 5, 2020

In Biggs Top 5, Movies

Top 5 80's Comedy Movies

For July we are back to movies. My top 5 80’s Comedy Movies. The movies from the 80’s are probably some of my favorite movies, and it’s really all thanks to John Hughes. So many of them withstand the test of time. Plus its so much fun to reminisce about a simpler time. There are so many great comedies from the 80’s, which made this list difficult to whittle down to merely 5. I had to go with which movies I find myself quoting often or seeking out a giphy or being able to still recite a specific scene from the movie. So here they are, in no particular order (BTW, John Hughes wrote and/or directed 3 of them).

Obviously, with so many movies to choose from, there are definitely some honorable mentions. I almost feel guilty leaving Caddyshack off the top 5 because it’s freaking Caddyshack. I’m sure Rodney Dangerfield is turning over in his grave. Crocodile Dundee is another one of those movies that, to this day, I would watch if TNT or TBS happened to be playing it. Hands down my favorite Paul Hogan movie, which isn’t terribly difficult since Paul Hogan didn’t make a lot of movies. So many good movies from the 80’s; I probably could have made a top 10 for my favorite 80’s movies. What are your favorite 80’s comedies?

(See last month’s Top 5)

I Have Spoken!

HMDYK About Sir Alec Guinness

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On June 21, 2020

In HMDYK, Movies, Star Wars

HMDYK About Sir Alec GuinnessAll right, we talked about two bad guys so let’s cover some neat trivia about a good guy. The good guy! Of all of the good guys in Star Wars, I don’t think anyone compares to Obi-Wan Kenobi (except, perhaps, Yoda). The man endured the loss of his best friend/brother to the dark side and even witnessed him slaughtering younglings. Satine Kryze, the woman he cared about most, is murdered right in front of him. He is betrayed by his first in command because of Order 66 and becomes, essentially, one of the last remaining Jedi. After ALL of that, he is never once tempted by the dark side. A Jedi as legendary as Obi-Wan Kenobi can only be initially portrayed by a legendary actor. So how much do you know about Sir Alec Guinness?

Sir Alec Guinness passed away in 2000 from lung cancer at 86 years old. In 1959 he was knighted by Elizabeth II for his contribution to the arts. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and received a lifetime achievement award in 1980. He was only married once and has one child.

Unlike the previous actors, Sir Alec Guinness’ film career spans only 63 credits. However, similar to Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, he has portrayed some pretty notable characters. I really think he is one of those actors more people need to talk about and appreciate. Before we get into his other roles, I want to share some behind-the-scenes Star Wars trivia.

A Love-Hate Relationship

He apparently claims it was his idea that Obi-Wan Kenobi is killed in the first movie to reduce his involvement with the film. He never hated the movie but he did hate the fact that it’s the only role people knew him for despite all his previous roles. I, honestly, don’t blame him; as you will soon see, he had a great career. The other actors in the movies claim he was very professional and very kind, however he once told a fan to “never watch it [Star Wars] again”. Despite his mixed feelings fans, actors and even Disney continue to honor the man that brought us Obi-Wan. Ewan McGregor would spend hours studying his earlier films in preparation for the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequels. Disney and J.J. Abrams even **cast his granddaughter, Sally Guinness, in Rise of Skywalker to honor his memory.

As I already said, Sir Alec Guinness should be appreciated for more than his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi. He has a lifetime achievement award for only 63 films so you know there is more to this mans’ career than a decrepit hermit Jedi. In the 1940’s he was in a couple film adaptations of some fairly well known novels; Great Expectations and Oliver Twist. Fun Fact: the voice for Watto was modeled after Guinness’s performance as Fagin in Oliver Twist.

He’s in a few other movies you may have heard of; Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge on the River Kwai. The latter two films both won Best Picture. Obi-Wan Kenobi is the role that would make him famous but seeing the distinguished career he had prior to Star Wars I feel inclined to go back and watch his other films.

Other Links and References

** just a note about this link, I don’t approve of Screen Rant. I’m not a fan, however this link does provide sufficient coverage of Sally Guinness’ cameo and only for that reason I included it.

/MTFBWY

Confronting fear is the destiny of the Jedi.

40th Anniversary of Empire Strikes Back

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On May 21, 2020

In Movies, Star Wars

Today is the 40th Anniversary of Empire Strikes Back in the US. One could argue that the 20th is the official anniversary since that’s the day it was released in the UK. Regardless, The Empire Strikes Back is widely considered the most popular fan favorite. To be honest I don’t entirely know why.

It does have one of the biggest bombshells in cinematic history (at the time) when it’s revealed Darth Vader is Luke’s father. I always like to point out that the most quoted line from Star Wars is actually misquoted. Vader never actually says “Luke, I am your father”; he says “No! I am your father!”. To be fair it’s also my favorite movie for reasons I can’t fully explain. It is the movie when the Imperial March is introduced, probably the most iconic track in all of cinema.

It Parallel’s The Last Jedi

I’m going to catch a lot of flak for that statement. The Last Jedi caught a lot of undeserving negative press. Be that as it may, during my 11-film re-watch I noticed some similarities. In each the to-be Jedi are trained by an old, cantankerous, disillusioned or eccentric Jedi Master. Including sage Yoda advice we can all use in our everyday lives (“The greatest teacher, failure is”). There is also the shocking parentage revelations. Granted Rey’s perceived lineage isn’t as surprising as Luke’s (although the Rise of Skywalker makes up for that).

In both movies the good guys don’t really win, in fact the bad guys dominate the narrative of the whole movie; and in the end the good guys barely escape. The bad guy still bargains with the good guy to join forces to “rule the galaxy”. I think the biggest coincidence is that the “bland” review The Last Jedi received is the same review the New York Times gave The Empire Strikes Back back in 1980. In a few years it will be everyone’s favorite too.

So if you’re not watching all the movies this month, at least pop in Empire Strikes Back for its 40th anniversary.

/MTFBWY

Breathe. Just breathe. Now reach out.

HMDYK About Christopher Lee

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On May 13, 2020

In HMDYK, Movies, Star Wars

How Much Do You Know about Christopher Lee? The last time I wrote a post of this type it was about Peter Cushing. Coincidentally Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee were actually good friends and were in 22 movies together. Most of us probably only know Christopher Lee in two roles, both of which were villains. He was the evil Count Dooku (aka Lord Tyranus) in the Star Wars Prequels and another one of Emperor Palpatine’s pawns. Count Dooku was once the padawan of Master Yoda before falling to the dark side. As Lord Tyranus he had an apprentice, my favorite, Asajj Ventress. As is typical of Sith, he turned on Ventress to further his agenda and she vowed to one day kill Dooku for his betrayal. Fun fact the name Dooku comes from the japanese word “doku” meaning poison.

Christopher Lee was also the maniacal Saruman in the Lord of the Rings movies. Apparently Lee was quite a Tolkein expert (having actually met J.R.R. Tolkein); he was often dispensing tips and advice during the production of the films. If you’re a James Bond fan, like me, then you also know him as The Man with the Golden Gun, Scaramanga. It seems Lee had a penchant for playing the villain. However, there is much more to Sir Christopher Lee than many might realize.

“I Welcome You To My Home”

In October of 2009 he was knighted by Prince Charles for his services to drama and charity, he’s a classically trained singer and step cousin to Ian Fleming. Sir Christopher Lee passed away in 2015 at 93 years old! In that time he accrued 282 acting credits in television, movies and even video games. Like his friend, he starred in several horror movies, including the Frankenstein monster opposite Peter Cushing’s Baron Frankenstein. However it isn’t this monster that he was known for.

Before he was Count Dooku, Christopher Lee was the iconic Count Dracula. He portrayed Count Dracula in ten films until 1972 when, according to Lee, “the character had deteriorated to such an extent that it really no longer had any meaning“.

When he wasn’t hunting the blood of young women, he was also a sleuth. Just like Cushing, he also portrayed Sherlock Holmes as well as Sherlock’s brother Mycroft. His video game credits are all voice reprisals of characters he’s played (ex: Scaramanga, Count Dooku and Saruman).

With 282 credits, this could become quite verbose. The man is so interesting, an amazing intellectual and truly a legend. If you have any interesting factoids or comments to share, please leave them in the comments.

“The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.” – Aristotle

 

Trolls World Tour Review

Movie Review: Trolls World Tour

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On April 30, 2020

In Movies, Reviews

Trolls World Tour ReviewTrolls World Tour

Directed By: Walt Dohrn
Starring:  Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake

My Rating: [rating=3]

This is one of the first films to go straight to a streaming release instead of theaters due to the coronavirus pandemic. Coincidentally the movie studio made quite a bit of money. The films digital success was even discussed on the morning news. The numbers indicate that the movie studio probably made more money because of the digital release than they might have from a theatrical release. I doubt that dooms theaters … at least I hope not.

Be that as it may, the film itself was just OK. Most of the original cast reprise their roles, except Jeffrey Tambor as King Peppy. We rented it for my daughter’s birthday because she really likes Trolls. There are points in the film where you wonder if it was made while under the influence of illicit substances. Perhaps the same kind used when making the “Charlie, the Unicorn” videos. (At least the Charlie videos were funny).

It ends in the same old “love conquers all” sappy crap however I feel like the movie uses music as a metaphor. Everyone likes different kinds of music and no one particular genre of music should be eliminated. The movie makes the point that we should all respect each other no matter which music we listen to. Granted I don’t know if the metaphor is intentional but considering all the divisiveness in the world today, I think the same rule applies.

I watched it for my daughter, but I’m not in a hurry to see it again.

film_reel“The screen is a magic medium. It has such power that it can retain interest as it conveys emotions and moods that no other art form can hope to tackle.”
– Stanley Kubrick

 

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