X is for X-Men

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Suzanne Schultz Pick

X-Men: This was an obvious choice since the only other X movie I could think of was Xanadu and I only know the song to that one. Anyway, can honestly say that I only know about these characters because of the films (this is true for any Marvel comic movies.) I was never into comic books as a kid so everything I know about Spiderman, Batman and The Hulk are from TV. I know basic stories and I appreciate the comic book stores themselves but I’m not way into them like the boys of The Big Bang Theory are or anything. With that said, I distinctly remember seeing the first the X-Men movie and only knowing who Wolverine was vaguely by name (and hair cut, of course.) Since it’s been forever since I’ve seen the first one and because I saw X-Men First Class on the plane to Florida last year so they’re starting to confuse me in events. The main thing that I liked about the whole theme of these films was that mutants can live in a society and be accepted for who they are somewhere. As with all the Marvel comics, the underdog is always the winner, despite all the painful things that have happened in their lives. That’s why I liked the first X-Men film so much because it showed Wolverine befriending Rogue and their first being helped by Professor X. I liked that Rogue was finally able to find a boyfriend that she wasn’t in danger of killing. I know I’ve seen all of these and I know the characters were awesome so even if comic book movies aren’t your thing, the first film is pretty good and worth seeing just to get a gist of the story.

Rogue: You know, you should wear your seat belt.
Wolverine: Now look, kid, I don’t need advice on auto…
[car crashes]

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W is for War Games and The Wedding Singer

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Suzanne Schultz Pick

Only four more posts to go – time for W movies! Now, my favourite W television show is, of course, The Wonder Years which I doubt a lot of younger people have seen and really should because of it’s time frame. However, the W films I chose were contenders with Willow, The Witches of Eastwick, Wuthering Heights (Tom Hardy as Heathcliff is so good), The Wizard of Oz (which I am going to assume everyone in the world has seen because it’s so, so good and students like Wicked so much) and my first runner up: Wayne’s World (Part time! Excellent!) But in the grand tradition of SNL and 80’s Brat Pack actors I give you two of the most important W films for Culture Month.

War Games: I chose this movie, not only for the Matthew Broderick / Ally Sheedy aspect, but for the new, cool emerging technology that pre-dated the Internet. Younger audiences don’t have a concept of a time when computers were new and mysterious so I think seeing this would be pretty eye-opening. I’m sure they’d laugh at this idea but considering that by 1983 we had already been sending people to space, it’s remarkable what little we still didn’t have as far as the modern technology we have today. Plus, the concept of the movie is pretty great. I mean, we’re still trying to figure Steve Jobs out, just as David is trying to figure out how Falken thought to begin playing the computer games he created. It’s been a while since I’ve seen this so I found a clip to share (and help learn German!) I don’t even think students now would understand why these computers aren’t using Windows 7. I also love how Jennifer is fascinated by the fact that the computer can talk. Wonder if Ally Sheedy has Siri now. Hhmm.

Joshua: Shall we play a game?
David Lightman: Oh!
Jennifer: [giggles] I think it missed him.
David Lightman: Yeah. Weird isn’t it?
Jennifer: Yeah.
David Lightman: [typing] Love to. How about Global Thermonuclear War?
Joshua: Wouldn’t you prefer a nice game of chess?
[Jennifer laughs]
David Lightman: [typing] Later. Let’s play Global Thermonuclear War.
Joshua: Fine.

The Wedding Singer: Pretend the movie Jack and Jill never existed and Adam Sandler had just left SNL two years ago and put out Happy Gilmore a year later. When this movie came out, Sandler was still new to the movies. His creating an overly-emotional, mullet-wearing, wedding singer set in the 80s named Robbie, was the funniest thing ever. I still think a lot of it is pretty good even though I’ve seen it tons of times. I know Sandler is revered by kids on the Kids’ Choice Awards so more than likely anyone in their teens and twenties who hasn’t seen this would like it. (Especially since the 80s or still retro, or something, I think…) Anyway, the beauty of the film is Sandler’s dialogue and acting. Drew Barrymore was a perfect choice in casting for Julia and the whole romantic comedy was cute, different and funny without being overly gross, stupid or annoying. Plus, after seeing this, you will never hear songs like “You Spin Me Right Round” quite the same, again – just watch the opening credits. Ah, still love it! Also, not sure if everyone in their 20s and teens would get the importance of Billy Idol being in the film but I saw a student wearing a Siouxsie and the Banshees shirt the other day so  while I hated the idea of kids not getting “our” music years ago, now I’m glad that it’s still living through to new generations. (I think I’m getting wiser in my years.)

Linda: I’ve been talking with my friends the last few days…
Robbie: Oh, boy, here it comes.
Linda: …and I think I’ve figured out what’s been bothering me. I’m not in love with Robbie, now. I’m in love with Robbie, six years ago. Robbie, the lead singer of Final Warning; I used to come watch you when you were in your silk shirt and Spandex pants, and you would sing into the microphone like you were David Lee Roth.
Robbie: I’ve still got the Spandex; I’ll put ’em on right now.
Linda: The point is, I woke up this morning and realized I’m about to get married to a wedding singer? I am never gonna leave Richfield!
Robbie: Why do you need to leave Richfield? We grew up here. All our friends are here; it’s the perfect place to raise a family.
Linda: Oh, yeah – sure! Living in your sister’s basement with five kids while you’re off every weekends doing wedding gigs at a whoppin’ sixty bucks a pop?
Robbie: Once again, things that could’ve been brought to my attention YESTERDAY!

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V is for The Virgin Suicides

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Suzanne Schultz Pick

The Virgin Suicides: Was one I liked enough to go out and read the book a long time ago because the story was so unique and disturbing and beautiful all at the same time. A seemingly perfect family full of beautiful girls in a suburban neighbourhood end up being overly protected by their parents. The Lisbon girls are fascinating to the neighbour boys, one who narrates the story. At the beginning, the youngest sister seems to be the most unstable and she attempts suicide but during a rare party that their parents allow them to throw, Cecilia succeeds in killing herself, leaving the parents to keep the other sisters even more protected from the outside world. After Lux (Kirsten Dunst) is reluctantly allowed to go to prom, bringing her sisters along, they stay out after curfew and their parents remove the girls from school and end up keeping them prisoners in their own home. After months of witnessing Lux’s affairs on her rooftop, the boys receive a letter asking them to help them escape the house. When the boys arrive at the house, Lux chats with them while, quietly, each sister takes her own life. Yes, it is disturbing but the movie is so beautifully done that the tragedy in the story is handled in such a way that you understand and completely sympathize with the girls. Since it’s not on cable a lot, I’m not sure that a lot of female students would have seen this film before. I just appreciate it for the story craft and the American family saga aspect of it.

Narrator: So much has been said about the girls over the years. But we have never found an answer. It didn’t matter in the end how old they had been, or that they were girls… but only that we had loved them… and that they hadn’t heard us calling… still do not hear us calling them from out of those rooms… where they went to be alone for all time… and where we will never find the pieces to put them back together.

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U is for Underworld and The Usual Suspects

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Suzanne Schultz Pick

Aside from The Untouchables for U movies, I know that for a TV category I can include Ugly Betty. But, as is my way with this list, I will proceed to discuss vampire and crime films.

Underworld: A leather cat suit, weapon wielding vampire is an awesome vampire. Selene not only has to fight Lycans but she has to save her human-Lycan boyfriend too. And while some of the acting isn’t great in the first film (Kraven reminded me of a soap opera vampire more than anything with his button up shiny club hopping shirt) it’s still a really good movie. It’s not like a 10 star film but it’s just good, solid entertainment that sticks to some vampire and werewolf lore (coffins, night time, silver bullets) but it makes them all modern and part of a militia. Plus, they look cool. Hence, I think students would like this more than the Twilight films because while the romance is very similar, the action and concept is more fast-paced. Plus, Michael (Scott Speedman – Ben from Felicity and Selene (Kate Beckinsale) are much more interesting characters in that they play major roles in the war – you know, they fight and stuff and don’t just talk about it.

Selene: Lycans are allergic to silver. We have to get the bullets out quickly, or they end up dying on us during questioning.
Michael Corvin: What happens to them afterward?
Selene: We put the bullets back in.

The Usual Suspects: What makes a movie great? Put Kevin Spacey in it to play a creepy criminal. (Saying that, I just realized that I forgot to mention Se7en in my S post. Horrible!) Anyway, while it’s been forever since I’ve seen this movie, I remember the basics and how cool it was to go through the story wondering, like everyone else, who was Keyser Söze. (I won’t spoil the ending for you.) The story is told through one survivor’s account of how a mass murderer ended up killing a crew of criminals who were trying to smuggle money from a drug boat that Keyser Söze’s rivals are after. So while it sounds like another Ocean’s Eleven there’s a lot more suspense and trying to figure out what’s going on with these criminals. The end is just the best and it really isn’t something you expect when you first see it. It’s another one of those that changes the way films are made where you’re following an unreliable narrator without realizing it. Brilliant film that I really need to see again soon.

Verbal: Who is Keyser Soze? He is supposed to be Turkish. Some say his father was German. Nobody believed he was real. Nobody ever saw him or knew anybody that ever worked directly for him, but to hear Kobayashi tell it, anybody could have worked for Soze. You never knew. That was his power. The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. And like that, poof. He’s gone.

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T is for Time Bandits and The Toy

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Suzanne Schultz Pick

This category includes Terms of Endearment, Trainspotting, The Truman Show and two T movies that I personally loved as a kid.

Time Bandits: This movie is about the strangest one I saw as a kid. It took the whole dark fantasy element but made it funny with a kid and a gang of little men who travel through time with their beloved map. While Kevin just wants to stay in Ancient Greece with Agamemnon (Sean Connery who graciously agreed to do a wonderful role for a B movie) his friends are busy trying to escape the Supreme Being who is chasing them. It’s a basic fighting against evil movie but it’s so strange and dingy that it can’t be seen as a wonderful land to live out their dreams. So while this movie isn’t the best film ever made it really does have an interesting take on the time travel journey story. I still distinctly remember this being on HBO when my babysitter got it at her house – we watched the end of Firefox and then this movie came on. It was so weird and great for a first movie experience. I’m not sure how many young audiences would like it since they’re use to a lot of CGI but they may as well see it from a science fiction perspective because it is fairly different.

Kevin: Who was that man?
Fidgit: That was no man. That was the Supreme Being.
Kevin: You mean God?
Fidgit: Well, we don’t know Him that well. We only work for Him.
Randall: Shut up!

The Toy: Richard Pryor is Jack Brown – the new “toy” that young Eric Bates (Scott Schwartz who was Flick in A Christmas Story) wants in his extremely lavish life. His father (Jackie Gleason) agrees to pay Jack just to keep him around to entertain Eric. Eric, of course, is a rich kid who is ignored most of the time so he’s never disciplined and doesn’t know how to make friends. After a lot of comical incidences with Eric driving Jack completely mad, they end up becoming friends and Jack helps him to win back his father’s attention. I always liked this because the story was cute as a kid but as an adult, of course, I understand how critics felt it was racist for putting Jack into a slavery situation. That would be an interesting take for young audiences to watch it and see what their reaction is to regarding friendship and class. I just always thought Pryor was funny so I liked this – especially seeing him running around in a Spiderman costume.

Jack Brown: Why me? Of all the stuff in the store, why did you pick me?
Eric Bates: You made me laugh. I wanted a friend who made me laugh.
Jack Brown: So of all the toys in the store you wanted a friend. If you want a friend, you don’t buy a friend, Eric, you earn a friend through love and trust and respect.
Eric Bates: Come see my train!
Jack Brown: You’re not listening to me, Eric, you don’t order your friends around, you ask them.
Eric Bates: Oh. You wanna come see my train, friend?
Jack Brown: No.

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