Bye Bye, Birthday

So ends another era. Oh, it's not significant in the grand or even minor scheme of things, but it was indeed a personal time for me, a tradition I kept for 28 straight years.

What I refer to is that every birthday, I would go to the cinema and (hopefully) enjoy a celebratory movie of choice. Sometimes this would be so important to me that I would pick a movie months in advance so we were living in the era of announced release dates for major films as though they were national holidays. Such is the modern day world of movies.

This ritual of mine, almost OCD in nature, began with special Christmas movie, something to cap off the end of a long holiday, the best of these being THE GODFATHER PART II and THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING in successive years. That practice began to be more difficult to maintain over time since I usually attended with a friend and, considering it was bloody damn Xmas, I began losing movie companions. Going to a movie by myself that night seemed to be a lonely and kinda creepy experience. Not that I had any qualms about flying solo any other time, my go-to modus operandi (my rationale was that I knew I wasn't going to talk during the movie). But Christmas night...I passed. I thought I'd feel like an outcast elf. 

Years passed and I finally decided to make it a birthday thang, beginning in 1993 with a perfect choice for me -Joe Dante's MATINEE, a sensational tribute to the films of William Castle set smack dab in the middle of the Cuban missile crisis. And yes, I went alone. 

This became like a special gift I could give to myself, something to give myself a break, pat on the back and reward myself for making it though another year. It allowed me to head into the next 363 days on a more or less positive note. Thus, this annual celebration of me was off and running.

Over time, my failing memory has caused me to momentarily (I hope) forget several films I've seen over the years, an unfortunately side effect of the passing of time. But I remember most of them and my track record for excellent film choices was pretty stinkin' good if I do say so myself (and I can because I have this blog) They are:

The aforementioned MATINEE, FROM DUSK TO DAWN, THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY (one right after the other), LA LA LAND, AVATAR, THE SHAPE OF WATER, PAN'S LABRYRINTH (all hail Guillermo!), BIRDMAN, STAN AND OLLIE, THE ARTIST, DJANGO UNCHAINED and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. A couple of times, I'd up the ante with two movies on consecutive days as with NEBRASKA/THE WOLF OF WALL STREET and BLACK SWAN/TRUE GRIT.

Not a bad list, but there were a few clunkers like Peter Jackson's remake of KING KONG and THE FORCE AWAKENS, but they weren't crappy enough to ruin my day, just my taste buds. (See previous blogs; KONG-FOUNDED and THE FORCE WAKES UP AGAIN)

In 2020, I caught Sam Mendes' 1917, the last time I've set foot in a movie theater. While it wasn't the best of the bunch by any means, not even anywhere near my top ten, I was grateful to be able to have seen it on one the biggest screens in the area, a fine presentation that I certainly appreciated.

This year, it all came to an end. On January 29 (my birthday in case you want to get a head start on next year with the gift-giving), our illustrious governor Kate Brown of Oregon lifted the restrictions on movie theaters, allowing them to re-open with a ridiculous caveat. The theater capacity could be no more than 6 people. Well, isn't that just ducky. It would be unless you were a theater owner. Now it wouldn't matter to me really since I don't mind an empty auditorium all to myself. But in support of movie theaters in general, I say thee nay. Besides I ain't that comfortable eating in a restaurant, let alone sitting in the dark with a bunch of strangers. Not yet anyway, no matter how much I miss it.

So this year I still saw a new movie,  a very good thriller called THE LITTLE THINGS directed by John Lee Hancock and starring Denzel Washington, released simultaneously in theaters (somewhere) and HBO MAX. Another new normal that they assure is only temporary, but try getting that genie back in the bottle even at gunpoint.

The movie theater, as we once knew it, is fading away, another casualty of this life and time and another one to place in the loss column. 

Happy birthday to me.

And the Oscar Goes to...

Because I don't give two hoots in hell for any sporting event, I have always claimed that the Academy Awards show is my Super Bowl. As such, I always have an opinion, one way or another, about who' is going to win what and why. This year is no exception, therefore here are my picks, predictions, educated guesses and eeny-meeny-miney-moes.

Picture: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

This would get my vote over the other nine nominees for sheer merit above anything else, a rather stupid statement since that should be the purpose of any award. But then again, we're talking about the Oscars, aren't we? Network's main competition is The King's Speech, said to be the feel-good movie that Oscar voters just freakin' love. (I have yet to see it at this writing) I'm going with the early favorite and because, as I said in my last post, it IS that damn good.
Actor: Colin Firth

No brainer. The only lock of the night. If Firth won last year, I would pick Jeff Bridges this time.

Who's on Firth? I don't know. He's on third and I don't give a damn.
Actress: Natalie Portman

This still might go to Annette Bening for actually being likable on screen for the first time since The Grifters, but Nat's won everything so far so she gets it for Black Swan's only prize.
Supporting Actor: Christian Bale

Probably a lock also. Maybe Bale's been forgiven for his YouTube rant n' rave a couple of years back. If not, it's Geoffrey Rush.
Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo

She's gotten a lot of flak for campaigning for herself in the trade papers (since when is this a crime against Hollywood nature?) but I think she's got it, a one-two punch for The Fighter w/Bale.
Director: David Fincher

Social Network, baby. One of four award wins.
Original Screenplay: David Seidler (The King's Speech)

Probably deservedly so. just for pure tenacity of the screenwriter who worked on this project for literally decades.

Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin (Social Network)

Another lock, this time for the best screenplay since another Network back in the 1970s. Hope Sorkin's high on 'shrooms Sunday too. makes for a better acceptance speech.

Foreign Film: BIUTIFUL

This is the consolation prize for Javier Bardem's nomination for the same film.

Documentary: EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP

If you know who Banksy is by this film or just his reputation, again, another potentially amusing acceptance.

Animated Feature: TOY STORY 3

Duh. How many will this make for Pixar?

Cinematography: Roger Deakins (True Grit)

Best in the biz.

Original Score: Hans Zimmer (Inception)

Ditto.

And the rest:

Film Editing: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Visual Effects, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing: INCEPTION

Art Direction, Costume Design: ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Song: TOY STORY 3

Makeup: THE WOLFMAN

Doc Short: POSTER GIRL

Animated Short: DAY 7 NIGHT (Pixar again)

Live Action Short:NA WEWE

So am I right or am I wrong? We shall see come Sunday night...or hell or high water, whatever that means.

Let the betting begin!

True to the Grit

A remake of a classic film is a double-edged sword to be sure. On one hand you have the purist mentality that sides in favor of the original, as if another version of the same material, especially one of an iconic nature is somehow sacrilegious and will tarnish its image if even attempted. History bears this out as many a remake, re-imagining, rehash, rerun has been handled without the necessary ingredients: script, direction, passion, point. Do these horrid attempts to cash in on the good names of the initial offerings besmirch their good names? Not necessarily. Many times, it makes them stand out so much more. However, clogging the system with crap of the same name can bury the original under a pile of trash and a movie-going public, without any sense of historical perspective, will never knows the pleasures of a great old film because, well, the new one sucks. In the case of TRUE GRIT, you have a new version of Charles Portis' novel that follows the source material much closer than the Henry Hathaway version from 1969 which featured the Academy Award winning performance by John Wayne. This version is almost the swan song of a bygone era all of its own-the typical Hollywood western and few did it better in the 1960s better than Hathaway. With HOW THE WEST WAS WON (of which he shared duties with John Ford and George Marshall), NEVADA SMITH and THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER with The Duke, Hathaway was a real A-list studio talent with a style that was rapidly going out of fashion as he turned the last corner into the 1970s. Along with Wayne, GRIT starred a too-old Kim Darby as Mattie Ross, though she bring a lot of gumption to the role. Then there's Glen Campbell as Texas Ranger LaBoeuf who is green as a dollar bill in the acting department, though he isn't the embarrassment he could have been. For some reason, the studio-or Wayne himself-stuck the Duke with a lot of pop singers in his westerns to supposedly boost the box office draw, using with less than middling results-Ricky Nelson in RIO BRAVO, Frankie Avalon in THE ALAMO, Fabian in NORTH TO ALASKA, Bobby Vinton in BIG JAKE. The supporting players featured a fine cast of character actors including Robert Duvall as Lucky Ned Pepper, Jeff Corey and a just moments before EASY RIDER Dennis Hopper. Hathaway's take on Portis delivers the goods in a grand style that just screams Hollywood studio system, but still manages to remain true to the source in a roundabout way that doesn't insult the material, even if it does shine it to a high gloss. As for The Duke, he really does pull out the stops one last time, one of the few characters he allowed himself to play without being, well, The Duke. He really could be a damn good actor if he tried and his Rooster would a high benchmark to aim for any future interpretations. I really get a kick out of his exit line: "Well, come see a fat old man sometime!" before riding off into the sunset once more time. As adapted and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, the 21st century TRUE GRIT adheres to Portis' book and pays ever so slight homage to its first incarnation in very satisfying ways. In fact, when the final shootout occurs with the same dialogue, it is as rousing a film moment as any I've felt in the past five years, since it combines the best of all three worlds to make one for the ages. The tone of the film is somber, but playful, in keeping with the Coen Brothers style. The look of GRIT is splendidly bleak with cinematography by Roger Deakins, the best in the business. My only criticism lies with the editing, the Coens cutting way too sharply occasionally from scene to scene, upsetting the flow in places. This weight of the story falls on the strength of the Mattie Ross character, played this time by the believably feisty Hailee Steinfeld, who rises to the challenge like an old pro. She is one of the best young acting discoveries in ages. Matt Damon elevates the LaBoeuf role into something to be cherished, a fine supporting turn that reminds us again of what fine work he is capable of doing, even if he doesn't sing the title song. (Advantage: Campbell!) And Barry Pepper as Lucky Ned Pepper (a descendant perhaps?) is much like the movie itself, a mash-up of both Robert Duvall from the first and Henry Dean Stanton. And of course Jeff Bridges plays Rooster Cogburn with such an infectiously ornery spirit that makes one forget that he's really something to be feared-a raging alcoholic with a badge and a gun. In the end, Bridges finds the heart and soul of Rooster and the real hero within. I see Bridges' Rooster as an elder version of his character in Robert Benton's BAD COMPANY, a sensational and underrated western from the early seventies that has much in common with this TRUE GRIT. Bridges' long career culminates in the last couple of years, but I think if he hadn't won an Oscar last year, he would have for this performance, much like The Duke himself. If I had a preference-the Coke vs Pepsi Challenge where I would have to choose one over the other, I'd have to give to the Coens. They've made the best oater (as Variety used to call westerns) certainly of this new decade, a dubious honor to be sure since there have been, what, this one, JONAH HEX and a couple on the Hallmark Channel? But this TRUE GRIT proves that westerns are still a viable cinematic genre, especially where it counts for Hollywood-at the box office. Maybe remakes are the only way new westerns can get the green light in this day and age, other than something like COWBOYS VS ALIENS. If so, they might at well continue panning for gold in the John Wayne catalog. RIO BRAVO, anybody?