12 Years a Slave (2013)

Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.

This ought to be an interesting blog post as Katie and my opinion wildly differ. This is my personal pick for Best Picture of the year, and outside of the vast technical achievements of Gravity is the most complete and accomplished film of the year. The film is also frequently hard to stomach and may have the least replay value of the nominees which will likely turn many people away. Steve McQueen impressed me incredibly with 2011’s Shame and he is rapidly establishing himself as a fearless, uncompromising voice. This film is already being called the Schindler’s List of slavery films and it’s hard to disagree as it presents such a definitive and multifaceted approach to the subject that it’s difficult to see how this will ever be topped. Instead of a protagonist that can’t comprehend his situation, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a very educated, free man that is thrust into the most degrading, humiliating circumstances simply because he put naïve trust in seemingly innocuous strangers. Nearly every character of this film represents a different aspect of the social strata of the time rarely investigated in many films. Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) demonstrates that not all slave owners were inherently evil but were locked into an economic system over which they had little control. The fabulous Oscar-nominated Michael Fassbender plays a character that acts out his frustrations towards slaves over being frequently emasculated by his wife in a male-dominated society. The inhumanity and complete lack of recognition of slaves as human lives is felt as never before in this film- the opening scene of this film shows a fellow slave silently influencing Solomon to give her sexual pleasure, a cry for help after an interminable time without being able to fear anything but numbness and fear before she turns away in weeping shame. I literally lost sleep over it the night I saw it and remained preoccupied and frustrated the next day over the conclusion. The film’s ending is not disappointing nor is it completely depressing or unresolved, but I wanted more closure, more justice, more satisfaction- and the fact that the ending didn’t and couldn’t give you that was merely its final stroke of brilliance. While it was not the most entertaining or most enjoyable film of the year and it will not sweep all of its nominations, I believe 12 Years a Slave has the deserved momentum to win Best Picture and secure an important place in history.

So of all of the movies this year this was my least favorite.  Don't get me wrong, it's a great film but I don't see me watching it ever again.  Like most movies based on slavery, it's not exactly easy material to watch after a long day at work.  Tim and I disagree but I sort of felt like it was the male version of The Color Purple.  The Color Purple is great and all but who wants to watch that?  Maybe I'm totally wrong and I thought the performances were great but it just wasn't my deal.  I think it's an important story that needs to be shared: a free man being abducted and forced into slavery was a new aspect.  And the fact that it's based on a real story is pretty sick.  I guess at the end the payoff was good but not as good as I wanted it to be.  It was worth it once, but why would you put yourself through that again?  However, as the movie came to it's conclusion, I did weep like a small child. 

In order to better portray an alcoholic Michael Fassbender had his makeup artist paint his mustache with alcohol so that the other actors would react naturally to the smell as they would to a man who had been drinking heavily.

Solomon Northup: I don't want to survive. I want to live.

Philomena (2013 Nominee)

A political journalist, Martin Sixsmith, picks up the story of Philomena's search for her son, who was taken away from her decades ago after she became pregnant and was forced to live in a convent.

Every year there seems to be one Best Picture nominee that is the independent underdog, the one that sort of sneaks in there that many may not have seen, and this year that film is Philomena. We had to go to some lengths to see this film; luckily, Katie and I were visiting my brother in Missoula to see a play he was in and it was showing a vintage theater downtown- you know, like one that serves alcohol and still has red curtains that part to reveal the screen. Unfortunately, we watched it in the smaller viewing room with a pretty small screen and there were lots of fizzes and pops during the movie. You could hear the whirring of the projector the whole time and the movie even stopped in the middle for a few minutes because someone forgot to switch the reel. It was one part charming and at least one part ghetto; I sometimes worried that I may be sitting in between Pee-Wee Herman and Travis Bickle, if you catch my drift. But anyway, I digress. We came to this film with little idea of the plot, and I anticipated a cute British comedy because of the posters but this is actually a pretty serious film with some frustrating issues and painful subject matter. Judi Dench is fabulous as always but the real surprise here is Steve Coogan. On top of a solid performance he has taken on writing and producing duties to produce a wonderful film and is up for several Oscars on Sunday. This was obviously a project he had a lot of passion for (he even read the script for Dench as her eyesight is reportedly beginning to fail her) and it’s wonderful to see that pay off. We have always been fond of him but we didn’t expect this out of him- I mean he’s the guy that exploded into a million pieces in Tropic Thunder and showed the whole world his junk in Hamlet 2. Much like Nebraska, a perfectly balanced tone of comedy and tragedy makes Philomena a less extravagant but equally worthy addition to this year’s Best Picture nominees.

To me, this movie was all about forgiveness.  Dench's performance as the unwavering Catholic despite the fact that nuns stole her child.  At times her devotion is upsetting to both Steve Coogan and the audience.  You don't know if you want to slap some sense into Philomena or kick some nun ass.  Philomena's search for her son is really an amazing story and it's even more amazing because it's based on a real story.  I will tell you one thing, if you begin this movie thinking that Steve Coogan is Judi Dench's son, he's not… let's just get that out of the way.  Like Tim said, it's so nice to see Coogan in a serious role… even though we're watching Hamlet 2 as we are writing this.  Philomena is actually hard to watch but it's a beautiful story.   Go rent it, it comes on March 3rd.  How do I know this?  Well, what Tim doesn't mention above is how psycho I got about seeing this movie.  I'm not kidding you, when I went to Fandango.com to see the nearest showing and it was in Idaho.  I was planning on making a trip… I even emailed the owners of the movie theaters in town trying to convince them to bring Philomena to theaters.  Luckily, it worked out.  But I wasn't going to give up!  Just like Philomena!

There are flashbacks which are done with "home movies". Some of these were created for the film but some of them are from actual footage of her real son.

Philomena: And after I had the sex, I thought anything that feels so lovely must be wrong.

Martin Sixsmith: Fucking Catholics.

Nebraska (2013 Nominee)

An father makes the trip from Montana to Nebraska with his semi-estranged son in order to claim a million-dollar Mega Sweepstakes Marketing prize.

Ok.  I LOVE this movie.  This was my favorite movie of the year, which yes, includes Frozen.  I KNOW, RIGHT???  So why was this my favorite movie of the year?  Well, for starters the beginning of the movie takes place (and was filmed) in Billings, Montana.  I mean… I live here now, so that's pretty cool.  Next, Bruce Dern's performance as the alcoholic dad is amazing! He is determined to claim a million-dollar Mega Sweepstakes Marketing prize which everyone in his family knows is a big hoax but regardless, they help him get there despite all of the ill feelings from the past.  AND the wife, played by June Squibb, is the sassiest gal in all the land!  She says things that will make your jaw drop to the ground.  This movie is about crazy families doing the best they can and sticking together.  But most importantly, I think my new job in hospice really enhances my compassion and understanding of an older man's last hoorah and this movie beautifully displays that.  If you are watching it and you think you know how it's going to end, you don't.  But don't fear!  It's the perfect ending to this wonderfully crafted film.  I would LOVE it if this movie won best picture but it probably won't.  And I think Bruce Dern SHOULD win Best Actor but he probably wonIt's on DVD, so go rent it.  Immediately.  

I had first heard of Nebraska because of the Internet buzz surrounding Bruce Dern’s performance, so I guess I sort of assumed that it would be a great performance but the movie would just be meh. In a year full of them, Nebraska is the biggest surprise of the year- it’s incredibly funny, memorable and touching. Even though it seems like American Hustle is getting all of the attention for acting and screenplay, I feel like much of that attention is more deserving for Nebraska; I would love to see Bruce Dern and June Squibb win Oscars even if they don’t seem like the most likely choices. Seriously, all of Squibb’s dialogue is priceless and she says it perfectly. In one scene, she approaches a headstone in a graveyard saying, “There's Woody's little sister, Rose. She was only nineteen when she was killed in a car wreck near Wausa. What a whore!” We’ve been quoting this movie since we saw it and can’t wait to see it again, which makes this somewhat unique among this year’s nominees- it’s not like we’ve been giggling about the lines or quoting 12 Years a Slave. So seriously, don’t pay attention to those that may say this is boring or undeserving of awards attention and see this with as few spoilers as possible. It just may be the biggest surprise of the year for you, too.

Alexander Payne's fourth film set in his home state of Nebraska, after Citizen Ruth(1996), Election (1999) and About Schmidt (2002).

Kate Grant: I ain't fiddlin' with no cow titties. I'm a city girl!

Her (2013 Nominee)

Theodore, A lonely writer, develops an unlikely relationship with his newly purchased operating system that's designed to meet his every need.

First off, let me say how much I dislike Scarlett Johansson.  I am seriously… She bugs me.  She is typecast into the slutty, dumb roles and men just drool all over her…. blegh.. ANYWAYS, this year she has begun to change my mind.  Her role in Don Jon was awesome (I recommend that film!  Disappointed it got no love for screenplay from the academy).  And her performance in this is quite good.  She plays Samantha, the OS who Theodore falls in love with, which means it's just her voice.  I was very impressed by the range of emotion she was able to convey and Joaquin Phoenix's relationship with her was so interesting and believable. It almost started to make sense.  And yes the sexual aspect of this movie took some pretty odd turns, yet made the movie much more intriguing.  There is a minor vocal part by Kristin Wigg that almost had me peeing my pants.  It was super funny.  I assumed the movie in general would be much more humorous than it was because it was actually pretty sad, yet hopeful.  Highly recommended and a very unique and interesting take on where technology is affecting our relationships with people.  If you like this, give quirky  Lars and the Real Girl a shot- not as high budget but just as much heart.  

It is so fantastic to see Joaquin Phoenix and Spike Jonze working again; the fact that it is working together is just a bonus for us. Spike Jonze is the genius behind the wonderfully quirky Being John Malkovich and the staggeringly original Adaptation, which has become one of my all-time favorite films.  I feared that Phoenix would have a hard time finding work after his possibly brilliant but certainly frustrating I’m Still Here burned some bridges but his work in The Master was fantastic and it’s great to see him taking brave and difficult roles. Her portrays a future that seems frighteningly near in which human interaction is stunted by the operating systems that are permanently queued up in people’s lives- think of a weird combination of an IPad, being jacked into The Matrix and sitting in one of the hoverchairs in WALL-E all at the same time. Even the lead character’s job of dictating to a computer beautiful love notes from other people to other people to be reproduced to look handwritten seems like a real occupation in the not-too-distant future. Yet something about the performances, the script and the vulnerability of the characters makes this weird relationship really powerful. While there seems to be an obvious stigma about being “in love” with a computer, it’s hard to find it too weird in the 21^st century when their first dates together are a mirror image of what you see people doing in every cell phone commercial you have ever seen. Katie and I walked into this movie expecting a romantic comedy, and while it occasionally is (the CG avatar that Phoenix encounters in his video games is absolutely hilarious) this movie also hit me deep and sometimes could be a painful experience as it becomes clear that this evolved form of closeness may only lead to new forms of rejection. But it also left a deeper impact on me than several of the films that received more nominations or got more press. Her is ultimately a hopeful story of the triumph of humanity, and while it won’t be to everyone’s taste, it was one of my favorite and most thought-provoking of the year.

During some of the more emotional scenes, Amy Adams would sing songs from famous musicals like "Annie" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" in order to cheer herself up. Eventually, Joaquin Phoenix would join in and they would sing together. However, they stopped after they saw Spike Jonze filming them.

Amy: I think anybody who falls in love is a freak. It's a crazy thing to do. It's kind of like a form of socially acceptable insanity.

Gravity (2013 Nominee)

Gravity is about Ryan Stone (Bullock) and her first trip to space.  An accident occurs and she must find a way to make it back to Earth alone. 

My first thoughts after seeing the trailer is theater for this movie were, “shit, this is really loud” and “this movie seems meant to be a showcase for neat 3D and little more.” What really piqued my interest was the tag at the end that said, “directed by Alfonso Cuaron.” This was the guy that made the titillating but impressive Y Tu Mamá También, helmed the arguably flawless Children of Men, and elevated the Harry Potter franchise to a level of artistry and adult appeal that it never looked back from. Then of course the reviews and word of mouth were impossibly good so I knew I had to see what the fuss was about, and we did in style- we checked it out on an oversized XD screen in 3D and not only was it easily on the same plateau of technological achievement as Avatar and The Life of Pi but it was one of the most immersive and memorable theater experiences I can remember… you know, except for the old guy in the theater that couldn’t remember where he was sitting and the wife shouting his name and rustling candy wrappers the whole time but at least they kept our feet on the ground, quite literally. I’m not a huge fan of the 3D thing but the 3D is this film was possibly the best I’ve seen, if not it’s at least as good as Avatar or Tron: Legacy. I’m also not the biggest Sandra Bullock fan (unless it’s Speed or Demolition Man as those films are unassailable to me), but her performance here is incredible especially when you consider that she was probably filmed in a giant can or on a green screen the whole time. The cinematography and creativity that went into the constantly changing camera angles were among the many fantastic achievements of this film, but is it really the Best Picture of the year or a landmark of storytelling? Probably not, and I doubt it will win Best Picture unless there is a split in the votes or this emerges as an underdog or popular choice but it will almost certainly sweep the technical categories and it has a very real shot at winning Best Director. There are those that will scoff at the science behind this film or call it overrated because of the many hyperboles that surround its reception, but make no mistake it is a truly memorable and unique film experience that reminds people of why they go to movies in the first place that will have a lasting impact on 3D and the films of the future.

Sandra Bullock alone for an entire movie.  It's the Castaway of space.  And shit just keeps happening and getting worse… and worse.  It's very tense. The film looked so amazing and really was enveloping.  For me, her performance was great and the special effects were outstanding but as a story telling device, I'm not sure.  Parts of the story felt like they were looking at problems astronauts could come across in space and then wrote them all into the script AND THEN added like twelve others.  It's a great movie but this movie was lower on my list as far as the other nominees are concerned.  Worth a watch and actually super worth it in 3D on an obnoxiously large screen. 

The off-screen voice of Mission Control is Ed Harris, who played real-life mission director Gene Kranz in Apollo 13 (1995) and John Glenn in The Right Stuff (1983).

Ryan Stone: I hate space!

Dallas Buyers Club (2013 Nominee)

Blue-collar man Ron Woodruff lives a life of hard work and harder partying, including drug use and casual sex. This lifestyle catches up with him in the worst way when he is diagnosed with HIV and only given thirty days to live. Ron’s research into a cure leads him to discover that AZT, the drug most commonly used to treat his symptoms, is in fact still in the clinical trial stages in the US and does more harm than good. With the help of an uneasy partnership with Rayon, a transvestite with better contacts with AIDS patients due to his ties in the gay community, Ron imports and distributes more effective drugs that are not approved by the FDA.

This movie was an excellent tool for Matthew McConaughey to flex his acting muscles.  But I'll let Tim elaborate on that.  Dallas Buyers Club showed the struggle with AIDS patients trying to get drugs that were actually going to help instead of the (at the time) experimental doses of AZT.  The movie begins with some pretty gruesome sex scenes and you think it's going to be another Philadelphia but it's more about healthcare.  I find this to be an extremely relevant film with all the growing changes (not all for the better) with our current healthcare system.  It's about getting the people the medicine and the care they deserve.  The hoops that McConaughey jumps through just to stay alive are unbelievable, flying to foreign countries and dressing up in costumes.  He starts the Dallas Buyers Club selling memberships, not drugs.  Part of the membership is access to the drugs HIV and AIDS patients can actually use to delay the course of their disease.  This movie was a hard pill to swallow but it is worth it.  It's amazing that so many true stories are out there and how many have yet to be told. 

I recently got into a Facebook debate with a friend of a friend because he basically claimed that Matthew McConaughey was an illegitimate actor and I defended the hell out of him. Just a handful of years ago, with the exception of great turns in the criminally underrated Frailty and Tropic Thunder, I probably would have agreed with him. Good news for us, he finally seems to have gotten tired of starring in *ahem* “films” like Failure to Launch and Sahara. Since 2011’s The Lincoln Lawyer, virtually every performance and film he’s been a part of has been fantastic and it now seems that McConaughey is not only on a trajectory to win his first Oscar this year but also to be one of the best and bravest actors out there today. Dallas Buyers Club seems like a latecomer to the Oscar party that slipped under a lot of radars but it has a well-deserved place in this year’s race. The Best Actor category is filled with stiff competition, but McConaughey’s nuanced performance conveys an incredibly believable desperation to live as he faces misplaced homophobia, frustrating red tape and physical deterioration. His performance is not the only one that drives Dallas Buyers Club; Jared Leto’s gender-bending role which tops McConaughey’s in the realm of scary real-life weight loss is a lock for Best Supporting Actor. While I’m a bit disappointed that another McConaughey film Mud was not nominated for Best Picture this year, this film tells a compelling and important story with a surprising relevance as millions still struggle to get the medicine and healthcare that they need. McConaughey will likely be catapulted into a new stratosphere quite literally as he stars next in the untouchable Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi film Interstellar, and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store.

Matthew McConaughey lost 47 pounds in assuming his role as an AIDS patient. Newspapers reported his new looks as "terribly gaunt" and "wasting away to skin and bones".

Rog: Who the hell's Rock Hudson?

Clint: He's an actor, dumbass. Haven't you seen North By Northwest?

Captain Phillips (2013 Nominee)

Captain Phillips tells the true story of the 2009 hijacking of the US container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates. 

To me, Captain Phillips should be entitled Why didn't Tom Hanks get a nomination?!?!?!  His performance starts out good.  And keeps getting better and better.  The final scene is an actor's masterpiece.  Very little words are even used in this scene but his acting is like too good.  The movie was over and I looked at Tim like "What the crap did we just watch?"  It was, to me, the most surprising film of the entire year.  I started it under the impression that it would be your generic action film…. I WAS WRONG! See this movie.  Until you do, you are doing yourself an injustice.  

The trailers for Captain Phillips made it look like a solid but typical thriller so we didn’t catch this in theater because we didn’t expect it to be Best Picture material. We should’ve known better. Director Paul Greengrass has proven himself time and time before as a master with his expert handling of the Bourne sequels and United 93 and we should have expected that we were in for something special with Captain Phillips. The film’s characterizations go far deeper than good guys and bad guys- the pirates are products of their oppressive environment with little other opportunity to provide for themselves and their families; to them, it’s just a hard day’s work in a dog eat dog world. According to most reports, it turns out that the real Captain Phillips was much more arrogant and foolhardy than Hanks’ depiction, and I don’t even care because this film is all his. The tension is already nail-biting as the pirates approach, board the ship and search for the crew but the film doesn’t truly hit its peak until Phillips is trapped alone with the pirates in a lifeboat and the film hurtles toward its unforgettable climax. The last 20 minutes of Captain Phillips alone should have granted him a Best Actor nomination, but he was foolishly locked out of the most competitive of this year’s categories. Their loss--- nevertheless, Captain Phillips demands your time and is not to be missed. Suspense-wise, this film is this year’s Zero Dark Thirty and is easily one of my favorites of the year.

Tom Hanks claimed that all the interior lifeboat scenes were filmed inside a scale model that was actually on water at all times, resulting in him being vomited on by crew members in the cramped space.

UKMTO Officer: Maersk Alabama, you should alert your crew, get your fire hoses ready. Chances are they're just fishermen.

Captain Richard Phillips: They're not here to fish.

American Hustle (2013 Nominee)

American Hustle is basically a 1970's version of The Sting (one of my favorite movies).  Everybody's conning everybody up in here. 

Thanks to a great trailer, an accomplished director that works real magic with actors and a solid all-star cast, I was very much looking forward to seeing American Hustle. My excitement was nearly killed by the inconsiderate couple behind us in the theater that talked all the way through the first 20 minutes before leaving anyway (bastards) but at least that means I can see it again and find something new. It turns out that the trailer only gave a small peek into what the film was about, which was a mostly pleasant surprise. There were some very inspired bits, such as trying to masque the very clearly Hispanic-looking Michael Peña as a Sheik, the scene-stealing Jennifer Lawrence as the mother of the year seemingly always about to burn the house down or any scene with Louis C.K.  Yet while I wasn’t disappointed with American Hustle, I did find it to be one of the most overrated of this year’s Best Picture nominees. The cast was fantastic and they nailed the period settings and clothing but the film didn’t leave the same kind of impact on me as Russell’s last films Silver Linings Playbook and The Fighter did. While most of its Oscar nominations were earned, I predict that it will not win many of them; actually one of the most impressive and crucial performances in this film is the one no one is talking about and that is Jeremy Renner. His "friendship" and subsequent falling out with Bale is the soul of the movie and as much as I love Christian Bale and was pleased to see him win for The Fighter, I wish his nomination for Best Actor had instead gone to Tom Hanks for Captain Phillips. An honorary Oscar should go to Bale’s epic comb-over for this film, which is basically a main character in its own right. In any case, I will definitely revisit American Hustle and will very likely enjoy it more the second time. Without the bastard couple commentary it may even become one of my favorites of the year.

I agree with Tim in saying that it was an overrated movie.  I blame part of that on seeing the ball-busting 180miles an hour Wolf of Wall Street beforehand that made American Hustle seem slow and slightly tired.  To me, there were two phenomenal performances.  Jennifer Lawrence completely stole the movie and will likely get her a second Oscar.  The other was not nominated.  Louis C.K. has created a character so real, honest, sad and hysterical.  Both Bale and Cooper had wonderful moments but, in my opinion, they have no chance of winning.  Sorry boys.  The only performance I was just whelmed with was surprisingly Amy Adams.  Her constant fluctuation of accents really threw me.  (AND yes, I know it's supposed to add to her character because she's been pretending to be many people that she doesn't even know who she is but it just seemed a bit lazy to me).  The only thing that distracted me more than the accents was her nipples.  Seriously.  I know, in great detail, the shape of Miss Adam's nipples.  It added to the movie sometimes but sometimes it was like… dude.. that's your whole nipple.  I really liked this movie but I think I am desperately in need of a second viewing.  

According to Christian Bale much of the movie was improvised. So, during the shooting of the film he noted to David O. Russell, "You realize that this is going to change the plot greatly down track." To which the director replied, "Christian, I hate plots. I am all about characters, that's it."

Rosalyn Rosenfeld: Life is ridiculous. And you know that I would never say anything bad about your father in front of you, but your father is a sick son-of-a bitch.

Danny Rosenfeld: Daddy's a sick son-of-a-bitch?

Rosalyn Rosenfeld: Don't repeat that... but yes.

Annie Hall (1977)

Neurotic New Yorker Alvy Singer (played by Woody Allen, of course) traces what went wrong in his relationship with Annie Hall (Diane Keaton) as they face personality quirks and differences which eventually turn their love into merely tolerating one another. 

My history with Woody Allen can be split into two parts: the era before I saw Annie Hall, and the era after I saw Annie Hall. Pre-Annie Hall, I hated Woody Allen. I mostly enjoyed Match Point but I thought Vicky Christina Barcelona was a huge waste of time with a couple solid performances… and that was basically all I had seen or wanted to see of him. I didn’t care about his neurotic New Yorker shtick that I didn’t understand anyway as a Montanan that has never been to NYC. However, I knew Annie Hall had won Best Picture and was supposed to be great, so I felt obligated to check it out one summer about five years ago with pretty indifferent expectations. And color me surprised, I absolutely loved it. I laughed out loud several times and caught many instances that this film was referenced in pop culture that I was previously oblivious to, and it helps that I was now at an age where his themes and stories are more relevant and comprehensible. Here was a work that was not only very funny and insightful but also very personal without being too self-indulgent (unless you are not a fan of breaking the fourth wall, in which case you will probably hate this film). Damn it, I thought, now I have to watch more Woody Allen movies. I still don’t love everything he does and he makes a movie nearly every year so I have a long way to go but I very much enjoyed Manhattan and Midnight in Paris (I'm still processing Blue Jasmine although I did like it and Blanchett's performance was fantastic) and have many more on my to-do list. Your suggestions are very welcome; until then, give Annie Hall a first try or a second spin and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. On a side note: the quote at the bottom of this post NEVER ceases to make me laugh- I can never believe it when he says it.

Oddly enough, I really identify with Woody Allen in this movie.  His constant nervous twittering that seems to go on forever about every single neurotic thing he's ever thought in his whole life….. I mean seriously.  Is this me?  Both Diane Keaton and Woody Allen are wonderful.  Their awkward, yet charming interactions are so marvelous.  I don't really have too much to say about this movie, I just really like it and liked seeing another "rom com" in the mix.  The only other ones were It Happened One Night, Marty, and The Apartment.  Annie Hall is in great company!


The passerby Alvy refers to as "the winner of the Truman Capote look-alike contest" is in fact Truman Capote, who appears uncredited.

Alvy Singer: My grammy never gave gifts. She was too busy getting raped by Cossacks.

Rocky (1976)

Rocky Balboa, a smalltime boxer working for pocket change becomes a working-class hero when he is given a shot at the heavyweight champion title against Apollo Creed.

I grew up in a household with a huge movie collection because my father worked from home when I was young and used movies kind of like audio books to accompany his work. Dad’s collection consisted mostly of sci-fi and the one-man army action schlock of the 80’s and 90’s (which I still regard as a guilty pleasure), and yet out of all of them some of the films I watched the most often at that age were the Rocky films, especially Rocky IV. I mean c’mon! Lundgren was the biggest, scariest dude ever with a punch that could wipe out buildings and there were like seven montage scenes that pumped me up beyond reason and James Brown and Paulie’s really weird, completely unnecessary robot! Okay, I’ll admit that the sequels would get pretty silly, making it sometimes difficult to remember how fantastic and uplifting the original Rocky film is. This really is the ultimate crowd-pleasing underdog film of all time with really incredible performances (this film received four acting nominations) propelling charming characters. It’s really a film about people that have been told they are nothing their whole lives working hard to make themselves into something; Rocky’s infectious charm and confidence in asking Adrian on a date leads her to assert herself to her oppressive, self-loathing brother Paulie who finds his calling on Rocky’s team. A large part of what makes this film so inspiring is how it mirrors the real life of previously unknown Sylvester Stallone. After starring in a variety of second-rate thrillers and even some soft-core porn, Stallone wrote the screenplay to Rocky which against all odds received ten Oscar nominations and would ensure a decades-long career. Stallone would write and direct nearly every Rocky film (save the original and Rocky V), including the surprisingly excellent and necessary Rocky Balboa. I used to be upset that Rocky beat Taxi Driver as Best Picture as I am an avid Scorsese enthusiast, but I think I get it now: at the end of Taxi Driver, you kind of feel like shit and at the end of Rocky, you feel awesome. That’s the lasting legacy of Rocky, which continues to make people feel awesome decades later.

I liked Rocky but I will never like Rocky as much as Tim.  I'm really glad I've finally seen it because there are so many pop culture references to it.  When I was in the Czech Republic in college, our group went to a puppet theatre.  There we got to see the theatre space and play around with puppets that were all so unique and different.  When we were done, they brought us back into the theatre and performed a scene with puppets from Rocky V.  It was in Czech so all I could make out was, "ADRIAN!" but it was hilarious.  I think it's probably funnier now that I know what it's about…I mean…. it's Rocky.  Everyone knows what it's about…but you know what I mean.  A few months ago, Tim's 7th and 8th grade band performed the Rocky theme and he was talking to the audience about how fun Rocky was to perform.  Then he said, "I showed them part of the movie.  Don't worry… just the training montage……..no blood."  It was pretty funny.  And the movie was a great film about the awkward, yet deserving underdog. 

When shooting the scenes in the meat-locker where he punches the slabs of beef, actor Sylvester Stallone punched the meat so hard for so long that he flattened out his knuckles. To this day, when he makes a fist, his knuckles are completely level.

Adrian: Why do you wanna fight?

Rocky: Because I can't sing or dance.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" based on the book by Ken Kesey is about a convict, McMurphy (Nicholson) who pleads insanity to avoid jail.  Once inside, he rallies the wards together to take on the oppressive Nurse Ratched. 

I’ve heard that this book, much like The Great Gatsby or The Catcher in the Rye, is not considered required reading in more and more High Schools which is truly a shame because I love all of those books. As a fan of Jack Nicholson even at an early age (I mean c’mon, he was The Joker many years before Ledger), I had seen the film prior to reading the book and may have been biased towards liking it. I understand that author Ken Kesey did not enjoy how this adaptation was handled because the shift of narrator from Chief to McMurphy diminishes Chief’s schizophrenic perceptions and significance in the story to make it into a starring vehicle for Nicholson, which is admittedly true. After all, Nicholson had cut his teeth on similarly-themed anti-establishment films like Easy Rider, The Last Detail and Five Easy Pieces and this film was perfect for him, leading to his first Oscar win. All that being said, this is still a fantastic film that keeps much of the book’s impact intact and perhaps even improves upon it in certain ways. This film is also notable for early appearances by Danny Devito, Christopher Lloyd, Vincent Schiavelli and the incredible introduction of character actor Brad Dourif, who would become the voice of Chucky and Wormtongue from the Lord of the Rings films. And how could we forget Louise Fletcher’s Oscar-winning turn as Nurse Ratched, a character who will have you yelling at the TV more than McMurphy over the baseball game. A perfect blend of humor, tragedy and social commentary, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest will stay with you forever.

No character in the history of the world will make you want to punch people square in the face quite like Nurse Ratched. (The only one notably close is Professor Umbridge from the "Harry Potter"series….)  Louise Fletcher's performance is outstanding.  The book was one I really enjoyed reading in High School.  For those of you who know me, you know I could be quite a pill if forced to read something I wasn't totally interested in.  I would read it… but my opinions would not be hushed.  With "Cuckoo's Nest," I could hardly put the book down.  Adding to Tim's earlier comment with the shift in narratives between Chief and McMurphy, if Chief had been the narrator of the film with all of his personalities, I think it would've taken away from the main plots of the film.  Plus, the moment of the film when you realize the story is about the Chief makes his story much more powerful.  Great movie!  Great acting! 

Louise Fletcher was so upset with the fact that the other actors could laugh and be happy while she had to be so cold and heartless that near the end of production she removed her dress and stood in only her panties to prove to the actors she was not "a cold-hearted monster".

McMurphy: [about shock treatments] They was giving me ten thousand watts a day, you know, and I'm hot to trot! The next woman takes me on's gonna light up like a pinball machine and pay off in silver dollars!