Pulp Fiction, Apocalypse Now and Taxi Driver

I thought there was no point doing three separate posts as I pretty much watched these movies back to back to save time. I have one more film to watch tonight and it will probably be Fight Club which I will review separately.

Schindler’s List

This is the second time I’ve watched this movie.

I cried 7 times. And it was proper, uncontrollable crying, there are tissues all over my bed. I have a headache, I was crying to much.

I feel sick to my stomach.

People would argue that Spielberg shouldn’t of done this movie in such detail but it is needed. We need to be reminded of what humans can do to one another. We must never forget what happened. Like Spielberg said, we must never forget what happened so there is never another Hitler.

Everyone must see this movie at some point in their lives, sooner rather than later.

In memory of the more than six million Jews murdered.

200/212

Kate
xoxo

PS: On a funnier note, its Aslan VS Voldemort!

2001: A Space Odyssey

I’m sorry! I watched the first 51 minutes of this film 10 days ago and have only just found the time to watch the rest of it. Please forgive my short and vague review, I’m so tired as I’ve been going nonstop for over 10 of theme parks and shopping. I know this may sound like a luxury [and I'm so grateful that I can do it and that I've been able to be with my great friend Laura and my cousins] but its a whoooooole lot of walking and waking up early and going to be late. What I’m trying to say is that I AM TOO FREAKING TIRED TO WRITE A PROPER, LONG REVIEW!!!

Gone With The Wind

I’ve said this a couple of times and I’ll say it again, dramas should NOT be longer than 3 hours! 2 ½ hours is just about bearable but a film stops feeling like a film after that. I said this about a Dances with Wolves and The Last Mohican, that they’re so long they start to feel like a TV show omnibus. Directors need to stop hogging their footage and think about the audience for once.

That’s not to say that this movie is bad because it isn’t, just like the other films I mentioned. It’s a good, classic film. Its about this spoilt brat in 1861 and how she’s in love with this guy but hasn’t told him and he’s going to marry his cousin [gross, I know, but it was all the fashion back then] and then the American Civil War happens and then they have to deal with the aftermath of it all [seeing as they were on the loosing side and therefore had to rebuild their lives] and some love stuff. Sounds lame but its not that bad. Its not amazing and I probably won’t watch it again but its not terrible.

The opening credits are beautiful, the director really abused the Technicolor as he shows all the different aspect of nature and country life.

The dresses are gorgeous but a little over the top but I guess that’s what it was like back then. The poor actresses looked like they couldn’t breath or move in those gigantic things but they managed to!

The use of silhouettes against sunrises and sunsets is stunning, so beautiful.

The main character, Scarlett, is an annoying little spoilt brat and continues to be for a majority of the film. I found myself really disliking her and therefore enjoying her having to go from rich to rags.

I loved that the writers clearly mock the old ways and traditions, like these ladies talking, in disgust, that a woman went for a walk with a man without a chaperone and wasn’t asked to be married! Thank God its not like that anymore.

Lawrence of Arabia

This is a pretty legendary movie and is often considered to be the greatest movie ever. It very well made, beautiful and an interesting story, but it goes on for toooo looooong. Anyways, for those who don’t know, the film is about a ‘British warrior-poet’ called T.E. Lawrence and all about how he helped unite Arab tribes to strike against the Turks in World War I. Sounds a bit boring but it turns out to be very interesting.

Peter O’Toole plays Lawrence and he has an amazing voice and the bluest eyes ever. I loved at the beginning that the character was very witty but that left, sadly, quite quickly. The character doesn’t then go boring but it would have been nice to have a little witty comment here and there.

This movie is a perfect example of why we don’t need CGI all the time. The locations are gorgeous, something so simple as sand can look so stunning. Then there’s the use of natural light and the sun rises and the light coming through clouds and oh, its just beautiful! And its even more beautiful because you know its all natural. Also, this movie has scenes of many, many, MANY extras and, like my dad reminded me, they were all real! Not like now-a-days when you just need one man on a horse then just copy and paste him all over the shot. I think I just find it extra stunning because I think about these silly filmmaking things.

Tafas: [talking of Britain] “Is that a desert country?” T.E. Lawrence: “No: a fat country. Fat people.” tehehe

This movie has Obi-Wan in it! However, he’s incredibly tanned and playing an Arab. Bit weird but he manages to pull it off like only Alec Guinness can.

I love how tornadoes look. I don’t know why I find them so beautiful. There are little sand tornadoes in this movie which are just so pretty!

Once Upon a Time in America

This movie is about the lives of a group of Jewish mobsters from when they were teenagers robbing the drunk to men stealing diamonds. Its very good but, in my opinion, could of done with a little more editing. However, I know this movie was edited without the director’s permission and turned out to be crap so I know that it needs to be longer to ‘work’ but I could see areas that weren’t needed.

The editing sequence at the beginning of the movie had me confused and a little frustrated. It goes backwards and forwards in time but it doesn’t quite work as we don’t know the faces well enough to make the connections. I don’t know whether this is meant to be or not but it didn’t leave me impressed, just confused. I do like it, however, when a movie starts with the audience asking questions. This movie had me asking “they’re looking for Robert De Niro! Where is he?! Where is he hiding?! Why are they after him?!”

There isn’t as much blood as Resevoir Dogs but there’s still a little bit of it. The bullet wounds are nasty but its ruined by the blood looking like paint and therefore laughable.

I hated a character in the beginning because he was a cold-blooded killer. Its remarkable that I felt so much towards character that I didn’t know the name of and who’d been on screen for less than 5 minutes. He gets shot and I was like “YAY!!!!!”

The make-up on the actors to make them look ‘old’ is incredibly good [better than this Harry Potter crap we’re getting… they’re meant to be 37 not 67... dumbasses…] but at the same time, I could tell where the makeup started and the real face finished.

.

In my opinion, there was too much about the past, about them as teenagers. I know it is there to give us a true feeling of their history, ‘friendship’ and relationship with women but it could have been done in a shorter way. Its not bad, don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t bored at all but I just found myself being picky [I want to be a film editor after college so is this a good thing?]

The Last of the Mohicans

Good film! Bit weak at moments but its good.

As a Brit, I feel terrible that I didn’t know France and England went to war over America. *shameful*

Why is it in films about Native Americans, there is always an adopted white person?!

I thought it was good to show the two sides of Native Americans, just like there are two sides to white people.

I thought it was funny that the English in this movie are portrayed as posh tossers. “Make the world England.”

I could totally see where Pirates of the Caribbean got a lot of their cinematography inspiration from.

There is a fight just after the middle of the movie between the English and the Hurons and its just crap. The Hurons are really going for it but the English are like “oh golly gosh, what the devil is going on here, I’m awfully confused, old chap.” If anyone saw this movie then went to England now, they’d get one hell of a shock when they realize we’re not actually like that.

I loved the sibling-ness about this movie. My brother may be a pain in the ass but I know I’d go ape if anyone hurt him.

Yeah… I can’t really see why this movie is in the top 500 films of all time as its not really that special in my opinion. Oh well, all to their own opinion.

97/212

Kate
xoxo

Dances with Wolves

Its actually not as bad as my dad made it out to be *glares at dad*. It is long, its very very VERY long but its good… its kind of like watching episodes of a TV show back-to-back. So I’d recommend you watch this if you have nothing else to do for the whole day.

I clicked ‘play’ and was just about to take my first bite out of my Easter cookie [which tasted like something my dad would use for DIY but what do I expect for 50¢] when the first shot we see is of a LOT OF BLOOD! So don’t eat when you’re watching the start. Also, I’d advise vegetarians or animal lovers not to watch this film either, it will just upset you and make you cry and make everyone around you annoyed with you for your crying.

I didn’t think it but I actually laughed quite a few times in this movie. It has some surprisingly elements of humor and I loved it! Its mainly between the differences between the two cultures [‘white’ and the native Americans] but I’m still surprised that I found myself giggling.

It is VERY long, nearly 4 hours and within 19 minutes of the film, I could already spot parts that could have been very easily edited out. Maybe I could see what could have been chopped and put onto the DVD as additional scenes because I want to be a film editor when I leave college but I think everyone can agree that nearly 4 hours is too damn long for a drama. But, like I mentioned at the beginning, it isn’t boringly long, it just feels like a TV show omnibus.

The costumes and set are fantastic, I totally felt the era.

The animals, especially Two Socks [the wolf] and Cisco [the horse], are beautiful. However, I kept finding myself giving the animals voices, like what they’re thinking. I amuse myself sometimes!

Nice butt shot.

I’m so jealous of Kevin Costner’s hair. Its so full of volume and silky and a lovely colour!

2hr 13min mark and we have an intermission! Seriously! I don’t know why I found this so amusing.

Kevin Costner’s character’s name changes to Dances With Wolves! I know that I probably should of worked it out a lot sooner that when it was actually said on the screen.

I loved the story of how Stands With A Fist got her name, I could picture it happening in my mind as she told her story.

Kevin Costner directed this movie as well as starring and producing it and… is it immature of me to think its weird to direct your own love scene?

Tehehe, love the name Smiles A Lot.

OMG DEAD DOG!!!

Wow, go Grandma! YAY! Go little kids, go!

I loved that when one of the men died, they gathered around the fire and exchanged funny stories about the deceased. That’s what funerals should be like, not all this sadness.

Ignore what people say about this film. Its good. Long. But good. If you’ve watched TV show episodes back-to-back, you can deal with watching this movie.

95/212

Kate
xoxo

Planet of the Apes

7.45pm – I don’t mind watching this movie but I really just want to watch one of these movies on my list and not have to worry about notes. However, I will try my best but I don’t promise anything. Sorry.

10.06pm – It took a bit of getting into but I ended up really liking this movie. I only made a few notes but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t like it.

The beginning was incredibly slow and boring, just three guys doing a lot of walking. Then they’re like “oh, look, life!” “Yay! Lets dig it up!”

I love the idea of monkeys being the higher-being. I thought it was incredibly clever and interesting to see it the other way round. I remember thinking “oh my God, you don’t just shove a woman into a man’s cage and expect them to ‘mate’” but then I realized that that’s actually what we do to apes. It’s a movie that really got me thinking. The whole thing [except first 30 minutes which just bored me] was perfectly written.

The make-up is extraordinary, except the mouths but I can let that go. You can totally tell how the character is feeling, even through the heavy make-up.

I laughed out loud a few times; when Taylor [the human] threw the paper airplane and the ape’s reaction to it. Don’t know quite why but I thought that was funny. Also, the classic three monkeys were ‘seen’ in the court scene “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”. Ooo, by the way, that court scene was one of the best court scenes I’ve ever seen in a movie, I wasn’t bored once!

I feel so stupid for not seeing that ending coming. Its so obvious and yet I was like “OMG NO WAY!”

Yeah, see, that review/my notes don’t give the film justice at all. I would watch it again if I could just skip the first half an hour.

87/212

Kate
xoxo

Gladiator

12.19PM – Grrr, I’m back to being 2 films behind. Anyways, I’ve never seen this movie the whole way through before and I’m actually looking forward to it. However, the review might not be that great because alas, I am not well yet again [but feeling better than yesterday when I could hardly bloody walk!].

4.44pm –

Opening scene with the fight in the forest was, I’m ashamed to say, a shock to me. Unfortunately, I’m naive enough to forget that there were battles for Rome in forests. Not everything was sad and stone back then. Also, I thought it was very interesting and breath of fresh air to show death in battle as a terribly sad thing rather than a heroic thing.

DUMBLEDORE AGAIN! Before he was Dumbledore but he practically was Dumbledore in this but stupid enough to not notice his son was going to kill him.

They’re brother and sister?! Ew, bit too close.

Maximus the Farmer. I thought that it was very interesting that the audience was reminded that before this war, these soldiers were ordinary men too, just like in WW1 & 2. That’s never really shown in the other movies.

Its so sweet to see Maximus so happy when he talks about his family and home. He’s a simple man of simple pleasures which makes what happens to him even more horrible.

Dumbledore wants someone pure to rule, not someone corrupted.

I love the costumes in this, especially worn by the ‘royals’.

Russell Crowe is actually really good in this movie and I have no idea why I’m so surprised!

Oh. My. God. I should not watch this movie in my emotional state. When he finds them. The feet. Oh my God, I was crying my freaking eyes out, such a horrible image even though you never see the full extent of their damage. The feet and Maximus’ reaction are heartbreaking enough.

Omid Djalili! He should have been in this more, he’s just awesome.

Humans fighting humans for entertainment. Horrible to believe this actually happened.

Gorgeous CGI in this movie, its all about landscape and lighting!

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED! Classic line #1.

I couldn’t help but hear Jimmy Carr’s voice in my head. He said [on Qi, great show by the way] that in these movies, the sets are ruins. Yes, they’re ruins now but they weren’t back then!

EW! BROTHER! EW EW EW!

Eyebrows! Crazy eyebrow man with crazy wig. Eyebrows which look like they could jump up and kill you.

Such a sweet scene when Maximus is with Lucius, Lucilla’s son. We see a glimpse of Maximus the Father and how he was with his own son.

Bwa ha ha ha ha ha! I didn’t realize the gas canister under one of the horse-carriage thingys was actually that obvious! I think its one of the biggest movie mistakes ever and how the editor didn’t spot it or think no one would is beyond me.

“My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.” Classic line #2.

Now, as I’ve mentioned I love the show Qi and I have their book The Book Of General Ignorance. As I watched this movie, I remembered it being mentioned in this book. So, here’s a little fact for you; “Neither Roman spectators calling for the death of a gladiator, nor Roman Emperors authorizing one, ever gave a thumbs down. In fact, the Romans didn’t use a ‘thumbs down’ sign at all. If death was desired, the thumb was stuck up – like a drawn sword. For a loser’s life to be spared, the thumb was tucked away inside the closed fist – as with a sheathed weapon.” So this movie is wrong, though not at the fault of Ridley Scott [director]. He was shown a painting by Hollywood executives by Jean-Léon Gérôme of a Roman gladiator awaiting his fate as an emperor gives a thumbs down to give the death sentence. Scott was apparently eventually told about this and said that he kept it the way it is in the movie, Commodus giving the thumbs up, as to ‘not confuse the audience’. Fair enough, not everyone would understand.

When I look back at the Roman headstones, the Senators in this movie actually look like people from Rome in those times!

Cool tiger helmet. Poor real tigers.

I felt hatred bubbling up inside me when Commodus spoke ill of Maximus’ wife and child. Had to remind myself it was a movie!

Juba: Can they hear you? Maximus: Who? Juba: Your family. In the afterlife. Maximus: Oh yes. Juba: What do you say to them? Maximus: To my son – I tell him I will see him again soon. To keep his heels down while riding his horse. To my wife… that is not your business. Me: Tehehe!

I thought it was very interesting that Commodus is the evil one yet has a very soft voice and Maximus is the good one and has a very harsh, gravely voice.

Brilliant film, I would happily watch it again and recommend it to all.

78/212

Kate
xoxo