The One About Enjoying Movies For a Change

After a Summer/Fall where virtually every movie I watched was a major disappointment, you could imagine my surprise over the Christmas holidays and winter upon discovering a number of movies I found enjoyable.

I stated in a previous post that I'd gone a little crazy buying DVDs after my post-Christmas illness and I finally curbed that after another week when I spent $30 and came home with 'Munich' (I'm a huge Spielberg fan), 'History of Violence,' 'Syriana,' and 'Superman II The Richard Donner edition.'

Good haul, eh?

Aside from Superman II, all 3 are movies I'd watched before but felt I was fairly distracted enough by schoolwork that I missed out on a real viewing of these films. Superman II was a new version of the original film and I knew it would be different enough that it would be an entirely new experience. Now, out of these 4 new films, I've actually only watched 'Superman II' and 'Syriana.' 'Superman II' was an incredible "do-over" with the original script and several scenes that had actually been filmed during production of the first Superman movie in the 1970s. Marlon Brando had a key role in this version of the film and the relationship between Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane really went up a notch. There were several ties with the original film, so it literally felt like the entire film occurred within a week of the original. Donner's story, had it been told originally this way, most likely would have led to some higher quality follow-up movies (where instead we got the menace of Richard Pryor --& Jon Cryer for God's sake-- in 'Superman III' and some nuclear whacko in 'Superman IV' --killing the franchise until 2006). In some ways, I think watching the theatrical version of 'Superman II' first, then watching the Donner edition I might've caught a few more subtle changes, but then I wouldn't have enough time to watch both back-to-back.

'Syriana' I would describe as "yet another George Clooney movie." I don't know. I liked the Ocean's films and have really enjoyed the action films he's done in the past, but he really loses me in films like 'Syriana' and 'Good Night and Good Luck.' It took me a while to figure out what exactly throws me off of these films and I think it's actually the complete lack of a soundtrack in the films. It's just too freakin' quiet. I don't know if you're supposed to feel as if you're right there with the people in the film, but there's so little background noise, it's hard to imagine being in such a location and hearing nothing except for the 2 to 5 people talking. Music adds a level of intensity and emotion that just seemed to be missing.

At the library last week, I was happy to see on the shelf that there were some more current 'mainstream' DVDs available. I've picked up the odd documentary and/or BBC or PBS production from the library in the past, but it's only on a rare occasion I see something newer available. I borrowed 'American Splendor' and 'Friday Night Lights,' two movies I hadn't seen before.

'Friday Night Lights' looked to be your typical everyday American football movie. Seriously: it really does feel like there's another football movie coming out everyday. This one, however, really seemed to be an exception to the rule. I have noticed a theme of getting name actors to play the coaches in these films (Jon Voigt in 'Varsity Blues,' Al Pacino in 'Any Given Sunday,' Denzel Washington in 'Remember the Titans,' Matthew McConaughey in 'We Are Marshall,' and Billy Bob Thornton in this one) to help stir up emotions. Honestly, from a Canadian point-of-view, I still can't comprehend how people get behind their high school teams this way. Now, if it were hockey I could understand. Anyone who questions why Canadians (not all of us, but a good number) are so into hockey, just look to thyself and see the emotions behind football, basketball, and baseball. Then look into the irony that the national baseball and basketball MVPs are Canadian (and, for me, their respective hometown's are less than a 3 hour drive away).

But enough about that philosophy.... I enjoyed this movie a lot more than I expected to.

'American Splendor' is one film I've wanted to see for quite some time. I've enjoyed Paul Giamatti's work in the past ('Sideways' was great and he totally stole every scene in 'Howard Stern's Private Parts'). Harvey Pekar is a comic writer who basically stars in a comic about his life --boring and spiteful as it is. In a lot of ways, Pekar was a pioneer of blogging, only he did it as a comic book. Even the real Pekar admits, as the narrator of this film, that every artist draws him differently, as if he's different incarnations. This fits the film so well that when scenes cut from Giamatti as Pekar to the real Pekar, then cut to an animated drawing of Pekar, there's no confusion. It fits because Harvey has already said there's different incarnations of himself. Pekar isn't the only one who swaps incarnations throughout the film. He's joined by his wife and daughter, and a few co-workers as well. I don't think his friend and original artist Robert Crumb appears as himself in the film but there's some amazing parallels between 'American Splendor' and Robert Crumb's own film 'Crumb.' Both are filled with a spotlight on the emergence of a new comics underground.
You'll have to forgive me for writing even more about movies. I was just so happy to finally see some that I've enjoyed --even if there a few years old.