You've waited 100 years for this Saturday's USC/SC State matchup, so what's two more days? And no matter how much we want to, it's not really healthy to talk about football all the time...or so I've been told. So let's take a step back from football and have ourselves a cultural breather before the weekend.
Crack open your Netflix queue and get ready to fill it up, because you're about to get yourself edumacated about some film. Here's our first weekly installment—#100-#96—of what will surely be the most definitive Top 100 movie list ever...
Gleefully retarded on the surface, this movie has a LOT more going on than it seems. You've got shiny special effects, pretty actors acting pretty poorly, and hilarious fascist propaganda. And while our heroes are off killing the bugs, you're left to ponder the deeper themes of fascism, patriotism, loyalty, bravery, unisex showers, the starship-piloting abilities of Denise Richards, and the profound creepiness of Jake Busey.
Cruel, sadistic, and razor-sharp, it’s literally two hours of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton ripping each other to shreds. Kind of a direct ancestor to Closer, this movie is loaded with enough verbal and emotional abuse to shock even today’s viewers...not bad for a 40-year old movie. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll probably need a couple hours of therapy to cleanse yourself.
One of the most quotable movies of all-time, this one is best savored with friends on multiple, multiple viewings. And a little pot wouldn't hurt, either. But it’s more than just a stupid stoner comedy. It's an absurd, stylish, and complex stupid stoner comedy...courtesy of the Coen Brothers. It's not their best…but it's definitely my favorite and without a doubt their most addictive. And proud we are of all of them.
By Deadwood standards, this movie is a little dated, and surprisingly F-bomb free. But since this is the Western that started it all, I'll give it a break. I don't want to make excuses, but you just kind of have to get past the stiff acting. And the stilted dialogue. And the opressively sappy music. And the white actors as Indians. But other than that stuff. It's actually still really good, in a crappy old movie kind of way.
For good or bad, Scream single-handedly revived the horror genre. And while theaters today are littered with crappy clones, none can even come close to the cleverness of the original. Loaded with pop-culture references, self-aware dialogue, snarky characters, sight gags, and red herrings...it's like Halloween meets Clueless. Of special note: the Rose McGowan garage scene.
1 comment:
A good selection of movies. At least 96-99. I'm guessing by your #100 that you have, in fact, only seen 100 movies in your entire life.
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