Tuesday, May 21, 2024
Spike Lee 7 Joints
- Commentary: Still workin' on it, honey. Got a ways to go.
Funny, though, I'm having a hard time finding an interesting, informative review of this specific collection. Not sure why, and it's possible I'll be completely unsuccessful, but, in the meantime, I think it's important to include the fact that no one seems to want to take on a critique of this collection.
In the meantime, you might want to read a short, pithy interview Roger Ebert conducted with Spike Lee as Lee was preparing to shoot Malcolm X in 1991. I attached the interview to the title of this post.
This is, of course, not the only collection of Spike Lee films in existence, nor will it be the last. In the meantime, for what it's worth, here is the official Wikipedia perspective on Spike Lee, his life and career.
- Do the Right Thing
Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Spike Lee Mookie Danny Aiello Sal Ossie Davis Da Mayor Ruby Dee Mother Sister Giancarlo Esposito Buggin' Out Bill Nunn Radio Raheem John Turturro Pino Richard Edson Vito Rosie Perez Tina Joie Lee Jade Martin Lawrence Cee Samuel L. Jackson Mister Señor Love Daddy Robin Harris Sweet Dick Willie Paul Benjamin ML Frank Vincent Charlie John Savage Clifton Leonard L. Thomas Punchy Frankie Faison Coconut Kid Rick Aiello Officer Gary Long Luis Antonio Ramos Stevie
→ john-turturro; ruby-dee; ossie-davis
Roger Ebert included this movie in his "Great Movies" collection, the review for which is connected to the title of this movie.
This movie is loaded with cameos. Although I listed 20 actors, above, the actual list could go on forever. You'll notice this, if you watch the movie, as every other scene involves an actor of which you think, "I know that one. Who is that?" A more complete list (although I can't swear that it contains all the cameos) can be found in the Wikipedia write up for this film, linked below.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
Release Date: 1989
Directed by Spike Lee. - Mo' Better Blues
Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Denzel Washington Minifield "Bleek" Gilliam Spike Lee Giant Wesley Snipes Shadow Henderson Joie Lee Indigo Downes Cynda Williams Clarke Bentancourt Giancarlo Esposito Left Hand Lacey Bill Nunn Bottom Hammer Jeff "Tain" Watts Rhythm Jones Dick Anthony Williams Mr. "Big Stop" Gilliam Abbey Lincoln Lillian Gilliam John Turturro Moe Flatbush Nicholas Turturro Josh Flatbush Robin Harris Butterbean Jones Samuel L. Jackson Madlock Coati Mundi Roberto Rubén Blades Petey
→ john-turturro
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
Release Date: 1990
Directed by Spike Lee. - Jungle Fever
Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Wesley Snipes Flipper Purify Annabella Sciorra Angela Tucci Spike Lee Cyrus Ossie Davis The Good Reverend Doctor Purify Ruby Dee Lucinda Purify Samuel L. Jackson "Gator" Purify Lonette McKee Drew Purify John Turturro Paulie Carbone Frank Vincent Michael Tucci Anthony Quinn Lou Carbone Halle Berry Vivian Tyra Ferrell Orin Goode Phyllis Yvonne Stickney Nilda Nicholas Turturro Vinny Miguel Sandoval Officer Mark Ponte Debi Mazar Denise Tim Robbins Jerry Brad Dourif Leslie Queen Latifah Lashawn Giancarlo Esposito Homeless Man
→ john-turturro; debi-mazar; ruby-dee; ossie-davis; tim-robbins
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
Release Date: 1991
Directed by Spike Lee. - Crooklyn
Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Alfre Woodard Carolyn Delroy Lindo Woody David Patrick Kelly Eyes Zelda Harris Tony Carlton Williams Clinton Sharif Rashed Wendell Tse-Mach Washington Joseph Chris Knowings Nate José Zúñiga Tommy La La Isaiah Washington Vic Powell Ivelka Reyes Jessica Spike Lee Snuffy N. Jeremi Duru Right Hand Man Frances Foster Aunt Song Norman Matlock Clem Patriece Nelson Viola
→ delroy-lindo
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
Release Date: 1995
Directed by Spike Lee. - Clockers
Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Harvey Keitel Det. Rocco Klein John Turturro Det. Larry Mazilli Delroy Lindo Rodney Little Mekhi Phifer Ronald "Strike" Dunham Isaiah Washington Victor Dunham Keith David Andre "The Giant" Ashley Sticky Fingaz Andres "Scientific" Atkins Regina Taylor Iris Jeeter Fredro Elvis "Go" Atkins Tom Byrd Errol Barnes Lawrence B. Adisa Stan Gilmore Hassan Johnson Trevor "Skills" Jeeter Michael Imperioli Det. Joey "Jojo" Thompson Mike Starr Det. Shawn "Thumper" Ferrell Paul Calderon Jesus at Hambones Spike Lee Chucky Bridges Sr.
→ john-turturro; delroy-lindo
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
Release Date: 1995
Directed by Spike Lee. - Inside Man
Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Denzel Washington Det. Keith Frazier Clive Owen Dalton Russell Jodie Foster Madeline White Christopher Plummer Arthur Case Willem Dafoe Cpt. John Darius Chiwetel Ejiofor Det. Bill Mitchell Spike Lee Civilian Kim Director Valerie Keepsake/Stevie James Ransone Darius Peltz/Steve-O Carlos Andrés Gómez Kenneth Damerjian/Steve Bernie Rachelle Chaim Waris Ahluwalia Vikram Walia
→ christopher-plummer; jodie-foster; willem-dafoe
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
Release Date: 2006
Directed by Spike Lee. - BlacKkKlansman
Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role John David Washington Det. Ron Stallworth Adam Driver Det. Philip "Flip" Zimmerman Laura Harrier Patrice Dumas Topher Grace David Duke Topher Grace Kwame Ture Harry Belafonte Jerome Turner Jasper Pääkkönen Felix Kendrickson Ryan Eggold Walter Breachway Frederick Weller Pt. Andy Landers Paul Walter Hauser Ivanhoe Ashlie Atkinson Connie Kendrickson Michael Buscemi Jimmy Creek Ken Garito Sergeant Trapp Alec Baldwin Kennebrew Beauregard Nicholas Turturro Walker Damaris Lewis Odetta
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
Release Date: 2018
Directed by Spike Lee.
Wikipedia doesn't have a write-up of this specific film series. I've included the Wikipedia links for the individual movies in their write-ups, above.
Labels: christopher-plummer, debi-mazar, delroy-lindo, denzel-washington, giancarlo-esposito, jodie-foster, john-turturro, ossie-davis, ruby-dee, samuel-l-jackson, spike-lee, tim-robbins, willem-dafoe
Thursday, November 02, 2023
5-Western Film Collection
- Commentary: Under construction.
- Diablo
Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Scott Eastwood Jackson Walton Goggins Ezra Camilla Belle Alexsandra José Zúñiga Guillermo Danny Glover Benjamin Carver Nesta Cooper Rebecca Carver Adam Beach Nakoma Samuel Marty Ishani
→ danny-glover
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
Release Date: 2015
Directed by Lawrence Roeck. - Forsaken
Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Kiefer Sutherland John Henry Clayton Donald Sutherland Rev. Samuel Clayton Brian Cox James McCurdy Michael Wincott Gentleman Dave Turner Aaron Poole Frank Tillman Demi Moore Mary Alice Watson Greg Ellis Tom Watson Siobhan Williams Emily Chadwick
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
Release Date: 2015
Directed by Jon Cassar. - Brimstone
Commentary: Under construction.
Yet another conflicted, entertaining review of this movie.
And, yet another fascinated-while-being-repelled review.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Guy Pearce The Reverend Dakota Fanning Liz Emilia Jones Joanna Carice van Houten Anna Kit Harington Samuel Paul Anderson Frank William Houston Eli Charlotte Croft Abigail
→ dakota-fanning
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
Release Date: 2016
Directed by Martin Koolhoven. - Disturbing the Peace
Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Guy Pearce Jim Dillon Devon Sawa Diablo Kelly Greyson Catie Reynolds Michael Sirow Matt Jacob Grodnik Jarhead Dan Southworth Steve Michael Bellisario Pyro Barbie Blank Amanda
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
Release Date: 2020
Directed by York Shackleton. - Wild Horses
Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Robert Duvall Scott Briggs James Franco Ben Briggs Joaquin Jackson Ranger Jackson Josh Hartnett KC Briggs Adriana Barraza Mrs. Davis Jim Parrack Deputy Rogers Luciana Duvall TX Rngr Samantha Payne Angie Cepeda Maria Gonzales
→ robert-duvall
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
Release Date: 2015
Directed by Robert Duvall.
Wikipedia doesn't have a write-up of this film series. I've included the Wikipedia links for the individual movies in their write-ups, above. Otherwise, Amazon buyers were fairly vocal about this set of mostly B (or lower) grade revisionist westerns. Here is a link to the first of Amazon's comment pages on this collection. You'll notice that the opinions are wildly divergent. As far as I can tell, no one has reviewed the entire collection of a piece. Although I've watched none of them, yet, I'm looking forward to it. This is a collection of your every day, second feature revisionist Western movie -- not Brokeback Mountain (which isn't in my collection, but I wish it was), not Unforgiven, not No Country for Old Men. I'm very curious about the middling films of this genre. I have to admit, I went back and forth about adding these "mid-rangers" to my collection, but two things seduced me: a price that couldn't be beat and, you know, if you don't know what's middling and bad, and why, how do you figure out what's good? And, I'm curious. I mean, if I run across a Hallmark Rom-Dram-Com (which doesn't happen very often, since I have only a bare-bones cable hook-up) I'll watch it. Why not check out mid-range revisionist Westerns?
Release Date: Various
Directed by Various.
Labels: dakota-fanning, danny-glover, donald-sutherland, guy-pearce, jodie-foster, revisionist-western, robert-duvall
Friday, April 22, 2022
Silence of the Lambs
- Commentary: Iconic movie. Iconic acting performances. Iconic sets. Iconic lines. Iconic set pieces. Iconic photography. Despite PC quibbles throughout the years from feminists and LGBTQ activists regarding Foster's and Levine's characters, this movie has been assured, as well, an iconic role in filmography for the ages. It set standards for a variety of production values in film entertainment that, in many cases, haven't been superceded.
Myself? I found it even more involving and enjoyable than any previous viewings; that's right, I'm not sure whether I've only see it once before, or more. There have always been bits of it I haven't been able to release from my mind, though, which is why I finally obtained the movie and am glad I did. To me, this is one of those one-of-a-kind productions that I refer back to when watching other movies of the same genre. Although, come to think of it, as far as the horror genre goes, there is one other that stands alone, for me, and to which I compare others in this genre: Midsommar. In my mind, these two movies stand, side-by-side, atop sub-categories in horror all their own.
What a delight it was to watch this movie again! What a delight it will be to know I can watch it, yet again, any time I want!
I thought I remembered a final scene in which Lecter is on a plane seated next to a young boy and shares some liver pâté with him, presumably from his latest victim. Missing this scene in this movie bothered me so much that I looked it up. Turns out, it's in the sequel to this movie, Hannibal, a 2001 production, and it wasn't pâté Lecter shared, it was brains, presumably Krendler's. I watched this movie and, as well, enjoyed it, but not enough to be driven to obtain it. At least, though, I solved the mystery of my memory of a "missing" scene.
In 2001, Roger Ebert reconsidered his 1991 3.5 star review of this movie, rewrote the review, recalibrated it to 4 stars and assigned Silence of the Lambs Great Movies status.
This edition features a second disc loaded, I mean, loaded, with special features, including a three part documentary with Jonathan Demme and Jodie Foster about several aspects of making the movie. Way to steal my heart! I can't wait to go through them!
Update: 4/27/2022: BTW, I haven't yet cracked the special features on the second disc of this particular dvd presentation of this movie. If there's anything noteworthy that I'm provoked to write about, I'll add my comments, later.
Update: 4/28/2022: I watched all the special features for this edition last night, well over two hours of material. Many of the special features were recorded a decade or more after the initial release of the film. All the special features were worth a watch. Many of them focused on the relationships between the actors as they worked, including their surprise at and appreciation of their colleagues' bit tricks, so to speak, and their ability to encourage each others' performances with these acting tics. There was also quite a bit of eye-opening, appreciative comment on Jonathan Demme's process and procedure, as well as detailed commentary on his adaptation of the book into a movie. I love special features like this, that delve into the techniques used by actors and crew during the filming of movies. If you've got the "Collector's Edition" of this movie and you're fascinated by movies, don't ignore the special features about this movie!
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Jodie Foster Clarice Starling Anthony Hopkins Hannibal Lecter Ted Levine Jame Gumb Scott Glenn Jack Crawford Anthony Heald Frederick Chilton Brooke Smith Catherine Martin Diane Baker Ruth Martin Chris Isaak SWAT Commander
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date:1991
Directed by Jonathan Demme.
Labels: anthony-hopkins, detective1, dramaF, gender-bender, horror2, jodie-foster, mystery2, neo-noirB, psychological2, suspense3, thriller2, violence4
Wednesday, April 20, 2022
The Accused
- Commentary: This movie turns on Sarah Tobias' (played with verve and extraordinary competence by Jodie Foster) dance in the game room of the bar she was in the night she was raped. The dance is joyously energetic, celebratory, expressive and, yes, seemingly provocative, except that it is clear she wasn't trying to provoke anything, she was merely expressing. That dance, more than anything in the movie, is what defines the criminal injustice in what happened to her next. The idea of rape was clearly present in the minds of the watchers even before the dance took place. The rapists were simply waiting for the opportunity to do the deed. It didn't matter on who they perpetrated the rape. It could have been any of the women in that bar. It just happened to be Sarah. It was Sarah because, if you notice, all the other featured women in the bar left as the rape took shape in the minds of the rapists and onlookers or as it commenced. This movie is, in my opinion, a brilliant commentary on male society's perspective on rape. To men, they are not the perpetrators, women are, for simply being, well, women. Although a dance preceeded this rape, rarely does anything objectively "provocative" preceed most rapes. Thus, the presence, or absence, of a provocative dance is not up for question. The movie clearly underlines that rape isn't something women, or men, for that matter, provoke, it's something that men perpetrate upon weaker members of the society, women, primarily, but not exclusively.
I initially saw this movie a long time ago, possibly on television, but I can't be sure. I'd forgotten about it until it popped up in a sale of film products featuring female actors and other crew. Suddenly, I was remembering the extraordinary effect it had on me. It did not make me afraid, so much, as disgusted at the shenanigans through which the legal system put this case. It smartened me up right quick, as they say in the trades. I've never had to participate in such a case, and hope I never do, but thinking, yet again, about this movie still kindles a sense of righteous anger in me.
Let me state this clearly: As a woman, and, only, as a woman, I neither like nor trust men. I learned this, first from my father, not explicitly, but implicitly, ambiguously. Even when some man, somewhere, says or does something with which I concur, which is often, I am guarded. I am always thinking, in the back of my mind, that at any moment that particular man is going to say or do something else that will completely undercut any act of seeming fairness or support. That's just what it is to be a woman in this society, and many others. It could be different but, in 1988, when this movie was released, and now, in 2022, as I just completed watching it for the second time in my life, this remains true. And, men wonder why in the world some feminists want to separate from, or get rid of, men.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Jodie Foster Sarah Tobias Kelly McGillis Kathryn Murphy Bernie Coulson Kenneth Joyce Ann Hearn Salley Fraser
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1988
Directed by Jonathan Kaplan.
Labels: 20th-century-chick-flicks1, character-study, dramaE, feminist, jodie-foster, legal, violence4
Monday, January 28, 2019
Contact
- Commentary: I'm surprised I haven't entered this movie into this index before this. I've owned it for about a year. My movie collecting has slowed, considerably, true, but I didn't realize it had slowed to the point that I was sure I'd entered this one. Everything I've entered in this update is much "younger", in my collection, anyway, than this one.
Thus, it should not surprise you that I've watched it several times since buying it. Which is exactly why I bought it for my collection. I checked this movie out of the library so much that I remember looking it up online and thinking, "This is so cheap, I should just own it!"
For me, this is another one of those movies that has a diaphanous quality to it. No matter how much contact it actually contains, for me the bulk of the movie is about dreaming, wishing, hoping and actualizing, even in the face of the lack of recognition of everyone around you. Sure, it's a cool sci-fi movie. But, bottom line, this movie says to me, experience isn't what others say happened to you, it's what you know happened to you.
In case you're wondering, yes, I read the book upon which it is based long before the movie went into production. The book, perhaps because my primary familiarity with Carl Sagan is through the Cosmos series (which is, in itself, more about dreaming and actualizing than it is about space) was, for my mother and me, an essential fill-in for the series. I sometimes wonder if Carl Sagan considered himself, primarily, a dreamer and only secondarily a scientist. Or, perhaps he was a scientist, an astrophysicist, because he was, first, a dreamer.
In Roger Ebert's initial review of this film (linked to the title of this post), he gave the movie three and a half stars. Then, in 2011, he christened Contact one of his Great Movies and added the initially lacking half star. In the review he discusses the differences in his opinion from his initial watching and watching it 14 years later. It's interesting to compare the two reviews.
Update 8/11/2021: Funny thing, yesterday my older sister and I, in a lengthy phone conversation (life-catch-up, really), discussed this movie (it remains a popular movie, folks) in light of a series of beach scenes aired during Season 17 of Grey's Anatomy in which Meredith, while suffering from COVID-19, meets up with previous and current colleagues on a beach. I don't have access to this season (or any seasons past 12), but I looked them up to clarify exactly what my sister was comparing to this movie. For those of you who remain as cable-challenged as I, here is a descriptive rundown of those scenes. My sister brought up those scenes (in our conversation she remembered them as one scene) without reference to this movie. Once she described them, I brought up their curious duplication of Ellie's beach scene with her father in this movie. Although I didn't use the term, my sister's description of these scenes seemed to me a rip-off of that famous scene in Contact. Although my sister said she's seen the movie, she didn't recall the scene I was describing. My take-away, now, is that, both of us being unaware of the other's references, we were kind of talking at cross purposes, yesterday, without realizing it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Jodie Foster Dr. Eleanor Ann Arroway Jena Malone Young Ellie Matthew McConaughey Palmer Joss David Morse Theodore Arroway Tom Skerritt Dr. David Drumlin James Woods Michael Kitz John Hurt S. R. Hadden William Fichtner Kent Clarke Angela Bassett Rachel Constantine Jake Busey Joseph Rob Lowe Richard Rank Geoffrey Blake Fisher
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1997
Directed by Robert Zemeckis.
Labels: adventure1, aliens, david-morse, drama3, dream1, fantasy1, james-woods, jodie-foster, john-hurt, popcorn-and-soda2, pseudo-cgi-animation, science-fiction1
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Kung Fu: Entire Series 1972-1975 [Original Series]
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1* *2* *3* *4* *5*
- Commentary: I know, I should be ashamed of how much I love this show. There's a lot of stuff involved: The time period; living on Guam when it first aired; knowing someone who became an instant and serious devotee of the series and what it represented, etc.
I'm not sure why my mother likes it, but I know she does. It has an hypnotic effect on both of us.
Although each of us, separately and together, have watched many episodes of this series many times, neither of us had seen the pilot, so that was a treat.
I think, too, one of the reasons we bond over this series is that both of us have a bit of the monk in us.
I know the story behind the series and know that, in some serious ways, its existence is a travesty to Bruce Lee, the man and the force. I keep this in mind when I watch it.
My mother is not concerned with politically tainted considerations. She just likes the shows. She mistakes David Carradine for his father. Interesting, because I think they look nothing alike, nor do they act alike, especially in this series. At some point David's father is in the series, playing an itinerant preacher. His brother Robert plays the preacher's mute sidekick, Sunny Jim. Another brother, Keith, plays Kwai Chang Caine as a teenage aspirant.
The article attached to the title (it was, btw, incredibly hard to find any writing about the old series, let alone criticism) has two parts. The second part is linked at the bottom of the first part, but the link is easy to miss. Here's a link to part two of that article.
By the way, IRL the third season's cover is actually a deep purple, not a deep blue. I guess it was, or still is, hard to reproduce purple in online photos.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role David Carradine Kwai Chang Caine Radames Pera Young Caine Keye Luke Master Po Philip Ahn Master Kan
→ Dean Jagger - Caine's Grandfather
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1972-1975
Episodes directed by several people. I think it is noteworthy that none of the episodes had a female director.
Labels: dean-jagger, jodie-foster, me-favorite3, pat-hingle, TV3, western
