Musical Monday: Aladdin - One Jump Ahead (#22).

[Every Monday, I'm going to be counting down my 52 favorite musical numbers from musical movies and TV shows. I might not like the full movie/show, but the number makes the list for various reasons: 1) I have to like the song, 2) the visual of how the number is performed is most likely unique or fun, 3) both song and visual mixes well to create an exciting or powerful number. So let's get to the next on the list.]

And now for something much more fun than last week's! It's no secret that this is one of my favorite animated Disney films (and I've already had one song from it on this list). And, strangely, not only did I just talk about this movie with friends last night, but we quoted this very song (without me realizing it was today's song). Anywho, I love all the songs in this film, but I really like this one as it's the first big number of the movie... and it sets up your main character nicely. Not to mention it has some puns and very clever wording. And it's catchy, to boot.

The Vlog - S3.7: Story Time #3 - Rachel's Version.

Here's episode S3.7.

OK, I know this is an episode a handful of people have been looking forward to (for multiple reasons). This particular Story Time also gives character background information that has been alluded to since Season 2. Well... at least one person's version of the events. It also connects into the previous Story Time (Kai) a bit. I consider this episode Part 1 of my "Soap Opera"/"The Room" Story Times (Part 2 comes in 2 weeks), since they very much have that feel in melodrama, music, and dialogue. Otherwise, that's about all I have for you... so just enjoy!

The Demented Podcast #20 - Battle Royale 2.

Here it is, ladies and gentlemen. It's episode 20, so you know what that means! It's time for the second Battle Royale of The Tower. The Top 5 scorers from the previous 9 episodes are going head-to-head. And here they are:

1. Kai (142)
2. Jason (126)
3. Dylan (125)
4. Jess (123)
5. Rachel (114)
----------------------
(And The Rest)
6. Nick (104)
7. Simon (92)
8. Sebastian (84)
9. Nolahn (INCOMPLETE)
10. Keith (INCOMPLETE)

Does Jess make it past the first round this time? Does Jason flub at 20 Questions as he fears? Do Dylan and Kai face off, man to man? Is Rachel's middle name really "Default"? And how much does karma actually affect how this game works? Find answers to these and more (...maybe...) by listening in!

You can listen to this episode on the player below or by subscribing through iTunes.

That being said, enjoy! Thanks goes out to Kevin MacLeod's Incompetech website for great, royalty-free music. And thanks to Google for helping me find a website that will give me free video game audio samples.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER.

I've read reviews all over the map for this film. Some people thought it was the best Pre-Avengers film. Some thought the worst. Most are, like the inside of a tauntaun, relatively Luke-warm (thanks, Kai!). But where do I fall in? We meet Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a scrawny lad from Brooklyn who simply wants to join the Army and do his duty for his country, like his best friend Bucky (Sebastian Shaw). But when Dr. Erskine (Stanley Tucci) chooses him for a top secret project, he meets Colonel Philips (Tommy Lee Jones), Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), and Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper). He becomes a super soldier, but also learns he's not the only one. There was a Nazi named Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving), whose procedure didn't go as planned, and now he's looking to walk the Earth as a god, forming his own faction, and working with another scientist named Dr. Zola (Toby Jones) to build the weapons necessary for his takeover. He runs Hydra now under the moniker Red Skull.

This has been compared to Thor quite a bit seeing they are the last two Pre-Avengers films and they came out pretty close to each other. This is what I'll say about the two: There's a pretty strong connection between them, as the McGuffin of this film is taken straight from the mythology of Thor. However, if I were to compare the entertainment value of both... I'd say Thor wins.

Captain America's worst problem can be summed up in one word: boring. The character himself isn't all that interesting. He's kinda like if Superman were human... except Superman seems more human. Steve Rogers is almost too perfect, and despite Red Skull's claims that he does have weaknesses, you don't see them. He's super fast, super strong, has a great body and personality, can heal at super speeds. He can't even worry about drinking and driving as he can't get drunk (though some may see this as a fault--that's really the only one played up in the film). He even takes (SPOILERS) waking up 70 years in the future relatively well.

And then there's the film itself. If you're to formulate the superhero origin story films, I'd say they're typically 20 minutes 'beginnings', 20 minutes 'origin', and about an hour in full costume and what have you. This movie is about an hour and 45 minutes, and it's not until about the last 30 that he even gets his official costume and shield. And they spend way too long in the "joke" costume, which was funny at first but did get old after a while. They even go into the first major action set piece in this costume. Imagine if Spider-Man had first faced off against the Green Goblin in his wrestling uniform. So yeah, there's definitely a pacing and/or story issue. I think I looked at my watch at least 3-4 times throughout the film.

Otherwise... it's actually not as bad as I've made it sound. The acting is good. Chris Evans does quite well with what he's given. If I were to say any actor stole the show, it would be Hugo Weaving, but honestly not until you see him entirely as Red Skull, which isn't until the second half of the movie. The makeup and whatnot looks good, and he actually seems more menacing like this than with his actual face.

The action was probably the best thing about the movie. While none of it was particularly OMG WOW, it kept my attention. The train sequence was, I think, the best full action scene in the film, though the short zero-gravity fight near the end was really cool (despite its Inception-esque feel). They also did a good job making the shield come back to him more naturally as if it bounced rather than acted like a full-on boomerang (returning weapons--another Thor connection!). Though I'm not hugely knowledgable on Captain America lore... isn't his shield supposed to be made of adamantium, not "vibranium" or whatever. Or did I get that wrong?

Anyway, I just wish the movie didn't take itself so seriously. There are maybe less than 5 jokes in the whole movie (or at least good jokes), but the rest is so serious in an uber-patriotic way that part of you is waiting for Spider-Man to land in front of Captain America posing in the wind. And the actual cheesy section (with the joke costume) goes on too long for it to stay humorous. I don't think it's the worst of the Pre-Avengers films, but it's not the best, either. I'd say it's somewhere in the middle. I guess you could fit me in with the other tauntaun's.


Stop Saying OK! OK.

(P.S. I also wanted to add that this film looks very nice, as well. The cinematography is pretty dang good, so that's another plus.)

(P.P.S. I almost forgot! I think they destroyed a bit of continuity with the other Pre-Avengers flicks. Isn't there a hidden shot of Captain America's shield under the ice in one of the movies (I think Incredible Hulk)? That takes away from what actually happens according to this film.)

60/60 Review #38: North By Northwest.

And I didn't think it could get better than Rear Window. Eagle Eye--I mean, North by Northwest tells us the story of Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant), an advertising executive who gets mistaken for an undercover CIA agent by Philip Vandamm (James Mason), a foreign spy. Roger is thrust into a series of events that eventually makes him a very wanted individual by the authorities, so he has to stay on the run. He eventually meets up with Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint), a young woman who seems to want to help. But nothing is as it seems, and Roger faces twists and turns trying to figure out just what is going on and how he can get out of it.

Whereas almost every other Hitchcock film I've seen this month has had a long build-up to the suspense, this one hits you about 6 minutes into the movie. It really takes only the required time to set up the lead character before shoving him into this mess. And from that point on, it never slows down or holds back. While the movie is over 2 hours long, I didn't think there were any major pacing problems. I did wonder a couple times where the film was going to go now that it seemed it was almost over ("There's still an hour left? It feels like we're almost to the climax!" "There's still 30 minutes left? Aren't we at the climax?"). I guess in a sense this could be seen as a good thing, considering the entire last half of the movie felt like one long climax/suspense scene that just kept throwing more twists at you just when you thought you were almost there.

I thought the writing in Rope was top notch, but this one takes the cake. While the story at times feels almost too complex (I actually got lost a couple times), the characters are just so great that it keeps you involved. Cary Grant plays such a smart-ass, which is a refreshing change of pace. He wasn't over-dramatic or anything like that. It's like he took everything going on with a grain of salt and reacted. Then we have Eva Marie Saint, who plays such a fine Femme Fatale that I could never keep a handle on whether she was a good guy or not.

I think what I enjoyed most about this film is that while there is a lot of suspense, it has a ton of humor. And I don't mean just dark humor like Hitchcock has given in previous films I've watched--but sarcasm and witty dialogue. And boy was I surprised at the amount of sex talk allusions in this film, particularly the scenes on the train. For 1959, this was probably pretty dang close to scandalous the lengths Hitchcock went with it. There's a whole discussion full of innuendo about them going back to have sex all night, despite the fact they just met.

The music was also pretty good. It had a much more modern feel. Older films tend to have a grander sound to their soundtracks, sometimes overwhelming the scenes. I'm not a music or soundtrack aficionado, so I can't tell you what it was... it just feels like this particular soundtrack was at a turning point in film.

And I kind of had that feeling about the film as a whole. Of all the Hitchcock films I've watched this month, this one felt the most 'modern', I suppose. The only thing about it that felt old school was the kissing scenes. Besides that, it didn't really feel dated at all. Now, almost every month, there's generally at least 1 movie I watch that I'm tempted to go out and buy after viewing it (but I never do). There have been 3 this month (this, Rear Window, and Rope), but for the first time I'm considering going and actually buying this film. I could definitely see myself getting in the mood for this one and just popping it in for the fun of it.

That being said, this nudges out Rear Window as my favorite Hitchcock, despite its sometimes confusing plot (I'll need to rewatch it to catch a few things). And this actually means a lot considering this is the one I was most looking forward to watching, so my expectations were already pretty high (and that typically doesn't end well when that happens during this project). Instead of just rambling on, I guess I'll leave it at that, since I honestly don't have anything profound to say--oh, except that I started picking up on the number 13 in this film. I don't know if it was on purpose, but all the numbers (room numbers and whatnot) given in this film seem to add up to 13. And I caught the Hitchcock cameo for the second time this month. Anyway... that's it.


Royale With Cheese

(P.S. That's it for Hitchcock Month! I'll be honest, I was a little disappointed overall. I had such high expectations for this month, and about half the films kinda fell short for me. But the good ones were really good. And it was a good month overall. Anyway, next week we're moving on to the longest month on this entire project (the only month to have 10 films including extras), Crime Month Part 1--since there are 2 back-to-back months full of crime films. This first month deals more with heists and cops/robbers... so it should be a fun one! See you then.)

60/60 Extra: Strangers On A Train.

I think I've reached that time of the month where I'm just kinda bored with the theme and am ready for something new and different. Though I'm not saying this was bad, either. Let's just get into it. Bruno (Robert Walker) seems like a nice enough guy at first, but you slowly realize he's quite the psychotic socialite when he begins chatting up pro tennis player Guy (Farley Granger). He has the crazy idea to commit the perfect murder: In order to avoid getting caught with motive, swap murders with a complete stranger. Guy blows this off at first until Bruno kills Guy's wife, Miriam (Kasey Rogers), so that he can be with his true love, Anne (Ruth Roman). Now Bruno waits, expecting Guy to knock off his father, and when that doesn't come... he starts getting a bit too obsessive.

It's funny that the next Hitchcock film I have planned to watch after seeing Horrible Bosses is Strangers on a Train. (If you haven't seen the former yet, it takes some inspiration from and even references the latter on multiple occasions.) Anyway, thankfully that didn't detract too much from seeing the film, since the overall story is much different. Still, though... I found it hard to stay focused at times.

I think a lot of that had to do with the pacing. The whole movie seems to go from interesting moment to completely dull moment way too often. It's more prevalent in the first hour, I feel. But after the damn near perfect pacing of Rear Window, this one seemed more of a let down. The build up is strange as it almost takes too long but then ends abruptly on the first kill. I totally wasn't expecting it right then (despite the fact he literally stalks her out in the open like an idiot for 10+ minutes of the film). I will say, though, that Miriam's death scene is hands down one of the best shot murder scenes I've ever seen on film. The reflection through her glasses is totally surreal and fantastic, and it's easily the best part of the entire movie.

Besides that, the best part comes from Robert Walker in the last 30-40 minutes of the movie. You know he's a bit crazy before this point, but it's here when you really start feeling uncomfortable suspense, like he can do anything whenever he wants to. There are some fantastic moments of suspense, including a part where Guy is leaving Bruno's house very slowly, since there's a bit of danger involved. I knew there was still 20 minutes left, but I honestly had no idea whether or not Guy would die--that wouldn't have surprised me with Hitchcock at all.

Overall, it was a good film with some problems here and there. I think it could have been a bit tighter, personally (but what do I know?). The symbolism of the tennis match juxtaposed against the lighter bit didn't hit me right away, but even after I got it, I felt maybe the editing could have been slightly different. By the time we reached the relatively cool climax on the merry-go-round, I had nearly lost interest in the film. Again, that's not to say it's a bad film... I just think it was a mix of things in the timing of my viewing (and I don't mean due to Horrible Bosses). I'll probably like it more in the future, but I'll just leave it as is for now.


I Am McLovin!

(P.S. For the first time this month, I actually saw Hitchcock's cameo--though to be fair, it's probably been the most blatant of the bunch.)

Musical Monday: Chicago - Mr. Cellophane (#23).

[Every Monday, I'm going to be counting down my 52 favorite musical numbers from musical movies and TV shows. I might not like the full movie/show, but the number makes the list for various reasons: 1) I have to like the song, 2) the visual of how the number is performed is most likely unique or fun, 3) both song and visual mixes well to create an exciting or powerful number. So let's get to the next on the list.]

Probably one of the more depressing songs on this list, but it always jumped out at me as a very strong song, even when I first saw this film in theater. But John C. Reilly (really, what happened to this guy's career?) nails this number. It's nothing fancy to look at, but it does have one amazing silhouette shot near the end--I believe it's used in the trailer, as well. But anyway, here's Chicago's Mr. Cellophane.

The Vlog - S3.6: The Next Level.

Here's episode S3.6.

I'll be honest--I've put so much of this season on the Story Time episodes that I've worried that the regular episodes would suffer because of that. Thankfully, I think this week I've made a pretty solid non-Story Time episode for y'all. There's no real setup that you need for this one outside of knowing who Wrinkles is and that he's working with Rachel on some dastardly plan. Oh, and it assumes you've seen the previous episode in which Dylan impersonates Kai (and if you haven't, why the heck not? It's brilliant! Go see it. Now!).

So enjoy! This marks the halfway point in the season, as well. Only 6 more episodes left! Otherwise, let me know what y'all think of this one in the comments.

2 In 1: HORRIBLE BOSSES And BAD TEACHER.

I never do this, but it's been almost a week since I've seen both (and I tend to write reviews the day I see a film) and I couldn't write a full review on either if I tried--and I'm really not in the mood to try, so there's that. On top of that, both films are thematically linked: both involve unlikable characters in a profession they really shouldn't be in... and then have the movie titled about said issue. That being said, here are a couple short reviews on these films.

HORRIBLE BOSSES.

First up we have a film about 3 guys: Nick (Jason Bateman), Dale (Charlie Day), and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis). Nick has been working his butt off for a promotion, but his boss (Kevin Spacey) gives it to himself instead, then treats Nick like crap about it. Dale is recently engaged and wants nothing more than to be a good husband and family man; unfortunately, his boss (Jennifer Aniston) is a little nympho and tries at every turn to seduce Dale and ruin his life. Then there's Kurt, who actually likes his boss (Donald Sutherland)--until the coke-snorting son (Colin Farrell) takes it over and threatens to run the business into the ground. Together, the three men run with the idea to kill each other's bosses, getting advice on how to do so from an ex-con named Motherfucker Jones (Jamie Foxx).

Not only is this movie pretty dang funny, but it has some heart to it. The relationship between the three friends is very solid, and you believe their connection to each other. While everyone is very good at what they're given, the movie truly belongs to Charlie Day, Jamie Foxx, and Kevin Spacey. Strangely, Day's boss (Aniston) seems the most out of place in the grand scheme of things, as if merely put in as an afterthought--but she's still damn funny. And Day is very easy to relate to as your everyman who just wants to have a nice, normal life. Kevin Spacey is menacing and diabolical, and he's totally a guy you love to hate. Then there's Jamie Foxx, who seems to be having a blast with his small but memorable role.

Overall, it was a really fun film that was maybe hyped up ever so slightly by the time I had seen it, but still really good and entertaining. My biggest qualm was that, to me, it moved from its second act into its third act almost undetectably. The conflict and everything bounced back and forth so much, I didn't realize we had reached the climax of the film until it was already over. I was left feeling like there should have been more to it, like the film had barely just gotten started by the time it was ending. Otherwise, I'd definitely recommend it.


A Keanu 'Whoa'

BAD TEACHER.

Then we have this film. Elizabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz) works the bare minimum as a middle school teacher just long enough to make it to her wedding with a very rich man. Unfortunately, he breaks it off with her, forcing her back into another year. She figures that in order to get a man with some money, she needs a boob job. Lucky for her, a rich heir, Scott Delacorte (Justin Timberlake), begins subbing at the school. Despite her attempts to woo him, he falls for the chipper do-gooder teacher, Amy Squirrel (Lucy Punch). She also keeps fending off advances by the gym teacher, Russell (Jason Segel). But when she hears about a way to make some quick cash--getting the best scores on the state test--Elizabeth will do anything to get it.

It was definitely interesting and somewhat entertaining to see Cameron Diaz play such a despicable character. However, I personally found her to be the most unfunny part of the movie. I felt everyone around her--particularly Jason Segel--to be much better and much more entertaining and fun. Segel steals the show with a character that has both wit and heart, and part of me would have preferred to follow a movie based on the life of this middle school gym teacher instead. Unlisted in my opening paragraph was Lynn Davies, who plays a fellow teacher and is always riding along with Diaz and whatever she's doing. Davies was the next best part, playing a character with no self-esteem, but clearly wanting to burst out of her shell. But then there's Justin Timberlake, who is somewhat wasted with this role. He plays the ultimate naive dork to the point he nearly loses his innate charm. Lucy Punch has her moments, but her character is a bit over-the-top (in her first 5 minutes, she actually reminded me of a teacher I know... but then goes overboard the rest of the film).

I definitely don't think it's nearly as bad as a lot of people are making it out to be. But that could also be because I went in with such supremely low expectations. I didn't really laugh all that much. Maybe a chuckle here or there. If you're a fan of Jason Segel, he doesn't disappoint and would probably be the primary reason to see the film. Like I said, the movie isn't God awful, but it does miss its mark. Comedies, by definition, should be funny... and this one plays to the lowest common denominator of jokes. It has some decent ones, but overall doesn't work.


Feed Me, Seymour!

60/60 Review #37: Rear Window.

Let's get this out of the way at the start: Yes, I knew the film Disturbia was a remake of this film... I just didn't know how much. I thought it just took the basic concept, but no. There is a ton of stuff that film takes from this. But did basically knowing the movie beforehand through its remake affect the viewing of this film?

For those that don't know, the film tells the story of L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart), a photographer stuck in a wheelchair due to a broken leg. He has one week left in the cast and contends with a spunky nurse named Stella (Thelma Ritter) and his nearly perfect model girlfriend, Lisa (Grace Kelly). To pass the time, he spies on all his neighbors. One day, however, he starts believing that one of the men, a man named Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr) might have murdered his own wife and is trying to get rid of the evidence. Even bringing in an old detective friend, Thomas Doyle (Wendell Corey), he has a hard time convincing anyone that his suspicions are true.

This is probably one of the most perfectly paced films I've ever seen. The first 30 minutes or so set up all the characters, including the ones he spies on. It sets up the relationships and how everything will inevitably evolve throughout the rest of the film. After this, once the murder aspect is tossed in, it slowly builds its suspense. It takes us on a "is he or isn't he?" trail... though I figured I knew the ending based on Disturbia. Still, it didn't really deter me from enjoying the film or feeling the suspense.

So far in each Hitchcock film I've watched, it seems there's at least one character that bugs me. Here, that's not the case. Every character has a purpose, and almost every relationship goes somewhere. (The gorgeous) Grace Kelly begins as this perfectly little model who is kind of in her own world of fashion and glam. Because of this, Jeffries is conflicted on their relationship as she's not really adventurous or even close to the type of person he is. Of course, this changes as the film goes on. And then James Stewart (yet again) is here, again in a type of detective role. It's no real shock that I enjoyed him--but I will also add that this is definitely my favorite role/movie of his that I've seen thus far. My favorite character, though, had to be the nurse, Stella. She was really funny, and her acting felt much more modern than of those around her. And I haven't even mentioned all the neighbors who might not even speak, but still get their own story arcs.

The writing is very tight and clever. There's a lot of good dialogue, the cleverest usually coming between Jeffries and Doyle or Stella. But the characters never say more than they need to. This does leave a handful of things up to the imagination, though, due to some unanswered questions (a handful of "why"s, at least for Thorwald).

The directing and camera work was top notch. As we know, I love a good film in a tight space. The whole film takes place in that apartment--or at least through the perspective of the apartment--with a couple minor exceptions. And there were also a handful of great single takes panning around the apartment buildings (which was really, at that time, the biggest indoor set for the studio). Hitchcock really was great at manipulation. Even the music (with the exception of the very beginning) was done completely within the realm of the film--no external movie music added--adding a deeper sense that you're trapped in this apartment complex.

Overall thoughts? If you've seen and like Disturbia (as I will admit, I do), and would like to see the less modernized original (and not to mention where the accused is much less obviously evil), definitely check it out. Actually, I'd say check it out, anyway. It's quite excellent. Anyway, there are only a couple more Hitchcock films left for me to review this month, but as of now, this one just slipped into first place as my favorite.


Royale With Cheese