Slammers! Top 5 Summer Blockbusters

Posted: August 11, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Comic Books!, Film Criticism and Analysis, Movies, Science Fiction, Three and a Half Thumbs, Top 5 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I saw a lot of movies this summer and have been very busy with a new job. This is why I have not written a review for all the movies I went to. Starting May 6th until this last weekend I went and saw 12 movies in the theater. You do the math with the current ticket prices…JEEZ! This is an expensive habit.

During the summer I try to really focus on big summer blockbusters, I love art house films and romantic comedies, but during the summer I really want to get my money’s worth out of at least two of my senses. All the movies I did see fit in this category; big, expensive, A-list actors/directors, and they all made a lot of money. To tell you the truth it was a really good summer, I can honestly say only one of the movies was awful, another few were okay, but the other eight were good or really good.

I have been thinking and examining my top 5 and they have changed here and there, but this final list is really where I feel the most comfortable and feel like I can justify an explanation.


5. Tie!!! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. First time ever I have had a tie, but this is truly a tie. First HP, I loved this movie, it made me cry and gave me other emotional responses that reminded me of being a kid. That being said, it was not this one movie that did it for me, it was combination of 7 other films and 7 books that made this one movie so great. Second, RotPotA, this movie will most definitely win an Academy Award for visual effects, WETA is the absolute best in visual effects right now. Not since Jurassic Park have I been so in awe of animal CGI. Again, this movie could not be as good as it was if not for my childhood love of the “Apes” series. As a kid my favorite one was Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Rise is just a reimagining of, and a really good one. Both these films have sentimental connection to me that was unrivaled this year, but it was because they are a part of something much bigger than just one film.

4. Thor. This is in the Top 5 because I had very low expectations, I would say I even dreaded going to see and was happy that X-Men was coming out a couple weeks later. You know what happened, it blew me away. It was not the best comic book hero movie ever, but it was better than a lot of them, and Thor is a really boring comic book character in my opinion. This movie was fun and exciting and a great fit into what Marvel Studios is doing right now. As will all the current Marvel films, the casting is what sold it. Everyone in the cast was believable and not too over the top, and Kat Dennings could have been way worse. This movie exceeded my expectations, which is nearly impossible these days.

3. Super 8. This movie was nearly flawless, which is what everyone should expect from J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg. It was a throwback to the late 70s and 80s movies that launched the latter to the top of Hollywood. It was mysterious and fun and exciting and scary and just so good. It was not your typical alien movie and the alien didn’t end up being E.T., it ate people, but the whole story was not about the alien or government. This movie was about people in a different era and their problems and hopes and dreams, and how they define those individuals in an extreme circumstance that makes them reflect on themselves and the people who are in their lives. Great film can’t wait to watch this with Jack and Nora when they are older.

2. X-Men: First Class. At the beginning of the summer I would have said this will be the best movie of the summer, and it nearly was. I love X-Men, the comics, toys, cartoons, movies, and books, all of it. The X-Men are my favorite, by far, comic book characters. So of course I loved this movie, but so did most of you. It was because it was a different take on what we had seen before, it was not set in present day, didn’t have to conform modernism. It was a 1960s movie with 2011 special effects! I have been a fan of Matthew Vaughn for a while now, everyone should rent Layer Cake and Stardust, and I think this is best film, followed closely by Kick-Ass. He has this relaxed cool thing about his films and actors like Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy fit right in and sell it so well you forget they are acting. I think Vaughn may have revived Kevin Bacon’s career too. This movie is so good, after a couple of viewing it has overtaken X2 as the best X-Men movie made.

1. Captain America: The First Avenger. Like with Thor, I was a little weary when I first heard about this film. Then I heard Joe Johnston was going to direct it, and after Jurassic Park III, I was not too thrilled about that. I was completely wrong; Johnston went back to his roots and made hands down, the best movie of the summer, and most like a Top 5 of the year. It had the perfect combination of action, story, special effects, romance, humor, and Tommy Lee Jones. Like X-Men, it was a period piece that worked fantastically. I will say I am worried about how Cap’ will fair in the modern world because typically, comics, that can sometimes get boring. This movie was both cool and up to date, yet still reminded me of the movies I watched as kid (probably because Joe Johnston was art director of The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark). With as good as every movie Marvel has made, yes I liked Iron Man 2, I am very excited for next summer and the reign of The Avengers.

What were your favorite movies of the summer? I really want to know…seriously.

P.S.- I apologize of the X-Men: First Class poster, it didn’t realize they never made a good one.

Marvel out of 10

Posted: July 23, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Comic Books!, Film Criticism and Analysis, Movies, Science Fiction, Three and a Half Thumbs | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment


After watching Captain America: The First Avenger earlier tonight, I had thoughts. Here is a list of live-action movies released in the U.S., starting in 1998, based on Marvel Universe characters. They are in chronological order and ranked out of 10 and based solely on my opinion of the films. If you are in need of an explanation, please comment.

Blade (1998) – 6.5

X-Men (2000) – 6.0

Blade II (2002) – 7.5

Spider-Man (2002) -6.0

Daredevil (2003) – 5.5

X2: X-Men United (2003) – 8.0

Hulk (2003) -6.0

The Punisher (2004) -4.0

Spider-Man 2 (2004) – 8.0

Blade: Trinity  (2004) – 6.0

Elektra (2005) – 2.0

Fantastic Four (2005) – 6.5

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) – 4.5

Ghost Rider (2007) – 6.0

Spider-Man 3 (2007) -4.5

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) – 7.5

Iron Man (2008) – 8.0

The Incredible Hulk (2008) – 7.5

Punisher: War Zone (2008) – 4.5

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) – 7.0

Iron Man 2 (2010) – 7.0

Thor (2011) – 7.0

X-Men: First Class (2011) – 8.25

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) – 8.5

American Empirical Theory: “It’s a theory, it’s probably wrong”

Posted: July 22, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Film Criticism and Analysis, Movies, Three and a Half Thumbs | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

One of my favorite filmmakers is Wes Anderson. There are a broad number of people who feel the same way; unfortunately at this point most of them are “hipsters” who see his films as clever and cool. Most of these people do not understand how much he was influenced by J.D. Salinger, Francois Truffaut, and Woody Allen.

All that said, to express my great love of his films, every single one of them. A few have a lasting impact on my life. The thing that is wonderful about Anderson is that he can appeal to such large audience, people who like British pop music, who like comedy, who are into fashion, etc. He really is a master at his craft; he is involved in the writing of, direction, editing, acting of all his films.

Now to the theory. American Empirical Pictures is the production company started by Wes Anderson, thus The American Empirical Theory. Over the years I have run into many people who “love” Wes Anderson films, this is great. The theory states that most people, who know Anderson’s movies, typically prefer their first experience to the other similar experience. Whichever Wes Anderson movie a person sees first, it usually ends up being their favorite. I know this to be true for me, I saw Rushmore for the first time in 2002, and this is still my favorite film by Anderson. Rushmore spoke to me on many levels including private school, perceived exclusion, misguided energy, etc. It also started my love of Jason Schwartzman and reignited my love of Bill Murray. My wife saw Bottle Rocket before any other Wes Anderson movie and this is her favorite. On Christmas Day 2004, my cousin Jered and I went to see The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, his first Wes Anderson film; as far as I know it is still his favorite. A recent conversation with our friend Jessica revealed that The Royal Tenenbaums is her favorite Anderson film, and it was her first exposure to his films. I find that only about 50% of the people I talk to about this theory have seen every single Wes Anderson film, so it is obviously not scientific. As with any theory, there are exceptions, some people I have talked to have a different favorite Anderson film then the one they first saw. I believe them. If you do, by any chance test this theory, you will find that the vast majority will say that The Royal Tenenbaums is their favorite; this is because it was and is the most popular and widely known of all the Wes Anderson films. This is a situation that the popularity is justified; Tenenbaums is a fantastic film that has many characters inspired by Salinger’s Glass Family, which I love.

I think the thing that stands out to me is that it is the experience of seeing a Wes Anderson film for the very first time that makes thevery first time that makes the impression on people. It is new and exciting and refreshing, like listening to The Beatles for the first time, or your first bite if ice cream. You have never seen artistic expression like it and now you are hooked. Tenenbaums was a movie with Luke and Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller, and Bill Murray, these actors are typically slap stick comedy guys, and this movie was not that. People still loved it and thought it was funny.

 

P.S. Sorry about the lack of any The Fantastic Mr. Fox footage, I could not find any that I liked.

Girls with Gumption: Top 5 Favorite Actresses

Posted: May 11, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Film Criticism and Analysis, Movies, Three and a Half Thumbs, Top 5, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

I believe that other then my mother, women in movies helped me narrow down what I should do to become a good man. It helped me realize what kind of woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. This may sound sad, but I do not mean women like Jessica Alba, Katherine Heigl, or Megan Fox. These are the women I try to avoid. I mean the women I admire and make me laugh. I found my leading lady and each of these women helped with that.

There will be some that people think are missing; I can hardly stand Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, or Laura Linney. They just bug me in almost everything they are in. I see where people call them great, but I disagree. These are the women who stand out to me the most.

5. Cate Blanchett – Regal, funny, beautiful, etc. Blanchett has so many great qualities it is no wonder she played Queen Elizabeth twice. Most people know her for either that or for her role as Lady Galadriel in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. While these are great parts, I love her for her roles in The Missing, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and The Aviator. These movies stand out to me because she shows strength and courage in The Missing while being in a desperate world. Her comedic timing and chemistry with Bill Murray is flawless in The Life Aquatic and I hope Wes Anderson uses her again soon. The Aviator may seem an odd choice because she was only playing Katherine Hepburn (who will come soon), I think she played it perfectly and was by far my favorite part of the whole movie. I will stop there.

Other notable performances – I’m Not There,Babel, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

4. Ingrid Bergman – When the word legend is used to describe an actress this is one of the few times I agree. Ingrid Bergman is the leading lady of leading ladies! She is soft, determined, and doesn’t let men decide anything for her! Her role in Casablanca is probably the most important role of any character before the 1960s. She is the entire reason there is a story, not because she is a damsel in distress, but because she is deeply loved by a man who has hardened his heart. She is the only person who really knows him. Plus she is witty and terribly adorable in that film.

Other notable performances- The Bells of St. Mary’s, Notorious, Joan of Arc.

3. Natalie Portman – cute, upbeat, dangerous, and amazing. Portman really is able to be so many things and be them very very well. She has played a Queen, a Lady, a rebel, and psycho. She has depth of character that was first seen in Leon (The Professional) and most recently seen in Black Swan and Thor. Her choices of roles has been meticulous, it has paid off. She commands focus and awe in epic science fiction, romantic comedies, thrilling dramas, and comic book movies. Her career will be better than any woman before her.

Other notable performances- Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, V for Vendetta, Hotel Chevalier, The Other Bolyn Girl.

2. Katherine Hepburn- Smart, really really smart. Hepburn has an intelligence and air that makes you tremble and feel warm all at the same time. No woman has ever been as good in a romantic comedy as Hepburn was in The Philadelphia Story, she is sad, strong, confused, brutal, and absolutely lovable, she owns the show even with James Stewart and Cary Grant right next to her. My other favorite role of hers is in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? She is modern, motherly, holds convictions, and holds her own against Spencer Tracy and Sidney Poitier. I love her so much!

Other notable performances – Morning Glory, Adam’s Rib, The African Queen.

1. Kate Winslet- Master of her craft. Winslet is my favorite actress because of her performances in film, her work out side of film, and how she handles her personal life. She is classy or crass whenever the situation calls for it. She has been so much more then Rose in Titanic that I almost forget about that movie. My three favorite roles of hers are Juliet in Heavenly Creatures, Clementine in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Iris in The Holiday. These three roles are significant to me beyond her roles recognized by the Academy because they are unexpected and perfect. In Heavenly Creatures she plays a young woman who has a dangerous imagination and was obviously the acting of a future star. As Clementine we see her break out of her common casting and blow us away as an adorable, mean, neurotic to Jim Carrey’s quiet, boring, weak Joel. She was the star of the movie hands down. The less obvious choice here is The Holiday; it was one of my favorite romantic comedies of the last decade. She is so perfect in this movie, she starts out as the stereotypical lonely woman, and doesn’t take the usual path to turn everything around. She isn’t desperate, she is wonderful. Watch this movie, and you will even like Cameron Diaz…maybe.

Other notable performances- Sense and Sensibility, Quills, The Reader, Revolutionary Road.

Preview: Top 5 Favorite Comic Book Heroes

Hammer Time: Thor Review

Posted: May 10, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Comic Books!, Film Criticism and Analysis, Movies, Science Fiction, Three and a Half Thumbs | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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We don’t have a permit. Run!: Top 5 Directors who have never won an Academy Award.

Posted: April 9, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Film Criticism and Analysis, Movies, Top 5, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | 7 Comments

I hope this sparks some conversation.

I am a firm believer that film is a director’s medium. There are tons of great directors that have literally made movies what they are today. People like Frank Capra, Michael Curtiz, George Cukor, and Alfred Hitchcock invented genres. Men such as Stanley Kubrick, Francis Ford Coppola, and Steven Spielberg stretched imagination and curiosity. These are men who deserve to be honored.

This is a list of people who have been making film for a while and are perhaps past their prime. Not saying they will never receive an Academy Award for directing, but the chances are getting fewer. I will not reference people like Wes Anderson, Jason Reitman, Christopher Nolan, or Darren Aronofsky. I think they still have years of filmmaking ahead of them.

5. David Fincher – He barely makes the top 5 because he has been making movies for nearly twenty years and he has only been nominated twice. I think that since se7en his films have been flawless. Of everyone on this list, he has the likeliest chance of winning an Academy Award in the future.

In my opinion Fincher’s greatest quality is his ability to create atmosphere. He has an A-list crew that can translate his vision onto the silver screen. Just look at the sets, tone, and pacing of se7en and Fight Club and you will understand what I am talking about. When I watch Zodiac I become so immersed in the story I forget that it is nearly three hours long! He creates tense situation, witty timing, and dark emotions, and then he makes a sprawling epic like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The amazing thing is that he does so with apparent ease. 

Watch any commentary on any of his films, even Alien 3, and you will learn what the modern director really is.

4. Ridley Scott – Another guy who has been nominated a few times but never grabbed the gold. I think Scott may still have a chance to receive an Oscar, even if it is just a “we-owe-ya-one”. How did he not win for Thelma & Louise! Not even nominated for Alien! No one had made the future of humanity look so grungy and real. I will not even start on Blade Runner, Matchstick Men, and Kingdom of Heaven (this happens to be my favorite Ridley Scott film).

I do agree that Scott is not always been consistent; he did direct G.I. Jane, Hannibal, and Robin Hood. These were not bad movies, but definitely not great. I will point out that his films have won Academy Awards, but he has never won.

I think Scott is still full of massive potential, and I believe he will show that in the years to come. He can make Science Fiction realistic, and then go to quirk and mystery. He can do a period piece that resonates with a generation and he has at least three of the greatest women characters in the history of film (Ellen Ripley, Thelma Dickinson, and Louise Sawyer).

3. Rob Reiner – This may throw some for a loop. Most would probably not mention him on a list such as this. I will list some of his greatest pieces; This is Spinal Tap, Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, A Few Good Men, and The Bucket List. See what I mean? I understand that comedy is a hard sell for the Academy, but Woody Allen won.

I could write a significantly large article about how Reiner shaped my romantic life, how he helped me connect with my parents, how he will be a directorial legend in my house. I will not do this. I will say that Reiner understand boys, very well. Stand by Me and A Few Good Men are excellent examples of how men and boys act in intense situations. He shows how men are goofy and can be jerks in This is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally, and The Bucket List.

I do not believe Reiner is a master storyteller or anything of that nature. He is a wizard of making characters relatable and likeable. He didn’t write The Princess Bride, William Goldman did, but Reiner made you fall in love with that movie. Even when you are terrified of Kathy Bates, you are so interested in her.

I know Billy Crystal says Reiner is an actor’s director, and I agree. If he does make another movie similar to Stand by Me, he will most likely be nominated and could even win. He is in the twilight of his career, so we will just have to see.

2. George Lucas – For people who are not “film buffs” this may seem out of place. People do not realize he did more than just Star Wars (which he will never surpass). My favorite film that George Lucas directed is American Graffiti.

Lucas is stuck in his Star Wars/Indiana Jones money-making rut. Hopefully he will go back to making timeless movies like THX-1138 and Willow (I know he didn’t direct, but he mentored Ron Howard on this one). He is a great storyteller, who unfortunately does not have anyone around him who suggests he use some self-control.

Do not get me wrong. I love Lucas and I think he is vital to film history, and my own upbringing. I have hope that he will direct another movie that has no connection to things he has previously done, he had such incredible ideas and potential.

Some examples of George Lucas as a great filmmaker are Kagemusha, Body Heat, and Labyrinth. He only produced these films, but he was directly involved in them. Two of his “protégés” are Ron Howard and Lawrence Kasdan; both have surpassed Lucas as far as directing goes.

1. Alfred Hitchcock – This may be stereotypical, but there is a reason for that. He never won! He will never win. He has the most illustrious career of any of these men, he was true innovator.

The obvious films that should be recognized are Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest (which is my favorite), and Psycho. These, literally defined the way films would be made forever into the future. He was a master of showing you the bare minimum in order to make your imagination run wild. Hitchcock never received what he deserved. He created tone and atmosphere and he worked with two of my all time favorite actors; Cary Grant and James Stewart. Even with the lack of special effects, his films felt real and thrilling. He does simple things like put you in one room for an entire movie, and you believe it. He manufactures suspense in a corn field by having a plane dive bomb and gases you, and you believe it. This is what legendary filmmakers do, and he did it best.

Other films that should be more widely recognized are Rope, Dial M for Murder, To Catch a Thief, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and many more. Anytime you get a chance to watch a Hitchcock film, do it.

You are with Beleaguered Castle: Source Code Review

Posted: April 8, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Film Criticism and Analysis, Movies, Science Fiction, Three and a Half Thumbs | Tags: , , | 1 Comment

A simple concept. Incredible acting. Minor special effects. Appropriate pacing. These are all things Duncan Jones does very, very well.

As was seen is his directorial debut, Moon, Jones has talent. This is no surprise; he is the son of David Bowie. He uses pace, atmosphere, and characters to bring stories to life that are poignant and interesting. He has a knack for getting the most out of his actors. As he did with Sam Rockwell, he also does with Jake Gyllenhaal. The roles are not largely heroic, or cowardly, they are normal men who are in complex situations where they end up being extraordinary.

Source Code is the story of Captain Colter Stevens and his mission to discover a bomb on a train in Chicago that has already gone off. He is part of a mysterious branch of the government that uses a program called Source Code which can use the synapses of a brain that has recently died to go back to the last eight minutes of that person’s life. While going back over and over again to the last minutes of Sean Fentress’, Captain Stevens meets and falls in love with Christina Warren (Michelle Monaghan). All the things that happen to the main character change his perspective as he tries to accomplish a nearly impossible mission.

This film is the perfect length. It doesn’t dilly dally with tons of special effects or a hyper-complex story that no one can follow. It tells the story of a man who is not familiar with his surroundings and he is still expected to save the world. He does not accept what is right in front of him, he becomes heroic.

Animation Ruling the Nation. Top 5 Favorite Animated Movies

Posted: April 1, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Film Criticism and Analysis, Movies, Science Fiction, Top 5, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I am a big fan of animated feature films. I would say that animated films are the reason that I love the medium today. I grew up watching Disney’s Robin Hood, The Hobbit, and An American Tail. These and many others set my on the path to become the film-loving man I am today.

The myths and legends are told through animated films. Modern storytelling to children is done through movies like the Secret of Nimh and Sleeping Beauty. Fortunately cartoon movies have grown and evolved, they have surpassed many of the live action features that come out today. Studios like Disney, Dreamworks, and Studio Ghibli have made a library of continually quality films.

Here are my top five favorites, they may not be the best, but I enjoy them the most.

5. Titan A.E. – A science fiction adventure story in the class of Star Wars, Titan AE tells the story of a reluctant hero who must save what is left of the human race after the destruction of earth. The animation, story, and characters are perfectly positioned for any kid or adult who loves sci-fi epics. The voice cast includes Matt Damon, Drew Barrymore, Bill Pullman, and John Leguizamo. This movie plays out as a heartfelt, action-packed story of love, betrayal, and the human spirit.

4. The Iron Giant – The last great hand-drawn American feature is The Iron Giant. Set in the 1950s amongst beatniks and the red scare, there is a story of an alien robot who crash lands in small town USA. A little boy befriends the robot that has been damaged and is activated as a weapon when attacked by the military. The boy and his family must save the robot and help bring understanding to the community. This story resembles classics like E.T. and Close Encounters, adults do not understand how to interact with aliens, little boys who watch sci-fi television do. The voice talents in this movie include Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., and Vin Diesel. Brad Bird is the directing force behind this simple wonder.

3. The Incredibles – Another Brad Bird directed film, this one with the power of Pixar behind it, The Incredibles takes everything Stan Lee created with Fantastic Four and improved upon it. The story of a family of superheroes that must fight an egotistical villain, it is perfect. It is funny, exciting, and it’s about protecting the people around you by being honest with yourself. I grew up watching comic book based cartoons and am very familiar with Superman, Batman, Spiderman and the like, this movie is a wonderful depiction of that world. Great for children and adults, The Incredibles is a must see. The voice cast includes Craig T. Nelson, Jason Lee, and Holly Hunter.

2. Howl’s Moving Castle – Myazaki. In my opinion, the greatest animator of all time, he even surpasses Walt Disney. He has created such classics as Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and Ponyo. This is my favorite of his films. It is about a girl who is transformed into an old hag by an evil witch, the girl then stumbles upon the mysterious wizard Howl and his fire demon Calcifer. They must combine their forces to defeat a growing evil. The thing this movie has more then any other animated feature I have seen is the deep fantasy that expects you to accept everything you see without asking questions. You sit in wonder as this masterpiece unfolds before you. The English dubbed version is voiced by Christian Bale, Emily Mortimer, Jean Simmons, Blyth Danner, and Billy Crystal as Calcifer. See this if you have the chance, but at least go add Ponyo to your Netflix instant queue.

1. Toy Story – This is the most sentimental of all the movies on this list. I hold it dear because I was Andy. I had a Wolverine action figure and a Luke Skywalker action figure that were my favorites, they are worn out and heavily used, but I still have them in the attic. I was 8 when I saw Toy Story in theaters and I remember being in awe, not just of the animation and the jokes, but of the entire story and real it felt to me. The journey of rivals becoming friends and discovering themselves in order to return their owner. John Lasseter developed the original story for The Brave Little Toaster and that eventually grew into what would become Toy Story. Pixar blasted onto the scene with a smash hit that set the bar extremely high for animated features to come, they have yet to disappoint. I plan on getting down my box of action figures soon, but for now my son is content wearing his Buzz Lightyear pajamas and being completely obsessed with all three Toy Story movies. The incredible voice cast for Toy Story includes Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, and Jim Varney.

Next Top 5 – Appreciating the Unappreciated: Top 5 Directors who have never won an Academy Award.

Mmmmm, Pi

Posted: March 14, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Film Criticism and Analysis, Movies | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Today is National Pi Day. Don’t start salivating just yet; I’m talking about this kind of π. It got me thinking of a great little movie of the same name. It was the first movie of one of my favorite–and now Oscar nominated–director, Darren Aronofsky.

Albert Einstein once said that, “Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.” I like this quote because it draws a comparison between mathematics and language. Math does seem like a totally foreign language to me. Unfortunately, my brain is just not wired for math. I’ve read somewhere before that people who are good at math are just as likely to be good at learning a foreign language. This makes a lot of sense because language, like math, involves patterns. I just want to publicly thank all of my gracious and infinitely patient math and spanish tutors I have had throughout my academic career.

It’s possible that somewhere in this wasteland of infinity that we call The Universe, there is some sort of mathematical constant that explains, well, everything. Although, Larry Gopnik would tell you otherwise.

Now, I am a student of the Humanities, so I try to, at all times, remain humble and approach my understanding of the Universe with reverence and humility. Which I believe is the overall message of the movie, π. In the film, Max Cohen thinks he can find the patterns that exist within even the most complex of human systems. This hubris causes Max’s life to spiral out of control.

I believe it is important to know your place in this life; to know thyself and to know your limitations. I may be counting on my fingers and doomed to calculator dependency for the rest of my life, but I have accepted the magnitude of what I will never understand.

So to all you math maestros out there, I salute you.

-01000100 01100001 01101110 01101001 01100101 01101100

Biff Tannen: A Villain for the Ages

Posted: March 6, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Film Criticism and Analysis, Movies | Tags: , | 1 Comment
“Evil is done without effort, naturally, it is the working of fate; good is always the product of an art.” – Charles Baudelaire

Biff from the Back to the Future series is the greatest movie villain of all time. Not only is his dickishness the stuff of legend, but his villainy transcends time, space and generations.

The first time we meet Biff is in 1985. He has crashed George McFly’s car while intoxicated and somehow manages to blame it on George. “How could you let me drive your car without telling me it had a blind spot!?” Then, we learn that he is having George do his work for him, so he won’t be fired. There’s bullies and then there is Biff; he is what bullies feverishly but fruitlessly aspire to be.

When Marty McFly takes a journey thirty years into the past to 1955, he encounters Biff again–young Biff. In the past, young Biff is arguably an even bigger jerk than his older counterpart. He seems more…proactive. “Hey, McFly! I thought I never told you to come in here!” referring to the local diner. Of course he has mistaken Marty for his father George. This is the moment when we learn that Biff has been tormenting George for over thirty years. Biff is such a grade-A A-hole that he actively keeps George from frequenting a public place. Not to mention he has George doing his homework for him. Things never change. That is, unless you make them change.

As the movie goes on, we find out how Young Biff harasses Loraine, George’s future wife and once put in the right scenario, would actually have raped Loraine when given the opportunity. He’s not only the biggest douche in the world, but is downright evil. I know, it’s dark and unpleasant to think about, but it is in the movie. It would have happened, but thankfully George stepped up and finally put Biff in his place. George McFly gained the power of Self-Respect!

When Marty returns to the future, Biff is a like a harmless dog and, for some reason, working for the now successful science-fiction author, George McFly.

But, just when you think Biff is defeated, we take a journey to the not-to-distant future in Part II. Now Biff is an old man and has a grandson named Griff. Yes, grandson. Who is his son? or daughter perhaps? This is, unfortunately, a character we never meet. We also don’t meet the woman who fathered his child. I’m not sure I want to know about the Tannen women especially based on what Biff’s grandmother sounds like. Sheesh!

Griff of course, is just Biff with an even worse attitude and access to advanced technology like extending boots, an extending baseball bat, and of course The Pitbull.

Griff is a small fry though and is quickly taken care of. But in Part II, we see something truly terrifying. Biff with power.

Because Old Biff stole the time machine and a sports almanac, he is able to go back in time and ensure that himself as a young man knows the outcome of every sporting event for the next hundred years. Because of this, when Marty and The Doc go back to the present, it is actually an alternate reality; one in which Biff is wealthy and powerful.

Power corrupts. And Biff was a massive prick to begin with, so, you do the math. Dystopian wasteland? Check. All of the terrible things Biff is capable of come to fruition in Bizarro Hill Valley. We even learn that in this reality, he has murdered George McFly to steal his wife Loraine. By this point you are probably catching on; Biff is a really bad person.

Biff and the Back to the Future series raises some frightening philosophical questions on the nature of evil. Is evil the product of circumstance or is it a transcendent, perhaps genetic force? Was Biff born evil? Does he carry the “evil” gene? Well, at the end of the first film we see Biff has become docile, leading us to think that because of circumstance, he has changed his ways. In truth, Biff never changed. He just changed his attitude towards George because George had decked him. To Biff, George is the only person in the world more dominating than him. In the future, we see that Old Biff is just as big an asshat as ever.

The oafish-machismo quality is strong in the Tannen family. They are like a force of nature. But how deep does the rabbit-hole go? We certainly get a glimpse of that in Part III, when we meet Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen. He is a Tannen three generations removed and is the worst of them all!

Mad Dog Tannen is a murdering, train-robbing, and probably smelly, outlaw. He carries the “villain gene,” and he miraculously manages to propagate his legacy for well over a hundred years.

Because we are able to see the different generation of Tannen men throughout the ages and because of the nature of a time-travel narrative, I think the character of Biff has something important to say about life that is worth remembering: There will always be Biffs in this world. There will always be bullies or self-centered people who will live out their entire lives doing nothing but creating conflict and hardship to those around them.

But take heart, because I believe good people are in the majority. I bet the actor, Tom Wilson, is probably a pretty nice guy in real life. In my experience, real jerks don’t know their jerks. I think you would have to know and understand how a jerk thinks and acts before you could play one like Biff in a movie.

It took a good actor who is nice and has a great sense of humor to create the character of Biff. I think this video will prove my point:

In the immortal words of Marty McFly, “Hey, lighten up, jerk!” Remember, the future isn’t written, and you are in control of your own destiny. Don’t let people like Biff push you around.

Yours in time,

-Daniel

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