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The Book of Eli (2010)
Great Filmmaking
I recently discovered this film. It is a great piece of work on all levels. The photography is simple yet perfect for the subject. The writing is spot on. Story structure is textbook. I've been a filmmaker for 30 years and know how hard it is to make something to hold your attention for 2 hours. The subject is very timely now. The casting of Denzel, Oldman, Kuni, Malcolm is excellent. A hypnotising journey.
The Green Mile (1999)
A great film on many levels
I finally saw it all the way through. The story structure is excellent. The casting is excellent. The cinematography is perfect. I would rate it a 10 but there are no perfect films. Should have received more Oscars. Duncan, Tattersall (DP). This film is one of those rare miracles. Everything ties together. The bad guys get there punishment. The ending seems more realistic in real life. People don't live happily ever after.
For the Love of George (2018)
How did this get made? Unwatchable
I suspect the high ratings come from the cast & crew. Acting is terrible. Direction, blocking, framing, looks like a film school project. A sad commentary on relationships. Not funny, uneven. The lead actress is hard to watch.
Sunset Blvd. (1950)
One of the best films ever made
Where to start? The genius of Billy Wilder as a director is well know. All his films are masterful in direction. To me that means not a shot out of place. From the beginning, Holden dead in the pool, shot from the bottom of the pool and narrated by the dead man was ground breaking and genius. The casting of Von Stroheim, Swanson, Webb, and of course Holden is perfect. The cameo with DeMille incredible. Maybe its because I am a filmmaker myself that I get so much joy out of this film. I don't watch many films more than once but I just saw this again and couldn't pull myself away. The dialogue, cinematography, editing, sound and music are exacting, as a great film should be. I lived on Ivar in the 1970's I realize it was one block away from Holden's apartment. There is so much truth in this movie about the film industry and about life.
The Big Picture (1989)
A fun look at the film business
If you are thinking about being a filmmaker, you need to see this. It has so many real world aspects that are Hollywood. Christopher Guest does a great job on his first feature. The funniest part is Martin Short as the goofy agent. I wish I'd seen this before I got involved in the business. I would have been prepared. It holds up well considering it is 28 yrs old. The script structure is very commercial in that everything moves as it should and we all live happily ever after. Terry Hatcher is quintessential as an actress out for herself and her next role. I think my favorite line is "I fought for you". Kevin says this to his DP when in fact he didn't fight for him. This has happened to me in real life.
Hollywood Ending (2002)
Another self absorbed mess
Where can we start? I just saw this film on HBO. I know its 15 years old but any good film will hold up over time (ie Casablanca). This might have been better without Woody playing the lead. It seems so over acted. He is more whiny than ever. Mark Rydell is very good. As a filmmaker myself I see the "reality" of the process but I don't think he would have ever gotten the job in the first place. The photography is the most orange I have ever seen. If I shot a film like this, I would be fired. It costs 16 million and made back about 4 million. Very few filmmakers can make films that lose money although today very few films are making a profit. I now understand why he started going to France to make his films. For some reason they make money when shot over there. When you hear a lot of voice over it shows that the film is in trouble and the direction and script aren't enough to tell a story. Someone has to explain whats going on. I like his early work that was very funny but this is not funny. The Chinese cameraman bit is funny for a minute, this really happens on movies. It seems he tries to create these love stories where he is always with a beautiful woman which would never happen in real life. He is a very proficient filmmaker. It seems the stories are very much the same. The jazz soundtracks are getting old too.
Pootie Tang (2001)
How did this get made? Awful
This is my latest pick for worst film ever made. Congratulations to C.K. for convincing anyone to make this let alone letting him direct. Hollywood is in a sad state of confusion regarding what is funny or commercial. They have always been out of touch with minorities and this proves it. I just saw part of it and it is unwatchable. To think all these talented actors participated and embarrassed themselves with the worst acting possible. The director ultimately has to take the blame. I feel sorry for anyone who wasted $8 and 3 hours going to the movies to see this. It's a wonder that Louis CK has any career left as this would usually sink it. This gives hope to all the real filmmakers who can actually write and direct. This film gives me hope that I will succeed in creating a film worth watching, entertaining and meaningful. Even the outtakes during credits are boring.
Zoolander 2 (2016)
The New - "Worst movie ever made"
OMG How bad can a film be. This should never have been made. All I can think about is what a waste of money. How many homeless people could have been fed and housed with 50 million plus advertising. I remember seeing how hard they promoted this POS and I almost wanted to see it. I loved Stiller's "Walter Mitty" but this is a disaster. What a self absorbed decadent "party". It's not really a movie at all. I cannot believe this got made. Look at all the scripts and filmmakers trying to get legitimate films made. I for one could have made at least 10 movies for what this costs. Looks like it destroyed the career of any any actor who was in it. They hired some of the best producers and it still turned into a steamy pile. I doubt I will ever see a Will Farrell or Owen Wilson film again. The list of actors and celebrities is endless and it still is unwatchable. What a waste and a sad commentary on Hollywood. With all the things going on in the world I can understand looking for an escape vehicle but this just shows how out of touch the filmmakers and Hollywood are with the real world. I just saw this on cable for free and was so angered by it I had to write something. I've been a filmmaker for many years and could not let this poor excuse for a film go without expressing my disgust. Now let me tell you what I really think.
Peace and Riot (2013)
Why was this made
One of the first questions to ask. Does this story need to be told? Next, ask is it believable. Many people make films to make money. This may be one of them. It is so uneven. It looks like a porno film. The editing is full of quick dissolves which don't really work. The sets are sparse and the art direction non- existent. It's hard to believe this woman would be interested in this guy. Even though it was made a couple of years ago, there are no cell phones and Ms Pheil buys an answering machine for the land line. Feels like it was made in the 80's but wasn't. Did these producers go to film school or even study films? I'm not sure what went wrong here. The script may have been written poorly. They even go as far as putting "The End" at the end. Nobody does this anymore.
Casablanca (1942)
The greatest movie ever made
A great filmmaker once told me there are two kinds of films. Slick and sloppy. I don't like to watch films more than once but I have seen this film 10 times and it never gets old. The dialog is sharp, the photography is great, the acting superb, the editing is right on. I'm not even a fan of B&W but this one shines. I don't know if it's because of the war (it was made in the middle of WWII) or Bogart or Claude Rains (the casting is perfect)but I cannot find anything wrong with this film. I especially like the searchlight effect that can be seen outside the windows. Peter Lorre, Sidney Greenstreet are excellent supporting cast members. The ambiance is so smooth. Even the ending (although I know it) is always wonderful. To think they shot that scene at Van Nuys airport reminds me of how magical filmmaking can be.
Machete (2010)
What a mess
I just saw this for the first time. This looks like a film school project. It seems that it was written around the violence. "How much blood can we splatter?" I understand it was intentional to be exploitation but it doesn't work. De Niro puts in the worst performance of his career. I was surprised how bad he is. It seems like the director has other things on his mind or maybe the script was poorly written. There are several soft (out of focus shots) and a few compositions that make this film look amateur. Some directors are only capable of making one type of film and they do it over and over. The fact that they made a sequel is a sad commentary on the film industry or the powers that be. There are many jump cuts and dissolves that don't work. I had trouble watching the whole film even though it was free on cable. If I would have paid, I would have asked for my money back.