Today I had the pleasure of sitting down with critically acclaimed film director, Mr. Connor Bargar. Bargar himself exploded onto the film scene in 2018, a bit after he finished college, as one of the premiere film critics working in the business. Often called the "Young Ebert", Bargar displayed great consistency and insight to the films he critiqued. Then, in 2027, the young director went down the road of Francois Truffaut, and turned to directing. While Bargar's films always received critical acclaim, he failed to find a significant audience due to his constant genre-switching. However, after the three films released in '27, '28, and '30 he gained the reputation to draw audiences simply to see a "Connor Bargar Film". I had the opportunity to ask Mr. Bargar three questions regarding his newest film, a quickly escalating, 1950s period drama starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Christian Bale, and, oddly enough, Leonardo DiCaprio. So, to satisfy all your desires, here's the few questions I asked the famed director:
You certainly have a unique film style and aesthetic. You have certainly earned the nickname "The New Kubrick. How did you develop such an original look to your films?
Bargar: Well, I'd say the first thing one needs to look at when regarding to a style, whether literary, musical, or cinematographic is the particular authors, artists, or directors that influenced and fueled them and their passion. I, personally, wanted to capture Sergio Leone's vast epics and the feel of awe at the reach of his films. While keeping that scale, I also wanted the cerebral and somewhat distant feel of Stanley Kubrick's films, so I suppose the nickname fits. Finally, say what you may about his writing and story direction, but I wanted to capture Tarsem Singh's surreal visual style. Overall, I guess you could say that I wanted vast spanning films with slightly surreal visuals and a restricted sense of immersion. I want my viewers to really examine why I make the choices I make in my films.
You recently stated that you will attempt a Horror film next, any expectations of the style to that one?
Bargar: I'm aiming for a The Shining-esque film. The Kubrick film really exemplifies all that I love about the director. It horrifies me, but not in the traditional shock elements of most of the industry. When watched in the right mood, the film creates a sense of impending doom that stresses and frightens the viewer, not unlike the characters in the hotel of the film. Kubrick accomplishes this via his perspective. He heavily foreshadows the attempted axe-murder at the end of the film, so much that even the most blunt viewer realizes the final events of the film, but then he takes his good time building up to it. It creates this "I know something horrible is going to happen, but I don't know when, and it's killing me" feeling amongst the viewer. I want to make something like that.
Finally, Why DiCaprio? He's been out of the business for years, why bring him back now?
Bargar: I see it as a sort of promise to a teacher of mine, back when I was young and impressionable, and that's you're getting out of me.
Well folks, there you have it, and interview with famed director Connor Bargar. Next week we have an interview with internationally recognized "World's Most Hated Person" Chris Gajewski. Until next time!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The Seniors Kidnapped Connor!
Many of the stories I had from AP English 11 have now faded due to
time and apathy, but my moment of fame still lives on in my head, the
incident in which the Seniors took me against my will and embarked upon
countless adventures with me as a hostage. Unfortunately, as funny as
some of these stories seemed, I never actually heard them first-hand, as
I missed class that day (due to illness or abduction, you choose). This
instance often comes up when my friends and I discuss the waning days
of our junior years. No matter the focus, it all leads back to "Remember
when the Seniors kidnapped Connor?" and then everyone laughs.
Everyone but me.
I jest, surely. The humorous, fictionalized anecdotes I can still remember do bring a smile to my face, but it all seems like a Truman Show type game where everyone knows about something I do not. As far as I know, everyone in my AP 11 class never invented humorous stories involving my abduction by the elder class. You probably all gathered around in some secret room, probably somewhere hidden in Ms. Serensky's closet, and schemed to make me believe this alternate reality when people talk about me in comical situations. Every one of my classmates decided it would make a good practical joke to pull a fast one on Ol' Connor and make up fake stories about fake stories about him.
I guess I'm just a bit too paranoid about what happens when I'm not in class. I cannot image the mental stresses Anna goes through, I would have gone mad by now in her situation.
Also, if one of you thinks up a clever comment like "Alright guys, who told Connor about the secret?" I wholeheartedly despise your very existence.
Everyone but me.
I jest, surely. The humorous, fictionalized anecdotes I can still remember do bring a smile to my face, but it all seems like a Truman Show type game where everyone knows about something I do not. As far as I know, everyone in my AP 11 class never invented humorous stories involving my abduction by the elder class. You probably all gathered around in some secret room, probably somewhere hidden in Ms. Serensky's closet, and schemed to make me believe this alternate reality when people talk about me in comical situations. Every one of my classmates decided it would make a good practical joke to pull a fast one on Ol' Connor and make up fake stories about fake stories about him.
I guess I'm just a bit too paranoid about what happens when I'm not in class. I cannot image the mental stresses Anna goes through, I would have gone mad by now in her situation.
Also, if one of you thinks up a clever comment like "Alright guys, who told Connor about the secret?" I wholeheartedly despise your very existence.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
It's Better to Help People than Garden Gnomes
At Least Artichokes Have Hearts
I awake with a yarn beard plastered to my face
Making my way to eat, I am confronted with my nemesis-
Lobster Pasta, the most delicious of the crustacean-encompassing Italian foods
We quickly do battle, my beard fighting off the delightful dish's dastardly claws
After some time we both seem bested, the yarn yanked and the dinner devoured
But the food has one last trick. "Two-and-a-half children" it whispers into my ear
I scream as my future frays, my life encircled by white picket fences.
Falling into the abyss I dawn my moniker- "The Darkness that Bears No Children"
I awake at the rustic gates of Valhalla, confused, I ask an old friend why I am here
"It's all in the beard", Wormy replies.
I'd first like to address the very nature of Kelli Wanamakeyoudosomethingcrazy. The nature I speak of? Whimsy. The utter ridiculousness just for the sake of ridiculousness of the poem, and the philosophies Kelli abides by on a day-to-day basis emanates a very jubilant nature. I utilized many allusions to Kelli's personality, such as her pseudonym in, her childhood friend, Wormy, and her complete and utter fear of middle-class suburbia. The food came from her blog from two weeks ago about her brief stint as a Ghostbuster at Abigail's Grill & Wine Bar. Finally, I chose to write my poems with oddly long lines to parody Kelli's multiple uses of "withdrawn" comments during class discussion. The title of both the poem and the blog itself allude to the French film Amelie, in which the titular character acts much in the same way I picture Kelli would act if she lived in France and took on the name of Amelie Poulain.
I awake with a yarn beard plastered to my face
Making my way to eat, I am confronted with my nemesis-
Lobster Pasta, the most delicious of the crustacean-encompassing Italian foods
We quickly do battle, my beard fighting off the delightful dish's dastardly claws
After some time we both seem bested, the yarn yanked and the dinner devoured
But the food has one last trick. "Two-and-a-half children" it whispers into my ear
I scream as my future frays, my life encircled by white picket fences.
Falling into the abyss I dawn my moniker- "The Darkness that Bears No Children"
I awake at the rustic gates of Valhalla, confused, I ask an old friend why I am here
"It's all in the beard", Wormy replies.
I'd first like to address the very nature of Kelli Wanamakeyoudosomethingcrazy. The nature I speak of? Whimsy. The utter ridiculousness just for the sake of ridiculousness of the poem, and the philosophies Kelli abides by on a day-to-day basis emanates a very jubilant nature. I utilized many allusions to Kelli's personality, such as her pseudonym in, her childhood friend, Wormy, and her complete and utter fear of middle-class suburbia. The food came from her blog from two weeks ago about her brief stint as a Ghostbuster at Abigail's Grill & Wine Bar. Finally, I chose to write my poems with oddly long lines to parody Kelli's multiple uses of "withdrawn" comments during class discussion. The title of both the poem and the blog itself allude to the French film Amelie, in which the titular character acts much in the same way I picture Kelli would act if she lived in France and took on the name of Amelie Poulain.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
From the Adventures of Conchobar Greyjoy
What if I just got up and left.
Deserted everything I know.
Completely gone.
I guess everyone has dreamed of leaving everything behind at one point or another. When one's responsibilities crush down upon their world and they look for some sort of escape. It probably ends there for most people, when they realize the complete absurdity of abandoning modern society for a romanticized view of a nomadic lifestyle. However, I am not most people.
I imagine myself leaving in the middle of the night, bags discreetly packed into my car already. I hastily write a note to my parents including all the formalities and 'I love you's, and then just like that I'm gone. At this point I see my fate spiraling into two different paths. The first route leads me to the airport. I walk up to the tired employees, receive an international flight ticket to France and the fly away into the sunset. From there I will join the French Foreign Legion under a pseudonym, Conchobar Greyjoy (because clearly that supersedes any other name that exists) and travel the world in a band of international adventure seekers, misfits, and men looking for a second chance. We'd travel the world, fighting France's battles for them. Clearly I'd make some very close friends that would set me up with job opportunities once I turned civilian after 5 years of fighting. I would proceed to live my life as a successful something-or-another surrounded with grizzled war veterans in France; the perfect life of luxury.
The other possible outcome starts with me making my way to my car when I hear a familiar noise, and turn to find that all my wildest dreams have come true. A dark blue Police Box from 1960s England sits oddly in my lawn. A 900 year old alien steps out of the box, and proceeds to lure me towards him with promises of "fish-fingers and custard" as well as various "cool" clothing accessories. He calls himself "the Doctor" and tells me that I am going to travel with him throughout time and space until I end up either dead, happily married, or in another dimension. Obviously I accept the offer, entering the TARDIS that I can now call home. That's the plan. I'd end up quite happy with my life of adventure, and then, like I never left, I would return to my home. Return the very night I left, only a few months gone by, having thousands of adventures under my belt. I'd unpack my bags and live out the rest of my life in peace, having gotten my fill of excitement.
I really, really just want to travel through all of space and time, with an eccentric ensemble of characters, battling against all the universes horrible creations, in an episodic format, inside a dark blue police box that's bigger on the inside.
Deserted everything I know.
Completely gone.
I guess everyone has dreamed of leaving everything behind at one point or another. When one's responsibilities crush down upon their world and they look for some sort of escape. It probably ends there for most people, when they realize the complete absurdity of abandoning modern society for a romanticized view of a nomadic lifestyle. However, I am not most people.
I imagine myself leaving in the middle of the night, bags discreetly packed into my car already. I hastily write a note to my parents including all the formalities and 'I love you's, and then just like that I'm gone. At this point I see my fate spiraling into two different paths. The first route leads me to the airport. I walk up to the tired employees, receive an international flight ticket to France and the fly away into the sunset. From there I will join the French Foreign Legion under a pseudonym, Conchobar Greyjoy (because clearly that supersedes any other name that exists) and travel the world in a band of international adventure seekers, misfits, and men looking for a second chance. We'd travel the world, fighting France's battles for them. Clearly I'd make some very close friends that would set me up with job opportunities once I turned civilian after 5 years of fighting. I would proceed to live my life as a successful something-or-another surrounded with grizzled war veterans in France; the perfect life of luxury.
The other possible outcome starts with me making my way to my car when I hear a familiar noise, and turn to find that all my wildest dreams have come true. A dark blue Police Box from 1960s England sits oddly in my lawn. A 900 year old alien steps out of the box, and proceeds to lure me towards him with promises of "fish-fingers and custard" as well as various "cool" clothing accessories. He calls himself "the Doctor" and tells me that I am going to travel with him throughout time and space until I end up either dead, happily married, or in another dimension. Obviously I accept the offer, entering the TARDIS that I can now call home. That's the plan. I'd end up quite happy with my life of adventure, and then, like I never left, I would return to my home. Return the very night I left, only a few months gone by, having thousands of adventures under my belt. I'd unpack my bags and live out the rest of my life in peace, having gotten my fill of excitement.
I really, really just want to travel through all of space and time, with an eccentric ensemble of characters, battling against all the universes horrible creations, in an episodic format, inside a dark blue police box that's bigger on the inside.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
A Nice Slice of Murder
I often receive stares when I tell them of a certain film that, to no fault, makes me hungry every time I watch it. I am somewhat breaking tradition, as I have already dedicated an entire blog about this film in the past. I could have taken to discussing spaghetti westerns like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and making horrible, horrible puns, instead I chose this.
Every time I watch American Psycho I get very hungry.
I tend to get three reactions from this statement: disgust, confusion, and, very rarely, understanding. Those who have not seen the film tend to jump to the first reaction, basing their reaction of the inferences made from the title- clearly I am revealing that bloodthirsty murder, the subject of the film, gets my appetite going. They have some validity, the film does largely involve bloodthirsty murder (I'll avoid the fact that the movie works to satirize the corporate culture and ultra-conservatism of the 80s), but that aspect does not get my tummy rumbling. Even those who've seen the film tend to drift toward the former two reactions, basing their reactions on the same reasoning of what I just mentioned. The few who understand have noticed a part of the story that never receives much attention from the audience.
The reason I get hungry when I watch American Psycho stems from the fact that about every other scene in the movie takes place in a restaurant or bar. I can count nine scenes off the top of my head, and I'm sure more exist. Heck, one of the three primary motivations for the pivotal and central murder of the entire film stems around a restaurant reservation (the other two motives: a nicer business card and a more successful investor account). The serial killer protagonist, Patrick Bateman, cannot get a reservation at the high class restaurant Dorsia. His rival co-worker, Paul Allen, can so he. He meets Allen at a restaurant, he discusses his disappearence at two other restaurants after that. The title scene even looks like this! (Ignore the spanish, por favor).
I really hope I shed some light on my seemingly sociopathic revelation. I'm sure if you noticed a film or book or T.V. show that's settings primarily consisted of dining establishments you would have a similar reaction, even if the media in question does involve grizzly axe murders.
Every time I watch American Psycho I get very hungry.
I tend to get three reactions from this statement: disgust, confusion, and, very rarely, understanding. Those who have not seen the film tend to jump to the first reaction, basing their reaction of the inferences made from the title- clearly I am revealing that bloodthirsty murder, the subject of the film, gets my appetite going. They have some validity, the film does largely involve bloodthirsty murder (I'll avoid the fact that the movie works to satirize the corporate culture and ultra-conservatism of the 80s), but that aspect does not get my tummy rumbling. Even those who've seen the film tend to drift toward the former two reactions, basing their reactions on the same reasoning of what I just mentioned. The few who understand have noticed a part of the story that never receives much attention from the audience.
The reason I get hungry when I watch American Psycho stems from the fact that about every other scene in the movie takes place in a restaurant or bar. I can count nine scenes off the top of my head, and I'm sure more exist. Heck, one of the three primary motivations for the pivotal and central murder of the entire film stems around a restaurant reservation (the other two motives: a nicer business card and a more successful investor account). The serial killer protagonist, Patrick Bateman, cannot get a reservation at the high class restaurant Dorsia. His rival co-worker, Paul Allen, can so he. He meets Allen at a restaurant, he discusses his disappearence at two other restaurants after that. The title scene even looks like this! (Ignore the spanish, por favor).
I really hope I shed some light on my seemingly sociopathic revelation. I'm sure if you noticed a film or book or T.V. show that's settings primarily consisted of dining establishments you would have a similar reaction, even if the media in question does involve grizzly axe murders.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Here Poor Antoine Tamura: The 400 Blows Inclusion in Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore
Haruki Murakami's 2005 novel Kafka on the Shore utilizes a grand spectrum of allusions to all sorts of things; from art, to music, to historical figures, to films. While Murakami alludes to a few films throughout the course of his book, his multiple references to the French New Wave film The 400 Blows clearly holds the most significance. Murakami says so much in regards to Kafka’s characterization through paralleling his life to The 400 Blows. The first clear parallel and the most obvious one to notice without delving deeper into the film comes from both protagonists’ statuses as runaway children. Kafka claims he first sees the around age eleven, only a year away from the movies protagonist, Antoine Doinel. Kafka describes a scene from the film in the book when Antoine “steals a bottle of milk” that he replicates after viewing the film, demonstrating a clear connection between the two characters (Murakami 420). One gets the sense that Antoine Doinel not only inspires Kafka, but also exists as a parallel existence along the lines of Crow. Finally, the film clearly leaves a distinct mark on Kafka’s world and psyche. The film shows the brutality of the juvenile correctional system for runaways, instilling a fear of police in Kafka. Also, the protagonist ends the film achieving his goal for freedom: seeing the sea. The shot strikingly resembles the painting “Kafka on the Shore”, a twelve year old gazing forward with the beach and sea behind him. Murakami includes the allusion to The 400 Blows in order to push the depths that an allusion can go to, while also emphasizing themes of interconnectivity through parallels between Kafka Tamura and Antoine Doinel.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
My Top Ten Films List (Please act surprised)
Well, this weeks topic seems all too perfect for my little set up I have going here, does it not? When writing out my list prior to writing this piece I noticed something- many of the films I have already discussed also coincide in my top ten list of favorite films (although my top three favorites have yet to get a blog entry of their own). Considering this, I have decided to only include films I have yet to blog about, in order to prevent stagnant discussion. So, here we go, my top ten favorite films I have not yet talked about.
10. This Film is Not Yet Rated. I am starting my countdown with a documentary, a documentary on film making itself, actually. This movie follows Kirby Dick, an Oscar-nominated director as he tries to expose the twelve secret board members of the MPAA with the help of a private investigator. Throughout this journey, Dick also teaches the viewer of the MPAA's biases against sexuality and independence. The film really does make you think about how exactly one sees the films they see, and the censorship that goes on behind closed doors on behalf of the major film studios. In my opinion, this documentary falls under the category of "must-see" more than many other films on this list, just to learn of the great amount of censorship that exists within our film industry. This Film is Not Yet Rated Trailer
9. Reservoir Dogs. Quentin Tarantino's first movie and my first Tarantino movie I ever saw. This film explores Tarantino's signature non sequential plot structure as well as his breaking films into sections. The movie itself is about the before and after of a failed jewelry heist, following many principle characters as they try to find out how to find out which of their six man team is actually an undercover police officer. Reservoir Dogs just screams out Tarantino's style and simply is just a whole lot of fun to watch. The opening scene of Reservoir Dogs
8.Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Look at that title! This film marks Stanley Kubricks venture into comedy, black comedy. Released in 1964, Kubrick's film shows its insane amount of bravery, as the film turns the nature of the Cold War into a very comedic matter (this was released just months after Kennedy's assassination and written just after the Bay of Pigs incident, mind you). Strangelove has the most interesting and unique comedic styles I have ever seen, mixing deadpan, black comedy, and slapstick together into a masterpiece of film making. This scene is my absolute favorite in the film, as actor Peter Sellers completely improvises the entire conversation (this was one of the only times Kubrick ever let anyone improvise, as he was a notorious perfectionist).
7. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About his Father. By talking about this documentary I am breaking one of the primary rules I abide by when recommending this film: do not tell them anything about it. IMDB describes the film as "A filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered when his ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son" and that's really the best way to describe it without saying too much. This film has had the greatest emotional impact on me out of any film by a long shot. I am not ashamed to say that have cried for minutes after both times I have viewed it. I recommend it to you all, but advise you to set aside some of your day after watching, you will need it (I'm not including any video for this for obvious reasons).
6. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. The first and only foreign language film on the list, this movie is the first of Park Chan-Wook's "Vengeance Trilogy", a trilogy of thematically connected films dealing with, obviously, vengeance (I discussed the middle film of this trilogy, Oldboy, in a previous blog, by the way). Korean film really brings out the moral ambiguity of our world, especially in this film as the two protagonists, both deeply flawed seek revenge upon one another for various reasons. I take great joy out of watching this with friends, as they all tend to take different stances on which protagonist deserves to die more than the other. A deeply dark drama, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance really does show the shift towards an international film industry and the extent of what human nature can drive us to. Here's this one's trailer.
5. Children of Men. A dystopian film without any world destroying diseases, bombs, or wars, Children of Men focuses on the future of an earth when humans can suddenly no longer reproduce. The cinematography of this movie completely blows my mind, with expansive long-takes and interesting camera angles. It also explores the word of the ability to hope and forgive (quite relate able to our book). They do not pull any punches on this one and it creates very intense action, emotional drama, and questions the viewers philosophies regarding life, another "must-see", in my opinion. A scene from the film, it does have some minor spoilers (all in one take).
4. Taxi Driver. The film that almost killed President Reagan, Taxi Driver functions as a character study on the elusively sociopathic Travis Bickle, as well as the rotting city that is New York. I first saw this movie around six years ago and can say that it sparked the great passion I have for films today. Scorsese really does put all he has into this film, and one can not help but fall into the dark world he creates within the character's mind. Probably the most famous scene from the film.
3.The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. The essential western film. This Clint Eastwood classic really does, in my opinion, exemplify all of the films in this genre. Lying, stealing, murder, sex, you name it, its here and this movie does it all so well that it really does not need an explanation. Movies like this are American classics and a "must-watch" at some point in every American citizen's life. A fan compilation of the film
2. The Shining. The second and final Kubrickian masterpiece on the list, and my favorite film of my favorite director. When I say this that this movie scared me more than any other I usually get weird stares, as the film rarely tries to scare you in a conventional manner. Kubrick takes the viewer in between a level of immersion and awareness, you become engrossed in the world, yet at the same time are aware the world is fictional. It creates this horrible sense of impending doom that just builds and builds as the film progresses. The Shining does not work as a make-you-scream type of movie, it gets you extremely nervous, you keep repeating "I know something awful is going to happen" but it seemingly never comes. When I first watched it it drove me to the point to where I had to stop the film repeatedly to calm down due to how nervous I was watching it. This scene really shows what I mean, the conversation shifts from simple small talk to "how to murder your wife and child" seamlessly.
1. There Will Be Blood. Finally, my favorite film of all time (this is the one with the famous "I drink your milkshake" scene). I love this movie for its acting (anyone who knows me well enough knows that I have an unhealthy obsession with the lead actor, Daniel Day-Lewis), characters, and message. The film at its most basic level serves a very interesting character study on the "Oil Man" Daniel Plainview. DDL pulls this part off amazingly and rightfully won an Oscar for the performance to just give a brief example. On a deeper lever, There Will Be Blood examines the conflicting relationships between America's love of capitalism and religious family values, as the two leading characters serve as symbols for them, Daniel, the Oil Man, as capitalism, and Eli, the preacher, as religious values. This is absolute "must-see" material in my opinion, so please watch if you have not already. Just a scene from this wonderful film.
Well, that about does it, if I had to pick just three for you to watch (this is for anyone who wants just a general overview) I'd say #10, #5, and #1. Thank you and goodnight, my friends.
10. This Film is Not Yet Rated. I am starting my countdown with a documentary, a documentary on film making itself, actually. This movie follows Kirby Dick, an Oscar-nominated director as he tries to expose the twelve secret board members of the MPAA with the help of a private investigator. Throughout this journey, Dick also teaches the viewer of the MPAA's biases against sexuality and independence. The film really does make you think about how exactly one sees the films they see, and the censorship that goes on behind closed doors on behalf of the major film studios. In my opinion, this documentary falls under the category of "must-see" more than many other films on this list, just to learn of the great amount of censorship that exists within our film industry. This Film is Not Yet Rated Trailer
9. Reservoir Dogs. Quentin Tarantino's first movie and my first Tarantino movie I ever saw. This film explores Tarantino's signature non sequential plot structure as well as his breaking films into sections. The movie itself is about the before and after of a failed jewelry heist, following many principle characters as they try to find out how to find out which of their six man team is actually an undercover police officer. Reservoir Dogs just screams out Tarantino's style and simply is just a whole lot of fun to watch. The opening scene of Reservoir Dogs
8.Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Look at that title! This film marks Stanley Kubricks venture into comedy, black comedy. Released in 1964, Kubrick's film shows its insane amount of bravery, as the film turns the nature of the Cold War into a very comedic matter (this was released just months after Kennedy's assassination and written just after the Bay of Pigs incident, mind you). Strangelove has the most interesting and unique comedic styles I have ever seen, mixing deadpan, black comedy, and slapstick together into a masterpiece of film making. This scene is my absolute favorite in the film, as actor Peter Sellers completely improvises the entire conversation (this was one of the only times Kubrick ever let anyone improvise, as he was a notorious perfectionist).
7. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About his Father. By talking about this documentary I am breaking one of the primary rules I abide by when recommending this film: do not tell them anything about it. IMDB describes the film as "A filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered when his ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son" and that's really the best way to describe it without saying too much. This film has had the greatest emotional impact on me out of any film by a long shot. I am not ashamed to say that have cried for minutes after both times I have viewed it. I recommend it to you all, but advise you to set aside some of your day after watching, you will need it (I'm not including any video for this for obvious reasons).
6. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. The first and only foreign language film on the list, this movie is the first of Park Chan-Wook's "Vengeance Trilogy", a trilogy of thematically connected films dealing with, obviously, vengeance (I discussed the middle film of this trilogy, Oldboy, in a previous blog, by the way). Korean film really brings out the moral ambiguity of our world, especially in this film as the two protagonists, both deeply flawed seek revenge upon one another for various reasons. I take great joy out of watching this with friends, as they all tend to take different stances on which protagonist deserves to die more than the other. A deeply dark drama, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance really does show the shift towards an international film industry and the extent of what human nature can drive us to. Here's this one's trailer.
5. Children of Men. A dystopian film without any world destroying diseases, bombs, or wars, Children of Men focuses on the future of an earth when humans can suddenly no longer reproduce. The cinematography of this movie completely blows my mind, with expansive long-takes and interesting camera angles. It also explores the word of the ability to hope and forgive (quite relate able to our book). They do not pull any punches on this one and it creates very intense action, emotional drama, and questions the viewers philosophies regarding life, another "must-see", in my opinion. A scene from the film, it does have some minor spoilers (all in one take).
4. Taxi Driver. The film that almost killed President Reagan, Taxi Driver functions as a character study on the elusively sociopathic Travis Bickle, as well as the rotting city that is New York. I first saw this movie around six years ago and can say that it sparked the great passion I have for films today. Scorsese really does put all he has into this film, and one can not help but fall into the dark world he creates within the character's mind. Probably the most famous scene from the film.
3.The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. The essential western film. This Clint Eastwood classic really does, in my opinion, exemplify all of the films in this genre. Lying, stealing, murder, sex, you name it, its here and this movie does it all so well that it really does not need an explanation. Movies like this are American classics and a "must-watch" at some point in every American citizen's life. A fan compilation of the film
2. The Shining. The second and final Kubrickian masterpiece on the list, and my favorite film of my favorite director. When I say this that this movie scared me more than any other I usually get weird stares, as the film rarely tries to scare you in a conventional manner. Kubrick takes the viewer in between a level of immersion and awareness, you become engrossed in the world, yet at the same time are aware the world is fictional. It creates this horrible sense of impending doom that just builds and builds as the film progresses. The Shining does not work as a make-you-scream type of movie, it gets you extremely nervous, you keep repeating "I know something awful is going to happen" but it seemingly never comes. When I first watched it it drove me to the point to where I had to stop the film repeatedly to calm down due to how nervous I was watching it. This scene really shows what I mean, the conversation shifts from simple small talk to "how to murder your wife and child" seamlessly.
1. There Will Be Blood. Finally, my favorite film of all time (this is the one with the famous "I drink your milkshake" scene). I love this movie for its acting (anyone who knows me well enough knows that I have an unhealthy obsession with the lead actor, Daniel Day-Lewis), characters, and message. The film at its most basic level serves a very interesting character study on the "Oil Man" Daniel Plainview. DDL pulls this part off amazingly and rightfully won an Oscar for the performance to just give a brief example. On a deeper lever, There Will Be Blood examines the conflicting relationships between America's love of capitalism and religious family values, as the two leading characters serve as symbols for them, Daniel, the Oil Man, as capitalism, and Eli, the preacher, as religious values. This is absolute "must-see" material in my opinion, so please watch if you have not already. Just a scene from this wonderful film.
Well, that about does it, if I had to pick just three for you to watch (this is for anyone who wants just a general overview) I'd say #10, #5, and #1. Thank you and goodnight, my friends.
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