Absolute Wannabe

I'm still trying to figure out what I just watched. Well, I know what I just watched: the 2008 Swedish horror/thriller/drama/romance (if you're into twisted romance) film Let the Right One In . I spent the first 30 minutes of this movie asking why. Why does an adult man follow a little girl around (besides the obvious)? Why is "piggy" this little boy's nickname? Why is this girl wearing white, especially since she's a vampire (more on that later)? Why does this kid not have a tissue in his jacket pocket? The list of "whys" goes on and on, but I'm worried that going on might spoil something for you. Yes, this is a vampire movie. No, this is not Twilight . It's so the opposite of Twilight . Here's why I liked this movie: even thought it's about a vampire, it's really not about a vampire. Stay with me. This movie about vampires is more about human nature, love and curiosity than anything else. More importantly, it's about...

Let's have a conversation about The Conversation . What I thought was going to be a high intensity action movie turned out to be one of the most interesting character pieces I have ever seen. Gene Hackman looks positively ordinary as Harry Caul, a surveillance expert assigned to spy on a seemingly ordinary couple couple. The bad hair, creepy mustache, dated wardrobe, and so many other things about Caul's first appearance in the film make it seem like he's the boring one of this bunch of sleuths. Then, you see this guy's paranoia, and it all starts to make sense. He's the focus of this story, not the people he's working with or the couple whose conversation he listens to. Caul is one of the best in the business, but not without sacrificing some of his sanity. Whether his paranoid nature is caused by his career choice or his career choice was driven by his paranoid nature is something we will never know, but there's no doubt they go hand in hand. His...

Ready? Okay! After a few weeks of writing about some particularly heavy movies, I decided to pick a title off the teen movie section of the list. When I realized that Bring It On was still on the list, I was a little appalled. After all, is it really a day in America if Bring It On hasn't played somewhere on cable? Even though this movie was released in 2000, I consider it an honorary member of the typical '90s teen movie family. Why? Here are just a few of the reasons: 1. One of the decade's most popular blonde actresses in a lead role (Kirsten Dunst) 2. One of the decade's most popular brunette actresses in the edgy, alternative sidekick role (Eliza Dushku) 3. A guy named Jesse with Prince Eric eyebrows playing the book wearing, punk listening, sensitive love interest who says things like, "I made you a tape" (Jesse Bradford) 4. Not-so-subtle product placement (Hey there, Diet Coke!) 5. Not-so-subtle references to now irrelevant pop cu...

Sometimes a little spontaneity is good. Like most weeks, I had no idea what I wanted to watch in preparation for this week's post. Usually, I go to Netflix, list in hand (because it's in a notebook) and just start searching. Every once in a while, though, Netflix fails me. Today was one of those days. That's now I came across The Leopard. The process of deciding whether or not to watch it reminded me of when I was in middle school and I used to watch whatever was on cable. In other words, it's a really hit or miss process. I definitely didn't think I was going to watch it. Between the 185 minute runtime and the subtitles, I just wasn't feeling it. However, I figured if I didn't watch it now, I was never going to watch it. I actually really enjoy watching films in a different language. Not only does it give me a reason to say I read today, but it also gives me a new perspective on acting. Because you can't just listen to what people are saying, ...

I apologize for not posting last week. It might happen again. This week, I had the bizarre pleasure of watching one of the most misquoted movies of all time, Sunset Boulevard . I don't think I've yet recovered. This film is exactly the kind of movie I pictured when I was young and someone talked about "classic Hollywood". Black and white, bombastic lead actress, a forbidden romance, twisting plot. Everything I imagined was there. I always held these type of movies to a higher standard than those more modern movies I had already seen. People talked about them with such fondness, recounting memories of seeing them in a theatre or on TV at home. I was worried that when I watched a movie like this one for the first time, I would be disappointed. What I've realized is that any movie from any era can excite, disappoint, or surprise you. An era that a movie was made in may shape the story and how it is made, but an audience's emotions toward movies have alway...

I don't think I can do this movie justice, but here we go. This week, I watched Spike Lee's 1989 film Do The Right Thing . I'm going to be honest. I was a little nervous to write about this film, especially because of recent events in the news. Even though this is something I've always wanted to see, I waited to watch for a very long time. It was worth the wait. Do the Right Thing is one of the most thought-provoking movies I've ever seen. I was completely immersed in the world within this block of Brooklyn from the first second. From the minute Samuel L. Jackson starts describing the boiling hot weather, you feel it. As the heat radiates, so does the tension between everyone. The anger the characters feel toward one another is captivating, confusing, and frightening. Films like this that are fueled by emotion instead of a tired narrative become timeless. That's why this film still feels fresh over 25 years later. The emotions and hatred depicted in this...

It's been a few weeks since I wrote about James Stewart or Alfred Hitchcock, so I thought I'd write about both today. My post-wisdom teeth doppelgänger and my new favorite actor have made a masterpiece in Vertigo . It plays with your mind in your emotions in the best way possible, keeping you gripped through all 128 minutes. It kills me that it was a box office failure in its day. Despite being a commercial failure, this film is considered one of the greatest Hitchcock films of all time. I think it may be my new favorite. A lot of people who watch it now might comment on the fake backdrops used for the scenes where we look down from high places, but I love looking at these old painted backdrops. Even without today's special effects, the audience can still feel the fear that Scottie (James Stewart) feels when he looks down at the view. My favorite thing about a Hitchcock film is the environment he creates. You're immersed in the story, and every little decision h...