365 Films- Post 9

The Return of the King (2003)

I made it to 50! *throws confetti* My next mini-goal is to watch 60 films before the end of January. Can I do it? Only time will tell! By time I mean, "about a week." 

Today's films are: 

50. The Return of the King
51. Street Fighter
52. Particle Fever
53. The Conformist
54. Jean Michel Cousteau's Secret Ocean

The Return of the King (2003)

Pretend you have never seen this film (easy to do if you actually haven't) and take a look at the above image. Is that from the actual movie or from the crappy computer game based on the movie? Hard to tell, huh? That's how I feel about so much of Return of the King. As I pointed out in my last post, these films had an incredible team of production designers, prop makers, art directors, and costumers. Sadly, as the films went on, more and more of the incredible artistry was replaced by cartoonish looking CGI. There are entire sequences that feel completely inauthentic because of the over reliance on computer effects. CGI can be used well, and has the capability of making things possible that filmmakers could once only dream of. Jackson just does not know how. His own filmography shows that he has a high level of competence when it comes to practical effects, but after he was given a huge budget his campy cartoonishness no longer seems to fit. These books deserve better, which is sad because I doubt that a better cast will ever be assembled. 

Standout Moment: Finally getting to Shelob's lair! How did the climax of the 2nd book get thrown midway into the third film? The extra ridiculous, non-book scenes that bloat the second and third films may have something to do with it. 

Street Fighter (1994)

We bought this movie for my 5 year old son's birthday present. It was a perfect gift. I had never seen it before and it was super fun getting to see it for the first time with my son (who is a huge fan of the games). Before seeing it, I had heard horror stories about how ridiculous and campy it was. I was not disappointed. The film starts out well enough. The first ten minutes or so feel like it's just a C level action flick. By the time Guile (Jean Claude Van Dam) reaches the secret evil base, everything has gone completely bonkers. Raul Julia is just incredible as M. Bison. His character reads as if the screenwriter never bothered with a 2nd draft. He starts off as a cold blooded dictator, and ends as a complete looney. I couldn't stop laughing as he piloted his little floating command center around the room. This is not a good movie by any means, but my son and I enjoyed it quite a bit. 

Standout Moment: Zangief suddenly being a part of the good guys. The guy is, at best, wanted for war crimes and terrorist acts, but being lovable and holding doors open for the people you were holding hostage apparently scores you a "get out of jail free" card. 

Particle Fever (2013)

I had the pleasure of catching this movie when it was on the festival trail. I even had the opportunity to meet one of the main Theoretical Physicists from the film. Watching this again gave me the exact same feeling that it did when I first saw it: science is awesome! This is such an exciting movie! I think that it should be shown to all junior high and high school kids to show them what it's really like to work in a science or mathematics related field. The fact that several of the main characters are women (and extremely important researchers in their field) is even more exciting! This is a life affirming movie in the best way possible. 

Standout Moment: The climax of the film, with Peter Higgs standing by and waiting to hear if his life's work is worth anything, is both moving and joyous. 

The Conformist (1970)

Picking a single frame for this film was nearly impossible. It is one of the most beautiful and visually inventive films ever made. The way light is used to tell the story is absolutely incredible. This was my fourth time seeing it, and I really just want to watch it again. Although the thematic material is incredibly different, a lot of the visual style from The Godfather series was borrowed from this film. The Conformist tells the chilling and philosophical tale of a wannabe fascist during Mussolini's rise in Italy. Although there is a lot of emotional power in the performances and story, Bertolucci is able to bring a sense of heightened absurdity to the proceedings. Much of the film seems like it was meant to be laughed at as much as it was meant to be absorbed. It really is a film unlike any other, even Bertolucci (the director) would never make another film quite like The Conformist, though most of his oeuvre is still very, very good. 

Standout Moment: The Plato's cave scene in Luca's office is one of the best uses of light and shadow in modern filmmaking. 

Jean Michel Cousteau's Secret Ocean (2015)

We watched this in IMAX at The American Museum of Natural History for my 7 year old son's birthday. My entire family loved it! It was beautifully shot, technically dazzling, and thoroughly interesting. It is in the style of the PBS documentaries that I watched as a kid, only made on much better cameras. The cinematography in this film was honestly a revelation. It was like getting a chance to see alien life. 

Standout Moment: Since it was Xavier's birthday, I will use his favorite part of the film for this. Although he was excited about every new creature, it was the section on Basket Stars that he thought was the best. 

That's it for today! My next post will commemorate the sixty film mark. 

Josh D.
5181 Productions