Planet of the Apes: 1968 American sci-fi movie directed by
Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Maurice
Evans, Kim Hunter and Linda Harrison. A
crew of astronauts crash lands on a desolate planet after their 2006-year
journey of exploration at near-light speed.
Something about time dilation?
Sure. They set off through the
treacherous terrain in search of food and water and come upon a group of
primitive mute humans. Suddenly the
group is attacked by gorillas on horseback.
Yeah, turns out they’ve landed on a planet populated by apes with the
intelligence of humans and humans with the intelligence of apes. When Taylor (Heston) begins speaking to his
simian captors, it throws the whole religious and scientific theory of the ape
society out of whack and he’s deemed too dangerous to live. I really didn’t think I would like it as much
as I did. Sure, it’s cheesy, but if you
can look past the hokey ape costumes and the Shatner-level acting it’s surprisingly
interesting and examines – in a campy, sci-fi way – issues still currently
relevant: animal rights, the role of
science in a religious culture, etc.
First Position: 2011 documentary directed by Bess Kargman
which follows six dancers preparing for the Youth American Grand Prix, an
annual ballet competition that earns the winners dance scholarships at
prestigious schools and positions at elite companies. The dancers that Kargman profiles are diverse
in experience, background and style: the
orphan from Sierra Leone, the studious young girl and her scrappy little
brother, the pale boy ingénue, the Colombian teenager living alone in New York
to follow his dreams despite his almost overwhelming homesickness. It’s enchanting, not too frivolous but not
too heavy, the dancing is beautiful, and the kids just seem so nice.
Three Days of the
Condor: 1975 political thriller
directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, and Max
von Sydow. Joe Turner (Redford) is a CIA
analyst who files a report on a spy novel after noticing some weird plot
devices and the unusual languages it’s been translated into. On the day he’s expecting feedback on the
report, an assassin squad hits his office, and after his narrow escape he now
feels he can’t trust his own government.
While on the run he takes a woman hostage and hides out in her
apartment, eventually involving her in his search for the truth about the
attempt on his life.
It was
just okay. First of all, Dunaway’s
character is not at all believable. Some
rando takes you hostage, blathers on about spies out to kill him, compliments
your photography, and then you have the most hysterical sex ever? Which is essentially a montage of your
depressing photographs interspersed with scenes of you appearing to have a conniption? I appreciated the 1970s-Bourne-Identity thing
going on, but the ending was anticlimactic.
Not wholly unsatisfying, but I probably wouldn’t watch it again.
The Hobbit – An
Unexpected Journey: 2012 fantasy
film directed by Peter Jackson and starring Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Andy
Serkis, and Richard Armitage. This is
the first of a three-part film series based on the classic book by J.R.R. Tolkein. Three parts.
Three. The CGI-ness was way too
much for me; there was a whole lotta time spent in the uncanny valley,
guys. But Freeman does a damn fine job
as Bilbo Baggins, and despite my other quibbles with the movie and Mr. Jackson
and the hype and the merchandising and the 3D-Imax-Cinerama-Cinemiracle-Cinemascope
nonsense I OF COURSE will see all three movies.
And will enjoy them immensely. I
can’t help it.
Pitch Perfect:
2012 musical comedy directed by Jason Moore and starring Anna Kendrick, Rebel
Wilson, Adam DeVine, and Skylar Astin (please don’t hold his name against him,
he’s adorable and sings really well and I have a crush). Beca just wants to move to L.A. and pursue a
career in music, but her dad has convinced her to spend at least one year at
college. She reluctantly joins an a
capella group that is desperately trying to stage a comeback after a disastrous
competition performance the previous year.
It’s cute, it’s funny – oh, Ms. Wilson, how you do go on – it’s snarky and
a little sharp at times, and of course there’s a lot of singing. I really enjoyed it, but that might just be
my inner choir geek talking. I recommend
it, but approach with caution unless you like musicals or singing-related
television programs.
Men in Black 3: 2012 sci fi comedy directed by Barry
Sonnenfeld and starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Jemaine Clement. The third and hopefully last of the MIB
films, in which a dangerous alien escapes from a prison on the Moon, bent on
returning to Earth and killing Agent K.
Excrement. I have a fondness for the first movie, and
there were a few redeeming moments from the second, but this is really, really,
really bad.
The Queen of
Versailles: 2012 documentary
directed by Lauren Greenfield, about the family of Jackie and David Siegel and
their quest to build the largest and most expensive single-family house in the
United States. The film opens with the
Siegel’s on top of the world:
construction is underway at their giant Versailles-replica mansion,
their timeshare business is booming, David is bragging about being responsible
for getting George W. Bush elected – in perhaps not an entirely legal way. And then the crash of ’08 happens. The economy tanks, suddenly no one wants to
buy a timeshare anymore, and they’re forced to live on a much smaller budget.
It’s
fascinating, and for me perfectly captures the triumphs and tribulations of The
One Percent during the recession. They
went from building a home with ten kitchens – that’s a kitchen per family
member, kitchens for all! – to David suddenly freaking out about the electricity
bill. Jackie is suddenly faced with
raising her children without a squad of nannies, flying commercial instead of
on a private jet, and dealing with rental cars instead of a chauffeur. She seems to spend money because she’s
stressed or bored, which makes David angry, which makes her more stressed. Meanwhile, their one remaining nanny is
living in an old playhouse (which, okay, is still the size of a studio
apartment) and sending every spare cent back to her family in the Philippines. It’s really interesting, totally messed up,
and I highly recommend it.
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