30 Day Movie Meme, Day 10

[desertvixen]

Day 01- The best movie you saw during the last year -- Keep in mind I don't get to the theater much, even when I'm not deployed.  I'm going to have to go with the Star Trek reload (although to be fair, I saw it on a bootleg in Iraq).  It had some lame moments, but it also had some moments that just made you sit up and go, "This is freaking awesome" (like the whole beginning bit where they're evacuating the ship, and Kirk's Dad goes to leave and has to turn back - that moment  really pulled me in).  Plus, old!Spock made me feel better about it not just being a stupid retcon.  Karl Urban was not-too-bad (but I still prefer Original McCoy) and the guy who played Sulu was great. 

Day 02 - The most underrated movie -- Keep in mind the lack-of-theatergoing thing, but I'm going to have to go with the BBC "Poirot" adaptation of Cards on the Table.  There seemed to be a lot of people who were annoyed at the changes made to the book story, but I thought it was pretty good.  It stayed closer to the stated intent (four sleuths v. four criminals) by keeping all four suspects in play to the end, where in the book it pretty much came down to the last suspect standing. 

A lot of people seem to object to the sexual undertone that BBC puts in - in this case the implied homosexual and risky behaviors of the Superintendant (which Poirot didn't seem to actually condemn, just suggest that he shouldn't allow blackmail potential), the clerk who makes a sort-of pass at Poirot, and the two women, which I thought there was at least some subtext for in the book.  (They also change which member of the pair drowns.)

It also has some excellent casting - Zoe Wanamaker as Ariadne Oliver (who is PERFECT) and the really yummy guy who plays Major Despard, Tristan Gemmill.

Day 03 - A movie that makes you really happy --  For this one, I nominate The Thin Man.  It's pretty hard to stay in a bad mood after a good dose of Nick and Nora Charles, if only because they're so fun.  William Powell and Myrna Loy have oodles of chemistry with each other, and the mystery isn't horrible.  I'm also a sucker for "get all the suspects together and explain everything", because yes, I am an Agatha Christie fan.  The character interactions make me laugh, and the dialogue is always snappy.

Day 04 - A movie that makes you sad -- Now it's time to revisit something from my days at DLI, because there aren't many movies that make me sad and leave me that way.  Plenty of Disney movies have those moments, but generally they have happy endings.  This one doesn't have a happy ending, but that's because it's about Russian history under Stalin.

The movie is Nikita Mikhailov's Burnt by the Sun, a story about 1936 Russia.  It has pretty much everything - moments of drama, comedy, passion, tragedy, Stalinist repression, and the general sense of dread that seems to be in a lot of Russian history.  It also takes a couple go-rounds to really get it, but when we finished it,the class was quiet enough that you could have heard a pin drop in our class.  There's a love triangle, between Mikhailov's Colonel Kotov, his younger wife Marusia, and Mitya (now an NKVD man).  There's a lot of symbolism in the movie, and a lot of confusion, and one brief moment of uplift at the very end, but not enough to lift the depression that comes from knowing these characters were fictional, but that they were based on so many that were not.

Of course, the second runner up for Day 4 is Old Yeller.  I think that one's pretty self-explanatory... 

Day 05 - Favorite love story in a movie --  I actually gave this one some serious thought while studying my DVD collection.  There's a couple of contenders, but I have to go with one of the ones that isn't actually in a romantic movie - Rick and Evie in The Mummy and The Mummy Returns.  They have chemistry and tension, and "smart girl gets the guy" makes me happy (bonus points for "I... am a Librarian").  Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz play off each other well, especially since he's at the height of what I think of as his Ivan Vorpatril period.  The end also has a great romantic punch, especially for an adventure with a romance.  Not to mention their library in the second movie...

Day 06 - Favorite made for TV movie -- This one is easy - the 1995 BBC production of Pride and Prejudice.  I mean, what's not to like?  Excellent adaptation of the book, great casting, great costumes, great acting, and Colin Firth dripping wet.  I love the way he and Jennifer Ehle play off each other, in that scene and in others.  Jennifer Ehle made a wonderful Elizabeth - I'm particularly fond of the scene where she faces off with Lady Catherine de Bourgh.  In my mind, this is THE only adaptation - I refuse to acknowledge the 2005 production (pigs INSIDE Longbourn, wtf?), the 1940 one with Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier has some interesting points (and some not-too-shabby casting) but Pride and Prejudice is NOT A VICTORIAN PERIOD PIECE, thanks much.  The only other contender is the 1980 BBC production with David Rintoul and Elizabeth Garvie, but it can't quite compare to the 1995 one.

Disappointing news of the day - they're looking to make a movie adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  Don't we have enough bad movies as it is?

Day 07 - The most surprising plot twist or ending - Most of the movies I watch that qualify for having surprising plot twists are based on books.  (I'm thinking this meme would be more fun with books... heyyy, there's an idea to keep me occupied.)  So they aren't really surprises in the movie.  I am going with the movie versions of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (also known as Ten Little N*ggers / Ten Little Indians).  The book is pretty awesome, with ten people brought together who are judged to be guilty of a murder that is not prosecutable, or for which they were not punished.  In the end, everyone dies, and it isn't until the epilogue that you find out HOW.  However, both of the English-language versions of the movie I have seen have a slightly different ending - the final two suspects are NOT guilty and do not die (which detracts from the psychological thriller aspect, but apparently Dame Christie thought it worked better on stage to have survivors and a romance).  The 1945 one (which includes Judith Anderson as the starched spinster Emily Brent) seems pretty comic to me, but it's worth watching.  The 1989 one (inlcudes Donald Pleasence and Frank Stallone) is pretty awful, with the story transported to a safari.

There is however, one movie version that is based on the book - a 1987 Russian version (Des'yat Negritat, using the original title) that preserves the psychological thriller aspect and everyone dies.  (It's Russian.  You expected something else?)  The dubbing on the one I have is pretty good, and it's worth watching.  It's creepy.

Day 08 - A movie that you've seen countless times - There's a couple that fit in this category, although I'm saving the obvious one for Day 30.  Instead, I'm going with Disney's Sleeping Beauty.  It's my favorite of the Disney princess movies, even though Sleeping Beauty doesn't do much.  Instead, we have Maleficent, possibly one of the most badass of the Disney villains.  She's evil, and she knows how to make an entrance and an exit.  I'm also fond of Prince Philip, because he's one of the few princes who shows up and uses his brain.  It's something I can put on and just enjoy, and the MV likes it as well.  I also like "Once Upon A Dream". 

Day 09 - A movie with the best soundtrack - I'm cheating a little here, but I like the three Shrek movies for soundtrack.  First of all, they're fun - I like soundtracks where the cast is involved.  I do wish they had Mike Myers' version of "Hallelujah" on the soundtrack CD, but oh well.  The Smash Mouth versions of "All-Star" and "I'm a Believer" are fun, although the former can be annoying if you hear it too many times.  Dana Glover's "It Is You (I Have Loved)" and Rufus Wainwright's "Hallelujah" are haunting, and touching, and almost make you forget it's about cartoon characters.  "Accidentally in Love" by the Counting Crows is good, as is Pete Yorn's "Ever Fallen In Love".  I think my all time favorites however, are the covers of "Holding Out For A Hero" (by the Fairy Godmother) and Fergie's version of "Barracuda".  The songs are fun, and some of the background music is good too.

Day 10 - Favorite classic movie - There's several contenders for this one, but I'm picking The Women (1939).  The entire cast is female (although the argument could be made the movie is all about the men) - and it's a pretty star-studded cast.  Norma Shearer plays the good wife, Rosalind Russell plays the catty female, Joan Fontaine plays the fragile young wife, Joan Crawford plays the man-stealing shop clerk, and Lucile Watson plays Norma Shearer's mother.  It's over-the-top (especially the Technicolor fashion show), gosspiy, and very dated, but fun to watch.  The dialogue snaps, and although it's pretty hard to like Joan Crawford's character, she has some of the best lines.  It's almost a guilty pleasure, but it's a little too smart for that.

Day 11 - A movie that changed your opinion about something -

Day 12 - A movie that you hate -

Day 13 - A movie that is a guilty pleasure -

Day 14 - A movie that no one would expect you to love -

Day 15 - A character who you can relate to the most - .

Day 16 - A movie that you used to love but now hate -

Day 17 - A movie that disappointed you the most -

Day 18 - A movie that you wish more people would've seen -

Day 19 - Favorite movie based on a book/comic/etc. -

Day 20 - Favorite movie from your favorite actor/actress -

Day 21 - Favorite action movie -

Day 22 - Favorite documentary -

Day 23 - Favorite animation -

Day 24 - That one awesome movie idea that still hasn't been done yet -

Day 25 - The most hilarious movie you've ever seen -

Day 26 - A movie that you love but everyone else hates -

Day 27 - A movie that you wish you had seen in theaters -

Day 28 - Favorite movie from your favorite director -

Day 29 - A movie from your childhood -

Day 30 - Your favorite movie of all time -

Comments

[sraun]

Re: most surprising plot twist or ending

Have you ever seen the movie The Usual Suspects. It stars (among others) Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne and Kevin Spacey. There's not much that can be said about it that isn't spoilery. I watch it again every five years or so just to go "Wow".

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

I haven't, but I keep hearing about it, so I will, eventually.