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The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955)
Nostalgia-Watching With My Parents
My parents remember this show when they were teenagers, and so we decided as a family to watch the series together.
Wow! What a treat! The writing in a lot of episodes is excellent, and many episodes could make a movie all it's own, enough to put modern tv series to shame. Many characters are woven into the series and once in a while make reappearances.
The acting is phenomenal. Hugh O'Brien is perfect for this role. His range of acting can range from comical to sheer wrath.
We have a friend that talks about the Gibb-slap, a reference to the TV series NCIS. Now we have a running joke: the Earp-slap! There are scenes where O'Brien surprises real genuine slaps so suddenly! No mere acting here!
The Prestige (2006)
Brought In Themes of Fantasy Very Late
The Prestige has garnered great reviews, so I am certain I will be stepping on some toes here.
A friend wanted to watch the movie again, and invited us to see it.
The movie's premise is intriguing-dueling magicians trying to outdo the other, no matter the consequences. Without giving any spoilers, the story became so fanciful. The acting was great, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, and Michael Caine! But the script was too focused on the next tantalizing twist and too contrived that made the film almost seem silly.
It is an intriguing film, yet melodramatic and way over the top.
I could no longer suspend my disbelief.
Imagine That (2009)
Great Family Film About Priorities
Movies have always been a great medium in portraying families torn apart by letting materialism get in the way of relationships--Metropolis, The Christmas Carol, and Imagine That, just to name a few. Imagine That has that typical plot, but with a few surprises. It had good acting, with some acting taking center stage, yet was a bit cluttered with too many minor characters. There are some unresolved character interactions, but that was not the intent of the movie. It was great to see Eddie Murphy seeming to be himself, minus the language, and Thomas Hayden Church as his nemesis. The comedy, albeit at times a bit silly, was appropriate. There were some moments of the innocent silliness that actually brought tears to my eyes.
xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017)
I Lost Some Brain Cells and Muscle Tone
I thought they don't make movies like this anymore! I knew something was up when there were only six of us in the massive theater. A good movie begins with a good story, not pecs: Terrible "acting", forced dialogue, plot riddled with holes like Swiss cheese. To add lemon juice to my already burning retinas, they tried so hard to add humor. Sometimes, I found myself asking, "Wait a second! Was he trying to be funny there? Oh, I guess not..." Yes, they threw in some action, so that you might forget how terrible the movie is--this is one guy who will never forget.The only saving grace was that I was watching it with a friend.
The Exorcist (1973)
More Sacrilegious Than Scary
My friend and I were on a couple days binge on horror movies. Of course, The Exorcist was on the top of our list, a movie we hardly knew anything about. We were ready to have a great scare!
Who can forget the iconic scene of The Exorcist--yes, that one with the streetlight (perhaps all books dealing with film have at least one still frame of The Exorcist). The cinematography by Owen Roizman is that good. The acting was okay. The story, horrible.
The movie feels like a two-part story of suspense versus gratuitous sacrilege--the first part full of intrigue and mystery, the latter part a fright-less mayhem. I was shocked at my apathetic response. I actually thought I would be scared. After seeing The Exorcist, my friend and I just looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders, and continued onto the next movie.
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
A Parable of Greed
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a tale of a desire for riches. The acting was superb, even the minor characters showed the old adage true, "There are no small acting parts." Ted D. McCord's cinematography gave it an air of openness, yet visually expressed how greed turns even the vast openness into claustrophobia. The directing was phenomenal, which is to be expected from John Huston. It's message is clear, but not overtly preachy. All this is a sign of a true classic.
However, the subtlety of the script, the little character changes made it more haunting. It no longer became just a tale of greed, but I began asking myself the poignant question, "Which character am I?"