Results tagged “film” from Overlooked

The freeze frame movie ending does not seem to pop up as often as it used to, which we may openly blame on more modern films such as "Raise Your Voice." Still, fond memories have been built around freeze frame high fives, and creepy stills of possessed children, and they hold special places in our hearts. So special, in fact, that I am certain we have a habit of recreating these freeze frames in everyday life. For the past few days, I have made it my mission to find the mannerisms, facial expressions, and seemingly original pop culture references born of classic freeze frame film endings.

INFLUENTIAL FREEZE FRAMES (in no particular order)

THE FAMED FRAME	EVIDENCE OF INFLUENCE
The Breakfast Club (1985)	Whoomp There It Is (1993)
Uncle Buck (1989)	Charlie Cheese (2007)
Purple Rain (1984)	Stare Down Sally (1997)
Sleepaway Camp (1983)	Naruto (2002-2009)
Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 (1974)	Pissed Penguin (2007)

Now that I have finished my lesson on historical--and by historical I mean old, and by old I mean circa anytime before the last installation of Harry Potter--pop-culture similitude, let's go over a few movies that had much better success than "Raise Your Voice" with the simple (yet classic) zoom-in-on-the-face freeze frame.

Uncle Buck (though not great, better than "Raise your Voice")

The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 (The Original...I <3 Walter Matthau)

Les Quatre Cents Coups (The 400 Blows)

Why don't more directors make use of this goodie ending?

The name is Bond…James Bond.

That’s right, the spy who loves us (or the man who only lived twice, or he who sends his affection from Russia) is back and better than ever! Seeing Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace all handsome and rugged in a sharp suit, carrying that oh-so-shiny AK-47 in the hot desert is enough to give all the straight women and gay men of the world permanent heat strokes (if you catch my drift). As if we didn’t swoon enough when we saw him spring out of the ocean in those tiny, package emphasizing powder-blue trunks in Casino Royale.

I’ll be the first to admit that I was one of those die hard 007 fans who nearly had a heart attack when the producers first announced that Daniel Craig was to replace Pierce Brosnan. I was a fervent fan of Pierce and was seriously considering boycotting the new film. Craig was too short, too craggy, too... blonde! I kept telling my dad that Pierce’s receding hairline hadn't even reached critical mass yet, trying to justify to myself why another Brosnan Bond flick would be a good idea (See previous blog on Nic Cage).

I was even more horrified when I realized that Craig was the annoying idiot from Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (wonderful career move, Danny). In my eyes, having Craig play Bond isn’t even like having chicken on Thanksgiving (a cardinal sin in its own right)--it's more having ham on Thanksgiving (completely unthinkable). I was fully prepared to go Gandhi on the film and stage a hunger strike until Pierce was reinstated to his rightful role.

However, since I have no impulse control, I buckled like a belt and saw the movie anyway. Craig looked so great in the Casino Royale trailer, all card-playing and parkour-ing, that I literally felt as if new dawn was upon me, a new era of devilishly handsome British secret agents drinking improperly prepared martinis and driving obscenely fuel-inefficient (but so fast!) cars. By the time I walked out of the theater, I was seriously smitten. Not to mention he sounded a lot hunkier with his British accent than with the extremely annoying and nasal American one he sported for Tomb Raider.

Craig made me laugh, he made me cry, he made me feel things I never thought I ever could in a Bond film (that intense, male-only feeling of having one's balls stomped on). Most important of all, he made me confront what I had been denying all of these years--that 007 had been crap ever since Sean Connery left (with the exception of a few Roger Moore films). And don’t even get me started on George Lazenby in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. That movie was so terrible I would rather be tied up Clockwork Orange-style and made to watch Glitter ten times in a row than have to see it again (Editor's Note: A fate I would not wish upon my worst enemy). And that is how Craig became Daniel.

So although Pierce Brosnan will always be in my heart, I have had to move him down a couple notches to make room for Daniel Craig. Sorry Pierce. And thank you Daniel, for transforming James Bond movies into legitimate films again. I will see you on the 14th, with a sham martini. Shaken not stirred. As if you give a damn.

I write this in an attempt to clarify how and why the Dr. and I did what we did. Over the years the liberal media has tried to portray the Dr. as some kind of maniac. Amoral, psychotic, blundering, and foolish. This is not how he was at all.

I shall try to be concise with this story. Perhaps in telling it from my perspective, from the beginning, it will help bring back some of the luster to the brilliance of the Dr.'s tarnished and sullied memory.

From the very first, he was ahead of his time and treated as such out of envy or fear. He was ridiculed and labeled a lunatic by the more offensive members of European (and in some instances, American) academia. He had applied to all the great schools, hoping to gain funding to study and prove his theories of reanimation. Everywhere he turned, though, was a dead end. The only place that allowed him a small room and a meager stipend was the Sorbonne, and even then, it was only to ensure that they were able to control him and keep an eye on him.

Things did change, however. His uncle soon died, leaving him heir and sole inheritor of the Frankenstein estate. He hired me on as his assistant - not simply because I was the sole applicant for the assistant job, but in me I think he saw a kindred spirit. We were both outcasts, he with his marvelous ideas and I with my physical deformity.

I set to work. I gave all my time and energies to him to repay the kindnesses he showed me throughout our wonderful time together. I bought all we needed: beakers, test tubes, electrodes, surgical tools. Some of the things were harder to find, but nothing was impossible for my beautiful Doctor... Generators, capacitors,  scanning electron microscopes, and gas chromatographs. The tricky part was in finding the parts he needed for implanting into the subjects for his experiments.

It was in this environment that our friendship blossomed. We found solace in each other's company on those long, cold nights. He was a caring human capable of the greatest emotions. His favorite game was to chase me around the lab with whatever he could find and tease me with his unique sense of humor. Those were days that I shall always hold close to my heart.

Then came the trials where I was granted immunity for testifying against him. He never knew it, but I secretly had gone to the police with his crimes.

But he denied it all, just like he denied my love.

Like a loving cat bringing home a mangled bird corpse, I bring you this: five movies that will enrich your life immensely and make your friends appreciate you more.

1. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai across the 8th dimension - As a young child I loved this movie greatly, it played a major part in creating the ideal of "cool" in my fresh and impressionable mind. The hero wasn't some imperfect alcoholic struggling with decisions, making moral judgments. NO! He was the epitome of cool - given it was an 80s cool, but cool nonetheless. Brilliant, cool under pressure, on the cutting edge of fashion. And this was the first movie to set the "Aliens as Rasta dudes" trend. My favorite part was the alien guy pulling on the jelly teat-like appendages in order to drive the giant meatball.

2. Ishtar - Technically this movie was a flop (as was Buckaroo Banzai), but it features all the good stuff you expect from an 80s action buddy adventure. Think Lawrence of Arabia meets Seinfeld. Hilarious dialogue and wacky situations make for a good time: I want to buy a blind camel! HA! My sister and I would play out the vultures in the desert scene every time we had a huge expanse of sand to crawl around in. And not to mention Isabelle Adjani... For you folks out there that are drawn to her like a dung beetle to a campfire: let's just say it'll do for you what the alien pulling on the jelly teat-like appendages did for me as a young boy.

3. The Fifth Element - In my personal opinion, this movie is the cream of the cream of Luc Besson's repertoire. The first time I saw this movie I really wasn't impressed, but what did I know, I was just some lame teenager. I saw this movie again later on in life and I really enjoyed it. I got all the quick one-liners and appreciated the most excellent vision of the future that it portrays. If you enjoy the technicalities of films then this is a really tight movie. Layers of details and the different story lines come together to make it great. And for all you fashionistas, Jean-Paul Gaultier did the costume design work. While you're watching try and guess who's a model and who's an actor! Really, a great movie and one of my all time favorites!!!...!

4. Last Tango In Paris - I think this is one of Marlon Brando's best roles. The dialogue is absolutely outstanding - some of the best writing I've heard yet - and I think a lot of it was improvised. It's got everything (and probably a little more) you could possibly want from a Euro flick: wild cut scenes of the movie within a movie, long soliloquies in a foreign language, and an overwhelming sense of laissez-faire malaise (Parlez Vous?) smeared all over it. I love this movie because the French avant-garde parts are really French, the American one-linerism is really American, and the absurdity of the "let pretentious art fall flat on it's face" Italian surrealism brings it all together. If none of that made any sense then your BS detector is set on high. But seriously, this movie will get a response out of you one way or another. I personally think that this is such a great comedy (Commedia dell'arte if you will) that those with less finely-tuned comedic feelers will view this strictly as a tragedy. I mean come on! "I want you to smell the dying farts of the pig" - don't tell me you wouldn't giggle a little bit at that!

5. John Carpenter's The Thing - As far as science fiction movies go, this is one of the best ones. The special effects are great non-CGI. The plot is suspenseful and thrilling, and it will leave you questioning which of your friends are human. But it has more than just that: it is also an excellent filmographic treatise on human nature. Throughout the film there is an underlying revelation of our desire to push ourselves as humans almost to the brink of destruction to better know what we are (you really should turn down your BS detector). The ending is left open, but in my opinion it is a fitting end to the discussion: only a human that isn't infected by the hyper-survivalist alien thing would take a drink of alcohol. The very artful and subtle balance between leaving an opening and firmly closing the book is what makes this movie one of my top picks.  Plus it has Wilford Brimley!

Honorable Mentions:

• Top Secret: A hilariously original film. Gag upon gag upon gag: you'll have to watch this movie over and over to get them all. There have been times in my life where I have quoted this movie non-stop for weeks at a time: "Souvenirs! Novelties! Party Tricks!". Actually, I would have moved this movie up and created a Top 6 list if I weren't so lazy.
• The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit: A movie that is pleasantly enjoyable while you're sober...or an absolutely ripping good time in an altered state. If you leave your preconceptions and prejudices at the concession stand, then this is bound to be a cult favorite.
• The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse: To tell you the truth, I didn't get through this one; I thought it was a blue movie. I put it up just to see how you pronounce it. I should have known it wasn't what I thought it was when Edward G. Robinson had top billing... Paging Dr. Clitterhouse, where are you Dr. Clitterhouse? Maybe I'll give it another chance, spend some time getting to know it better.
• Meetings with Remarkable Men: For all you philosophizing, esoteric knowledge types. The filming and scenery are exquisite. The underlying belief theory wasn't really for me, but maybe it'll charm you into giving away all your possessions, and then becoming disillusioned and buying more possessions on Shopwiki's Store Browser.

First of all, I'd like to thank Cindy for her wonderful go at guest posting last week. Not having grown up on "Star Trek", there is no way that I could have ever done justice in reaching out to Trekkies, a significant portion of the population! Cindy, we salute you, Vulcan style.

Now, the reason for my absence last week is that I was on a pilgrimage to Santa Cruz, California. For those not in the know, Santa Cruz is a veritable mecca for aging hippies, skater kids, and eccentric homeless. However, and more importantly, it was the location for the 80's masterpiece "The Lost Boys", perhaps the pinnacle of any hunk enthusiast's collection. Let's peruse, shall we?

Corey Haim

My favo(u)rite Canadian-citizen-turned-Hollywood-teen-idol, and one half of the überpairing that was "The Coreys". Comedy, drama, dramady, Corey Haim could do it all. Here are some words that rhyme with Corey: Gory. Story. Allegory. Montessori. Music to my ears!

Thanks to Corey Feldman, I never really got over my love of the mischievous heartbreaker, nor my love of a good 'n' feathered 80's mullet. He has a smaller mouth than Corey Haim, which leads me to believe that I could tell him my deepest and darkest secrets, and he'd never peep a word to anybody. Plus he's a Cancer, so he's a nester - someone with whom you could really build a home, you know? Keep an eye out for him in the upcoming "Lost Boys 2: The Tribe"!

Corey Feldman

Kiefer Sutherland

While Corey Haim might be my favo(u)rite Canadian-citizen-turned-Hollywood-teen-idol, Kiefer Sutherland might just be my favo(u)rite Canadian-citizen-born-to-Donald-Sutherland-turned-Hollywood-actor. Need another reason to love him? "During the autumn of 2001, Sutherland unintentionally interrupted the filming of [...] The Lonely Island. [...T]he main characters develop an addiction to teeth whitener, and eventually mug an old woman to facilitate their addiction. Sutherland, driving by at the time, believed the mugging was real and jumped out of his car to intervene." My hero! Except for the DUIs.

What is there to say about Jason Patric? He was in "Speed 2: Cruise Control". And uh...he has pretty eyes?

Jason Patric

Though I didn't see any of the original actors or get abducted by vampires (though I did get verbally abused for not wearing green on St. Patrick's Day by no less than 3 different parties!), the trip to Santa Cruz was a resounding success, and I would highly recommend it to hunk aficionados, 80s fans, and civilians alike. Except for the bit about Laffing Sal, who is just straight up terrifying.

As previously mentioned, we here at Overlooked were inspired by Michelle Collins' post, "The Top 20 Stupid Faces Made By Patrick Swayze in Ghost", over at VH1's Best Week Ever. It quickly fueled a discussion about the weird faces that Claire Danes makes; specifically, the ones made in the best American teen drama EVER, My So-Called Life (the whole series is available on DVD for $30-45! OMG!). This show introduced us to the many faces of Claire Danes, most notably her face in tears, with that interesting chin thing that happens. The whole afternoon was then spent watching endless clips on Youtube, trying to capture the very best shots of Claire's face.

lengli spent her time finding scenes from Little Women and Romeo & Juliet giving me exact times to watch, while I tried tirelessly to screenshot the right faces. Yes people, this was a mission. I must add that lengli is VERY good at making that low- pitched grunting noise that precedes one of Claire's emotional breakdowns. Oh if only you could hear it.

Having spent way too much time drooling over Jordan Catalano, we were only able to narrow it down to 5 shots (well more like 6, the 5th is an animated gif I just HAD TO create). #1 and #4 fully capture the anomaly that is Claire's chin. Enjoy!

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Is it just me, or is this completely the opposite of everything that a snow globe is supposed to represent? When I think of snow globes, I think of a lovely little scene - perhaps the Eiffel Tower, the North Pole, or Cleveland - that is instantly made magical by the light dusting of newly-fallen snow.

Instead we get to shake up the globe and see Freddy's newest victim have her vision obstructed by all the random crap that's swirling through the air as he lays in wait, pondering the perfect moment to strike.

Despite my reservations, I'm tagging this as a gift idea because we all have those occasions where you just want to completely alienate someone. Pestery great-aunt keeps sending you socks for your birthday? Send her one of these babies for hers and she'll soon realize you aren't worth the trouble. Ex-boyfriends or girlfriends keep calling? FedEx this over and wait for the restraining orders to come in!* Or maybe you just have a horror film enthusiast in your life, in which case this actually is the perfect gift. But if you ask me, you might want to reconsider that particular friendship. For your own good.

*Neither Overlooked nor ShopWiki condone this sort of behavior, you sick, sick bastard.

They're both cinematic brilliance? Yes. They'll share cult classic status? Yes, that too. But there's one more you'll never get. They were both filmed in my li'l hometown of Las Vegas, New Mexico. I know, you thought Las Vegas was in Nevada hah-hah blah-blah. But my Las Vegas is quaint, beautiful and a hotbed of hollywood film sets.

Red Dawn is one of my favorites and though it was never up for an Oscar like fancy pants No Country, the movie always manages to entertain. My junior high and parts of Vegas' downtown area were blown up and that's enough to make any angst-ridden kid happy, very very happy. WOLVERINES!!!!

No Country for Old Men sure blew away the critics. The Coen brothers are apparently geniuses, Javier Bardem makes for one hell of a creepy guy, and Las Vegas, NM was a good backdrop for murder and general bloodshed. Congrats to No Country!

Really what I wanted to do is share with you the shopping spree I went on after looking up Las Vegas, New Mexico in our wonderful comparison shopping engine. First, something I couldn't buy: This historic building going for $1.2 million. Shopwiki, can I have a raise? If I'm not mistaken this building is the Murphey's Drug Store building. Many shots from both Wyatt Earp and All the Pretty Horses were filmed there. Anyone want to go halfsies with me? Anyway, my other purchases included a black Las Vegas, NM t-shirt that I will wear proudly in the streets of New York City, a brown "New Mexico: Cleaner Than Regular Mexico" t-shirt that I will wear ironically in some hipster bar, AND a book, Jewish Pioneers of New Mexico. I swore we had ZERO Jewish people in New Mexico because up until I moved away, I had never met one. I have spoken of this to my Jewish coworkers who undoubtedly think I'm an uncultured small town hick.

I'm pretty excited about my purchases and hope that you are excited for me. Now lets hope my jobby job gives me a raisey raise because working here is going to break me.