Jeremy at the Movies (2022)

Cool; only if it's no real hassle. I was pretty sure I kept it somewhere because I thought it was a neat little project and I was rather proud of my writing on it but in any case I think it deserves a spot on the Film sub along with all of the other 'layabout' threads. My TLDR thoughts on the matter were broadly in agreement with Kubrick, insofar that the qualities of good writing did not necessarily correspond with that of good filmmaking, and as such I understood why he presented Jack as a vehicle or cipher for surrounding idiosyncratic themes and topics and why the (faithful) miniseries came regularly afoul of events that appear ridiculous off-page. Besides, I think the film is such a tour-de-force of visuals, techniques and sound design that it pretty much becomes auteur theory 101, and better described as an experience than a movie, if you'll permit a tired adage.

It would appear that Jeremy loves him some 12 Angry Men.  It's a very good film, to be sure, but I must admit that I find Henry Fonda's character in the film to be irritating af.  I have a very low tolerance for vaguely self-righteous individuals, is all.  He's meant to be the thoughtful, sympathetic juror, but he somehow manages to annoy me nonetheless. Heh.

It is interesting to see how users have consistently changed on this forum over the years, even if there's been substantially less change in the ProBoards era. I'm happy to keep the place humming for as long as people remain interested.

I do sometimes look back at the old stuff, although I admit I cringe at 90% of the stuff I wrote before I turned 21, reviews included.



So it's been a long time since I watched 2001 (I kind of want to revisit it to approach it with adult eyes) and I skipped through large chunks of A Clockwork Orange. Still haven't seen a lot of his films, so I can't make any broad statements yet. (Though I can already tell he's the kind of director whose work I will less enjoy than appreciate.)

Going through a director's complete filmography is a fun task - I did that a few years ago with Wes Anderson, and more recently with Robert Zemeckis, though I haven't put out a ranked list yet. I've also by now seen most of the Coen Brothers' films (including Joel's solo Tragedy of MacBeth, which I watched over the weekend), so maybe I'll aim to finish the rest of those this year. Other than that, I haven't set any specific milestones, though some have been floating around my brain.



Yeah, I could tell early on that I was going to love 12 Angry Men, which combines a minimalist setting with subversive character analyses and intriguing themes about evidence and perception. Fonda's character is something of a cipher (he's the least developed of the dozen leads, almost by default), but I found his character likable and believable enough, especially since we're supposed to be on his side from the start. Great moments of tension with little use of music. Spectacular film.

Since I recently completed Robert Zemeckis' filmography (to date, that is - he's doing a Pinocchio remake for Disney, because lord knows we don't have enough Pinocchio remakes), I thought I'd try my hand at ranking all twenty of his movies. He's a fascinating director - able to capture childhood whimsy and adult pathos in equal measure, and his excellent highs are countered (especially in recent years) by some fairly dismal lows.

Here's my ranking, from the lowest on up:

20. Welcome to Marwen - Easily Zemeckis' worst film, this is a tone-deaf exploration of mental health and PTSD, filled with creepy and uncomfortable CGI to make Steve Carell's wartime dolls come to life. Clearly produced with good intentions, but dull and ineffective.

19. The Witches - Though released in 2020, this has turn-of-the-century DCOM vibes with its cheesy script, hokey effects, and dance-number finale. Anne Hathaway is fun as the villain, but I barely remember anything else.

18. What Lies Beneath - A promising setup and good performances from Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford keep this afloat for a bit, but it's fatally overlong (with no fewer than three climaxes) and the big twist doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Written by Phil Coulson, though!

17. Allied - Is it obvious that I don't like his recent films? Zemeckis seems out of his element with this R-rated wartime drama, though the cast and cinematography are in fine form.

16. Beowulf - Some cool action and inspired monster designs, but the human characters are cookie-cutter and the animation hasn't aged too well.

15. The Polar Express - A cute movie, but not nearly enough plot to sustain a feature film. See above re. animation - although the train-as-rollercoaster scene is pretty epic.

14. Used Cars - Some good screwball humor, unfortunately undercut by a coarse and mean-spirited tone. The film aims for black comedy, but the approach is unsure and inconsistent. Still, undoubtedly some talent displayed behind the camera in this early outing.

13. A Christmas Carol - The best of Zemeckis' three mo-cap films, boasting fine animation and some grand swooping camerawork, as well as a palpably dark tone. Not the best rendition of the Dickens tale, but effective nonetheless.

12. Back to the Future Part II - The weakest film in the beloved trilogy, mostly due to a slogging second act (though the Tannen-Trump comparisons seem quite prescient in retrospect). The final half-hour is quite fun and creative, perhaps one of the best sustained sequences in the franchise.

11. I Wanna Hold Your Hand - Zemeckis' debut feature is fine comedic farce, though a bit protracted. Certainly a better Beatles film than Yesterday.

10. Flight - Some script and structure issues are compensated for by Denzel Washington's riveting performance. The first half hour is tense and horrifying; the film then gives way to more muted human drama. The best of RZ's "adult" pics.

9. Romancing the Stone - Saturday-matinee adventure yarn, with fun leads in Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. Good balance of comedy and action in the Indiana Jones vein. Very entertaining, despite the awful title.

8. The Walk - Part historical biopic, part vertigo-inducing spectacle feature, this is an impressive balancing act (hahaha) that tells its story briskly and assuredly. Like Gravity, it works best on the big screen, but the human thread is compelling to watch even on an iPhone. (No, I did not watch it on an iPhone.)

7. Contact - A little cheesy in spots, and perhaps overall too earnest. But a moving and grounded sci-fi story with a strong anchor in Jodie Foster.

6. Back to the Future Part III - Sends the trilogy out in style, tying up many loose ends in creative and unexpected ways, and featuring a sincere homage to classic Hollywood Westerns.

5. Forrest Gump - Still not entirely sure what the message of this movie is (although certain factions of the Internet have amusingly pegged it as right-wing propaganda). But it's a dryly funny film with a committed performance from Tom Hanks, and some of the most quotable lines in film history.

4. Death Becomes Her - A gleefully macabre film which combines a funny and airtight script with some standout performances (including an unsurprisingly great Meryl Streep) and features some ingeniously disturbing special effects.

3. Cast Away - Sure, it ends on a whimper. But this is perhaps Zemeckis' greatest achievement in pure filmmaking - a story that eschews music, narration, and supporting cast in favor of letting a talented director and brilliant star (Hanks again!) capture the spirit and horror of loneliness and the urge to survive against all odds.

2. Back to the Future - Lightning in a bottle, and the rare film that kids and adults can enjoy in equal measure. Great cast, story, music, effects - and it still holds up all these decades later. Not sure I can say anything that hasn't been said before.

1. Who Framed Roger Rabbit - Just gets better every time I watch it. Brilliantly captures the tone and feel of 1940s Hollywood noir, and features one iconic character after another. Spectacular blending of live-action and animation is compounded by the film's attention to detail (I still have trouble catching all the cartoon cameos) and inventive world-building. A marvel of cinema, and Zemeckis' best film.

You've actually done slightly more homework on Zemeckis than me, partly because I felt like I'd dreamt the trailer for Welcome to Marven - never before have I known a film to provoke attention then so quickly vanish from all public acknowledgement.