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A Bridge Too Far (1977)

When I was writing my review about Platoon (1986) this week, I noted that a lot of American war films do not present both sides of the battle; so, with that freshly in mind, I was interested that this film does include at least a bit of the German perspective. And to be quite honest, the Germans are portrayed quite decently, or at least as no better and no worse than the Allies.  At one point, the Germans try to surrender to Lt. Col. Frost (Anthony Hopkins), but he tells them to go to hell. In response, the Germans act shocked. They were trying to play by the rules of war, and the Allies refused to follow those rules. It was only then that the German Field Commander said, Fine, destroy the city.  Until that point, you get the idea at least that Germany occupied The Netherlands, but they didn't turn it into a parking lot or rubble.  At another moment in the film, a German commander gave Allied prisoners chocolate. I mean, it's small things like that humanize the Germans, b...
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Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Give Quentin Tarantino $30,000 and a 16mm camera and see what he can do.  The budget was ultimately more than $30,000, but this has a very low-budget movie feel, not that that's a bad thing. In fact, it's almost exclusively shot in a warehouse.  As I was re-watching it, I thought about how this movie might work even better as a play. It's dramatic, sure, and it works as a film, but the focus to a single location would work very well on stage.  For the most part, the power of the film relies on the actors and the intensity in which they deliver their lines. We might not have known it in 1992, but this film includes many of what will become "Tarantino Guys" -- Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Harvey Keitel. The only "Guy" really missing is Samuel L. Jackson, who I understand auditioned for the part of Holdaway -- not a very big role, but a role that probably would have popped more with Jackson.  The movie is odd in that there is absolutely no female presence....
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Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Compared to Castle in the Sky (1986), Howl's Moving Castle feels like Hayao Miyazaki at his full power. What makes the film for me is the characters, in particular, Calcifer (the fire) and Turnip Head (the Scarecrow). Good English voice casting, too, if you like listening to the English audio: Billy Crystal as Calcifer -- my favorite line: "She likes my spark!" (very Mike Wazowski-like in delivery) --, Christian Bale as Howl, Lauren Bacall as the Witch of the Waste, Jean Simmons as the old Sophie, etc.  Sophie is an interesting character. She's supposed to be a little Jane Eyre-like, plain and unlovable. But she's cursed by the Witch of the Waste even so. None of that matters. Howl is still her true love, and even though she kisses a Prince (under a spell) in the end, she still ends up with Howl. That's a little odd, as the Prince promises he will be back later because she is his true love, and he knows how love is capricious -- in other words, he's nice a...
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Platoon (1986)

I guess I never realized that Sgt. Elias (Willem Dafoe) was the soldier on the movie poster. This re-viewing hit me in a way that past viewings haven't. I'm not sure why. Why would a college student, Chris (Charlie Sheen), drop out of school to enlist as a grunt? Maybe he was looking to be treated like one of the boys, because we certainly see that low-ranking officers, like the Lieutenant, aren't respected at all.  It's the grunts who fight, and it is the grunts who basically make the war happen.  Oliver Stone gives us just about everything we need to understand the war in four simple "acts": 1. The Ambush. Chris has only been in-country a week when he's on his third nighttime patrol. No one has taught him anything about patrols, and on this patrol, they're ambushed.  In films like this, you see the Americans going out to find and engage the enemy. The enemy must be doing the same, but this film, like most American war films, doesn't show us the e...
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Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)

Are we meant to be able to figure out who Jerry (Nick Nolte) is? 1. He can play the piano.  2. He can recite Hamlet. 3. While he's at lunch with Dave (Richard Dreyfuss), he's identified by a publishing agent as a famous writer. Beyond that, he's an enigma. He has some sort of charisma or animal magnetism -- he beds Dave's wife -- Barbara (Bette Midler), daughter -- Jenny (Tracy Nelson) and maid -- Carmen (Elizabeth Pena). How? Before he charms the ladies, however, he charms Dave. Why? At the opening of the film, somehow Jerry ends up in Dave's backyard. He's lost his dog, and his idea is to drown himself in this random Beverly Hills pool. Dave ends up saving his life, and then like some fable, he takes responsibility for the life he's just saved. He lets Jerry stay at the house, gives him a makeover, clothes, a credit card. And tries to give him a job, either in one of his factories or as a manager of one of his trailer parks.  Jerry's not interested in ...
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Castle in the Sky (1986)

I've liked Miyazaki films for 25 years now, and the ones I always tend to think about are My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Ponyo. There's nothing wrong with Castle in the Sky, or any of the other Miyazaki films, but I just don't think about them as much. In fact, it's been quite a while since I've seen this one, and after re-watching it, I'm still thinking that this is pretty good, but in terms of Miyazaki good, just below top tier.  I noticed that some reviewers had an issue with Captain Mom's pirate sons. They're all probably in their 30s, but they all -- jokingly or not -- have a crush on Sheeta. Well, I don't think the kitchen scene is meant to be taken all that seriously, but the pirates are mentally closer to Sheeta's age than their "biological" age. This is a very asexual movie.  Anyway, the pirates are interested in finding the lost island for the treasure. The military and t...
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12 Monkeys (1995)

For a fun drinking game, take a shot every time the film uses the word "psychiatrist."  The look of the film is great. Brad Pitt (Jeffrey) and Bruce Willis (James) act their butts off. And yet, when I finish the film, I feel unsatisfied.  I'm not happy with the ending. The virus has been released. The future hasn't been able to stop the past from happening. Well, I don't want to get into a time travel debate, but if the future fails, can't it just keep trying? This is one of those movies that has the cool idea, but then it never shows how it works. Which is fine. We get the idea that time travel is dangerous and inaccurate. The scientists use "volunteer" inmates because, I assume, they're disposable. James and Jose (Jon Seda) are two of the inmates we see, but there are other anonymous future folks keeping watch on James, too.  Ultimately, I guess much depends on that end scene. It's been referenced a number of times. James dreams it, because...
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