30 April 2015

Thursday Movie Picks: Father-Daughter Relationships


"Fathers be good to your daughters." - John Mayer

That lyric is so deep I can hardly stand it.

Anyway, a father and his little girl...Nothing cuter. Nothing. The school I work at loans its gym out every year to host the town "Daddy-Daughter Dance." The Facebook posts reach levels of sweetness hardly bearable to a cold, childless soul like me. Of course, all these are little girls. I get to know the daughters in my town when they come to my middle school classroom as attitude-riddled, annoyed early adolescents. As far as movies go, I think I like that dynamic the best. The ones willing to answer the question:  What happens when that cute little girl is no longer a cute little girl? 

So, it's another week as part of Wandering through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks Meme.

26 April 2015

Blind Spot 2015: Mean Streets

Created and Hosted by Ryan McNeil at The Matinee

I have tried to watch Martin Scorsese's 1973 tale of sins and sinners, Mean Streets, before. I failed to make it through it. I think I might have been under the influence of something and fallen asleep. I was in college at the time after all. Anyhow, I did it right this time. And on first full viewing alone, this film stands as a movie that doesn't totally work for me, or maybe at all. It's there visually, and I mean really there. Let's say this: On reaction alone, when this movie works, it really works. When it doesn't, it really doesn't.

The big opposition for me comes with the backbone of this thing, the plot, or lack of plot. I like the simplicity:  A small-time Little Italy tough named Charlie (Harvey Keitel) struggles with an unstable best friend, Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro), a secretive relationship with the epileptic Teresa (Amy Robinson), and, most importantly, his own demons, as driven by deep Catholic guilt. Charlie is on the up-and-up with made guy, Michael (Richard Romanus), and even with the higher-ups, including his uncle Giovanni (Cesare Danova), but the obstacles in his path and his compassionate demeanor keep him from the kind of success he thinks he wants.

22 April 2015

Thursday Movie Picks: Superhero Movies


I only truly love three "superhero" franchises:  Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, and the X-Men series, originated by director Bryan Singer, who came back for the latest piece in the latest trilogy, which is easily my favorite since the original.

Now, let me be clear:  I am not big on superhero movies, or even traditional comic books, for that matter. It's just not for me. I am not a fanboy as far as this sort of thing is concerned. And I honestly haven't seen a superhero movie pre-Tim Burton's "Batman" (1989).

I fell in with the wave of new special effects extravaganzas, starting with the franchises listed above. Singer, Raimi, and Nolan revolutionized the genre and have made it what it is today. I'm pretty sure every superhero will have had a movie by the end of this decade. Maybe that's good. I haven't liked much of anything outside of these three biggies, except for I sort of liked the original "Iron Man" (2008).

And so we're back with another week in Wandering through the Shelves Thursday Movie Picks Meme...

This time...Superhero Movies, or (How the second film in the trilogy is best).

19 April 2015

The Five Senses Blogathan


I ran across this blogathon, hosted by Nostra at My Film Views, a while back and had planned on participating. I sort of forgot about it, then it started popping back up as of late on several blogs I follow. So, refreshed memory and all, I decided to jump in. 

16 April 2015

Thursday Movie Picks: Police Movies


Without a doubt, there is an attitude toward police of mistrust among many people in this country. That has most likely always been the case. Police forces breed corruption. Citizens don't trust them. Criminals don't respect them (for the most part). And rightly so. They beat and/or shoot people to death. At least, that's what we hear on the news. That's what possesses us. The sensationalism. It's what we talk about in this life, and it's what we love in our movies, especially our movies about the police.

Of course, most police officers are good people performing a noble civic duty. Men and women doing a job that really doesn't pay extremely well, despite incredible amounts of danger and sacrifice. Crappy (and long) shifts. Tons of paperwork. And, in the case of most American cities and towns, not a lot of action, which can turn bad in and of itself (I won't go there.).

06 April 2015

Top Ten Baseball Movies


Baseball is my favorite sport, the greatest sport. Sure. Football has replaced it as "America's game." Steroids nearly ruined it. But it is still the best game ever created. It takes not only talent but also immense skill, strength and speed. It is a game that, to paraphrase sports writer Bob Costas, has a pace, a rhythm unlike any other game. It allows for conversation and reflection. 

My wife and I have a life goal to visit every single MLB stadium. We've done at least one every year. So far, we've hit nine of them together. Numbers 10, 11, and 12 coming next month. There is just nothing better than sitting in the warm sun with cold beer, a hot dog, and some peanuts and rooting for the home team. 

Today is Opening Day. I'm with Ozzie Smith. It should be a federal holiday. We should all be off work and at the nearest ball park. Of course, it's raining here, so no ball would be played at our local temple, Smokies Park, Home of the Chicago Cubs AA affiliate, the Tennessee Smokies. No matter. 

02 April 2015

Thursday Movie Picks: Teen Comedies


Another week, another entry in Wandering through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks Meme. This is a good one...The Teen Comedy.

This category lends itself to bad movies. There are just so many that miss the mark. Thankfully, there has already been one this year that totally works on all the levels we teen comedy fans desire. That being "The Duff," starring Mae Whitman. (Read my review of that one here.)

I went with three of the best. Two of which were movies I actually saw when I was already in my twenties. That says a lot about them, that they work for people not in their targeted demographic. Of course, I had to pick an 80s gem as well. But no John Hughes here. Not this time.