(Not a Review) The Pantheon

There is a particular group of movies that hold a special place in my heart. These are the movies to which I make my references, of which I am continually reminded, and about which I chuckle to myself.

Duck Soup
The Awful Truth
Bringing Up Baby
The Philadephia Story
Casablanca
Blazing Saddles
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Animal House
Airplane!
Ghostbusters
Scrooged
A Fish Called Wanda
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Groundhog Day
The Big Lebowski
Intolerable Cruelty
High Fidelity
The Forty-Year-Old Virgin
Idiocracy 
Tropic Thunder

I wish there were a Shakespeare movie to put on this list, and Brannagh's Henry V and Much Ado About Nothing come close, but they don't quite make it. Also, except for Casablanca, this is obviously a list of comedies. Movies such as The Third Man would be on the list if it were broader. Casablanca is on it because it's friggin' Casablanca.

N.B. People whose taste I trust completely hate some of these movies (especially The Big Lebowski). That makes them no less awesome in my humble opinion.

P.S. If you're a Buster Keaton fan, my apologies. I've never enjoyed anything I've seen by him, and, like a good film student, I've tried. I thought his cameo in Sunset Boulevard was funny.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, 1988

Directed by Frank Oz
Written by Dale Launer, Stanley Shapiro, and Paul Henning
Starring Michael Caine, Steve Martin, Glenne Headly

This is one of my all-time favorite movies. It's the story of two con-men -- the older classier Brit (Caine, of course) and the younger, crasser American (Martin) -- as they battle for the money of an American woman (Headly).

The script is great, with deceptions and double-meanings abounding. The direction is crisp and clever. The music has a lovely, old-school feel to it. And the performances are all right on the money, from the leads and all the supporting actors. There's some not-very politically correct humor involving the handicapped, but it's never at their expense.

I can and have watched this movie over and over again. (Disclosure: I am a big Steve Martin fan, as evidenced here, here, and here.)

I believe this is the movie that caused the creation of the pantheon.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at IMDB.

The Spy Next Door, 2010

Directed by Brian Levant
Written by Jonathan Bernstein, James Greer, and Gregory Poirier
Starring Jackie Chan, Madeline Carroll, Will Shadley, Alina Foley

This action-packed movie is supposed to be and fails to be light-hearted. In spite of Jackie Chan doing lots of good stunts and trying to be likeable, this movie is mean-spirited and saccharine, features dialogue like a bad sitcom, and has that written-by-committee-to-satisfy-corporate-and-focus-group-needs feeling. Kids might like this movie, but it's filled with sufficiently bad examples of behavior to make it avoidable on that count alone. Skip it.

The Spy Next Door at IMDB.

The Absent-Minded Waiter, 1977

Directed by Carl Gottlieb
Written by Steve Martin
Starring Steve Martin, Buck Henry, Teri Garr

This short film (7 minutes) chronicles the outrageously bad service that an absent-minded waiter (Martin) gives to a couple (Henry and Garr). It's classic Steve Martin from the apex of his stand-up period, when he used to play it prior to his performances. Simple and very funny.

The Absent-Minded Waiter at IMDB.

Batman, 1966

Directed by Leslie H. Martinson
Written by Lorenzo Semple, Jr.
Starring Adam West, Burt Ward, Burgess Meredith, Lee Meriwether, Cesar Romero, Frank Gorshin

This is not the dark pseudo-investigation of I-don't-know-what that Christopher Nolan's been pursuing recently. It's the full-length movie associated with the goofy TV show in the 1960's. It's like an extended and expanded episode of the show. There are bat-boats and bat-copters. Instead of one villain, there are four (Penguin, Catwoman, Joker, and Riddler). And the plot is more complex.

It's funny. If you haven't seen too many Batman episodes recently, it's more fun. The problem with Batman is that since there are a limited number of jokes, it does get old after a while; when I most recently watched this movie, I hadn't seen any Bat-thing in quite a while, so it was good that way.

If you're watching so you can see a fight with "Kapow!" on the screen, they save that until the end.

Also, regarding Adam West: a lot of people underrate his work as a comic actor. He is consistently funny in this movie and in the show. I've heard and read comments that he didn't know what he was doing, as if his timing and delivery were accidentally good. They're not. He knows what he's doing and he's good at it.

Batman at IMDB.

Happy Accidents, 2000

Directed by Brad Anderson
Written by Brad Anderson
Starring Marisa Tomei, Vincent D'Onofrio, Holland Taylor

This is a not-so-great sci-fi dramedy romance with an indy look to it. I think it was supposed to be deep, but I didn't buy it. It's one of those stories where you're not actually sure what the truth is (a la K-PAX), but at least they actually weighed in on what's real and what isn't, so the ending isn't irksome that way. The acting was okay and I have a soft spot Mike McGlone because of the Brothers McMullen (he's only in it for five minutes), but that's not reason enough to recommend it.

Happy Accidents at IMDB.

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Casablanca, 1943

Directed by Michael Curtiz
Written by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch
Starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid

As if you needed any encouragement to see this, perhaps the best Hollywood movie ever...

Bogart is in peak form. Ingrid Bergman is wonderful. Claude Rains hits all the right notes. Paul Henreid does understated but excellent work. And Conrad Veidt is the perfect bad guy. (And, of course, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet are awesome, but that's like praising Curt Schilling's pitching.)

It looks great. Dooley Wilson's music sounds great. The story is compelling.

If you haven't seen it in a while, it's just as good as in your memory -- if not better. (Extra fun fact: Bergman and Bogart are people numbers 6 and 7 at IMDB, so somebody else obviously likes this movie.)

One of the few non-comedy members of the pantheon.

Casablanca at IMDB.

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Places to hear from me:
Food - josh lubarr food stuff
Geekiness - geekiness(josh lubarr)
Movies - Old Movies and New with Josh Lubarr
Places in the real world - Good Things around Boston (according to Josh Lubarr)
Politics - Progressive Politics (per Josh Lubarr)
Silliness and comedy - Le Repository du Silliness, avec Josh Lubarr

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, 1982

Directed by Nicholas Meyer
Written by Jack B. Sowards from a story by Harve Bennett and Jack B. Sowards
Starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley

One of the best entries of the Star Trek movies, with everybody in fine form and the story being a follow-on to a good episode from the original series (Space Seed), plus with better (read more expensive) special effects. Ricardo Montalban is good as Khan, too, with an acting style that matches Shatner's well.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan at IMDB.


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The places to hear from me:
Food - josh lubarr food stuff
Geekiness - geekiness(josh lubarr)
Movies - Old Movies and New with Josh Lubarr
Places in the real world - Good Things around Boston (according to Josh Lubarr)
Politics - Progressive Politics (per Josh Lubarr)
Silliness and comedy - Le Repository du Silliness, avec Josh Lubarr

The Third Man, 1949

Directed by Carol Reed
Written by Graham Greene
Starring Joseph Cotten, Orson Welles, and Alida Valli

This is a real pleasure of a movie. The mystery is fun, and the story is smart, relevant, and not formulaic. The characters are well-played and their interactions are realistic rather than simplistic (i.e., not a typical Hollywood movie). The music is good, though I'm not as enthralled by as it many others. The black-and-white cinematography looks great, and there are some incredibly powerful and memorable images.

Orson Welles is particularly compelling, so it's worth the lengthy wait until he appears in the movie.

The newest addition to the pantheon.

The Third Man at IMDB.

- Not a Review - regarding the Big Lebowski reunion in NYC on 16 August 2011

Must Have Been Interesting...

What? Last night's Big Lebowski cast reunion, of course. Sounds like it was a pretty wacky evening. Coverage at Entertainment Weekly, Time, MTV, and elsewhere. Nothing on at foxnews.com, strangely enough.

The Big Lebowski at IMDB. The Lebowski Fest site, if you're that obsessed.

Cross posted at The Repository du Silliness, avec Josh Lubarr.

The Mask, 1994

Directed by Chuck Russell
Written by Mike Werb, story by Michael Fallon and Mark Verheiden
Starring Jim Carrey, Cameron Diaz, Peter Greene, and Peter Riegert

This is a really fun, high-spirited romp. Jim Carrey's energy and many voices are perfectly suited for this vehicle, and they pull of the special effects in just the right tone (I especially enjoyed his cowboy "death" followed by his Oscar® acceptance speech). This movie probably isn't as pleasurable for people who don't like old cartoons, but it's certainly a joy for those who do. Peter Riegert is also fun as the perpetually annoyed cop.

The Mask at IMDB.

High Fidelity, 2000

Directed by Stephen Frears
Written by D.V. DeVincentis & Steve Pink & John Cusack and Scott Rosenberg from the novel by Nick Hornby
Starring John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Jack Black, and Todd Louiso

This is an all-time favorite of mine. Among its many excellent virtues:

• John Cusack's Rob, which is a non-show-offy but excellent acting job with a character who has no shortage of bad qualities and for an actor who has to spend much of his time talking to the audience and actually having a relationship with them.
• Jack Black's break-out role.
• Great supporting performances by Iben Hjejle, Todd Louiso, Joan Cusack, the inexplicably uncredited Catherine Zeta-Jones, and the incredibly hilarious Tim Robbins.
• The music.
• The "yet" discussion.

One of the younger members of the pantheon.

High Fidelity at IMDB.

The Last Picture Show, 1971

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich
Written by Peter Bogdanovich and Larry McMurtry
Starring Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Ben Johnson, Cloris Leachman

This is a powerful and hard-to-watch movie. It is often described as a coming of age movie, but it's more like a coming to terms story. Everyone in this story, the young people and the old are all so lost and have no mooring. Timothy Bottoms gives a really fine performance as the young man growing up who really hurts some others along the way; even more so for Cybill Shepherd. The story doesn't flinch from that, which makes it both stronger and more painful.

The Last Picture Show at IMDB.

Midnight in Paris, 2011

Directed by Woody Allen
Written by Woody Allen
Starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard

This is a charming movie and Woody Allen shows off Paris in the manner his charming manner. For anyone fond of the nineteen-twenties and the arts at that time, it's particularly amusing. It's a pleasant and at-times delightful picture. It has its problems, but they're exactly what one can expect from a Woody Allen movie, so they're pretty easy to forgive.

Owen Wilson deports himself well as the Allen stand-in, doing a workmanlike job of making the part his own (though Allen's voice feels ever-present as he speaks). Rachel McAdams, Kurt Fuller, Mimi Kennedy, and Michael Sheen all successfully play grating and unlikeable characters, much to their credit (though these characters highlight the shortcomings in the script). All the actors in the 'twenties are a pleasure to watch, with Corey Stoll as Hemingway standing out among them.

And, of course, it looks great.

Midnight in Paris at IMDB.

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, 1999

Directed by Jay Roach
Written by Mike Myers and Michael McCullers
Starring Mike Myers, Heather Graham, Mindy Sterling, Verne Troyer, and Seth Green

This is my favorite of these movies. It introduces Mini-Me, and all of the business with Verne Troyer is very funny. The opening bit with Elizabeth Hurley and then the credits is great; admittedly, the very first few minutes of the third one is better -- up to when the Steven Spielberg double does handsprings and joins the dancers is better, but that one goes on too long. The "love" scene with Dr. Evil and Frau Farbissina is awesome. And Tim Robbins' cameo is also top-notch.

I like Fat Bastard less than some, and thought Heather Graham was okay, but the romance or personal in this series has always been secondary and, frankly, sometimes a little maudlin.

Big, 1988

Directed by Penny Marshall
Written by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg
Starring Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, and Jared Rushton

This is a sweet movie about boy who gets his wish to be big, and what happens because of that. It has some funny parts, but is more poignant than comic. It's not really a movie for kids, as it is partly a reflection on innocence, growing up, and adulthood. Tom Hanks does a good job of playing a boy in a man's body without getting the cheap laughs that were certainly available.

The Maltese Falcon, 1941

Directed by John Huston
Written by John Huston from the Dashell Hammett novel
Starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet

This a classic Bogart detective movie and there's a reason for it. He's great as the protagonist who's no hero; Lorre and Greenstreet are as satisfying as ever; Mary Astor does good work; and all the other players perform admirably. There are double-crosses, mickey finns, a femme fatale -- and everything else you'd want or expect. It's a real pleasure.

The Maltese Falcon at IMDB.

Duck Soup, 1933

Directed by Leo McCarey
Starring the Four Marx Brothers, Margaret Dumont, and Louis Calhern
Written by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, with additional dialogue by Arthur Sheekman and Nat Perrin

Where does one begin in singing the praises of this movie? Harpo and Chico are so funny in their scenes with Trentino (Calhern) and the lemonade vendor (Edgar Kennedy) that it might be the best Marx Brothers movie even if Groucho weren't in it. But he is in it, and he's fabulous, too: his entrance and first scene are top of the line, and everything with all three of them in Margaret Dumont's mansion is fantastic. Most people love the mirror scene the best in that part, but I prefer watching Harpo after he's tried to "open the safe." In addition to the mirror scene, there's also great little exchange that Groucho and Harpo have about Harpo's tattoos, so there's the bonus of watching the two of them together a little more than usual. And if you're like Groucho (and me), and prefer that there's no harp and piano, then you get your druthers on that, too. Zeppo's fine, and makes for nice symmetry in the choreography of song before the war; he also has a nice gag with a hat, but it's Harpo's joke, even though he's already off-screen.

With this and the Awful Truth, Leo McCarey puts himself in the pantheon of comedy gods. Also, this is in the pantheon.

Duck Soup at IMDB.

Modern Times, 1936

Directed by Charlie Chaplin
Written by Charlie Chaplin
Starring Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard

The tramp's final outing is a real pleasure. The best comedy is in the factory scene during the first twenty minutes, but there's good material later, too. There's particular note of the historical context of this movie coming nearly a decade after the arrival of sound, the tramp having never spoken before, the song that he sings, and the ending; even for viewers that aren't aware of it, there's no loss -- it's only a hidden bonus.

He also wrote the music, which is another little delight.

Modern Times at IMDB.