Watching a Movie a Day: Week 1 (The Godfather, Beetlejuice, and Lots of Dead People)
Movies:
- The Godfather
- Bonnie and Clyde
- Edward Scissorhands
- Beetlejuice
- Her
- Dead Poets Society
- Loving Vincent
Week one, and we're not off to a good start. (I only watched 4 of the movies). I suppose no one is reading this anyway, but I did get an interesting reply to the Godfather review on tumblr. I'm not going to excuse myself, but I will list reasons why.
- I expect too much of myself
- I fall asleep to movies ridiculously easily
- School runs too fucking long
And those are my reasons. I stopped like 55 minutes into Her, and maybe part of it is just that the movie isn't that compelling. Weird, but not in an intriguing way just in a... way. Not soulless, but not ripe with prestige. Either way, it doesn't matter I didn't fucking finish it. So the three final movies will carry over into next week.
The Godfather
"Family Values"
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Screenplay: FFC, Mario Puzo
Based on a book of the same name (also written by Puzo), apparently, The Godfather's legacy is practically undying. While watching, I kept in mind the quote "It insists upon itself" a la, Peter Griffin, but the only insisting I found was that of other people upon it, rather than The Godfather upon itself. In sane person speech, I mean that the culture surrounding The Godfather is much more masturbatory than the actual contents of the movie.
I find this to be the case with many iconic 'films for the ages'. For example, The 400 Blows. I think it's generally considered one of the greatest (or I suppose at least most influential) films of all time, but personally, I wasn't so moved by it, even though I consider it to be great. Of course it was the 60s and yada yada it'll feel unoriginal because I've already seen everything derived from it, Citizen Kane style idk, but anyways, my diagnosis is that The Godfather is quite good.
I put off watching it for a while actually. Because it's three hours long, and I rarely have the attention span for movies that long lol. But in all seriousness, in one of my first attempts to watch it, I ended up falling asleep, so I only got tiny little vignettes, and I had no clue what was happening. In all of my attempts following that (up until now), I tried to watch it on the same pirate streaming sites, and I just couldn't get into it because of the unfavorable quality. But this time! I torrented it. Because it's on paramount plus and it's one of the only streaming services we don't have, and I'm not going to bother getting a free trial because fuck that, anyways. This time I was watching a version that didn't sound like it was recorded on a toaster, and I was fully ready to stay invested for the full three hours. And I did! It was very compelling to say the least. Very suspenseful, and after an hour and a half I started sweating whenever someone got into a car.
I do have to say though, that it's not my kind of movie. As in I watch it and I don't feel the desire to imitate its artistry, only its prestige. As in I want to make someone people like as much as The Godfather because other people like it a lot, not because I like it lot. Anyways, I digress, plus I doubt you get what I'm talking about. X_X.
Anyways, it kind of made me feel like I want to have a big loving family of my own, but without the mafia parts of course. Spoilers for a movie that came out 50 years ago; I thought it was stupid how Michael married that one Sicilian girl, and then just went right back to Kay after she died. This seems like a weird thing to focus on, I know, but it kind of ruined their relationship for me. Why did he go back to Kay when he had no intention of ever seeing her again until Wife-1 died? It didn't seem like he actually wanted Kay, but like he was just like "fuck it, whatever", which isn't fair to Kay, you know?
Well, those are my thoughts on The Godfather. 9/10
Bonnie and Clyde
"A sexual subtype's wet dream"
If ykyk. I really got off to a rough start with this movie. I didn't really know much about it other than it was about Bonnie & Clyde who were a crime duo a long time ago. And I know like two and a half songs from the musical with Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan. But honestly, the beginning was just rough. There was ill-fitting dialogue and scene that just didn't make sense within the context of the story. And the way Bonnie and Clyde met was just so odd to me. If you care to read my notes, you'll see what I mean, but it really didn't seem natural at all. Frankly, I'm not sure if realism is what they were going for, but even from a more surrealist pov, it just seemed odd.
Although, as the movie went on, it most definitely improved. Towards the end in particular, the stakes felt much realer. The 'meet cute' of Bonnie and Clyde wasn't believable in the slightest, but as time went on their relationship felt much more tangible and genuine. Up until the very end where I was genuinely dreading both of their inevitable deaths.
Something of note is the strange blocking and editing. One example of this is the opening scene. What was Bonnie even doing? Not even mentioning the fact that she was naked, home alone, in a full face of make up with her hair done up. My hypothesis is that she was dreading getting ready for work, but this was poorly expressed, and came across as a scene to show off Faye Dunaway's glorious visuals, rather than a way to give the audience any significant information about the story or Bonnie's character. But to get back to the point, the way the scene was shot was very disorienting and strange. Very Christopher Nolan lol.
Not to mention the scene where B&C had their first genuine kiss. It was so fucking awkward. It was like one of those twitter edits where they take out the sound in a music performance and replace it with a bunch of shoe squeaks, but weirder because I'm not sure if it was intentional to have so much useless dead space.
The moments with very weird choppy editing and blocking (and occasionally dialogue) appear periodically throughout the movie. It's not a deal breaker or anything, but it's one of my filmmaking pet peeves. What can I say? I like to be able to tell what's actually happening amongst Blanche's incoherent screams (Omfg this chick was so fucking obnoxious) and gunshot blasts.
I feel like I should should give some some commentary on the whole delinquent great depression thing, but you know what, I don't feel like it.
-Okay so I'm watching this thing by the director saying they wanted to make a 60's movie about people during the great depression, and I think this sentiment is highlighted by the obviously 60's get ups Bonnie wears throughout the duration of the movie. Penn also mentioned how he had planned to shoot the the final death scene, and I concur that the scene was very well done.
The backdrop of the Great Depression kind of gives the movie a life like quality. The Barrow gang is huge across the American south (although it's kind of unclear where the gang is actually located at any given time), and the great depression is ravaging the masses. They don't exist in a vacuum and the real world either tails behind them, or is directly at their feet at any given moment. So that's a good thing about the movie.
But like I said before, the story really picked up once buck joined the crew, but honestly I have no clue when this was exactly. 7.5/10
Minus points for Blanche lol/hj
Here are the notes I took while watching if you're interested:
(in chronological order)
- This beginning is so male gazey. You mean to tell me she just hangs out in her room alone, fully naked, doing nothing, but with a full face of makeup on?
- Why does all the dialogue sound dubbed over?
- I’m really not off to a great start with this movie. And why does Bonnie just go along with this random guy who 1) was trying to steal her moms car and 2) just got out of prison for ARMED ROBBERY. I think the intention is that Bonnie is a little crazy too, but they’ve done a poor job of establishing that up until this point. I mean they’ve done a poor job of establishing literally anything up to this point 💀. Except that this movie is obviously going to be a sexual subtype’s wet dream
- So the start is rlly weird, but I think we’re getting to the point where it’s established that they’re both kinda crazy
- Omg is Clyde an asexual icon. But wait if he’s not into lover stuff why was he so intrigued by Bonnie standing naked in the window? If he didn’t care for it why wouldn’t he just go about his business? Instead he humored her, which doesn’t seem like smth a car thief would do if he wasnt trying to fuck her
- This argument is a total non sequitur was something cut out or?
- She kind of looks like Mia goth
- Do these old cars not have keys 💀
- Nothing about their conversation really feels naturalistic, but then again maybe that wasn’t the point but honestly I’m not sure
- Bonnie and Clyde aren’t racist, except the black man literally doesn’t get to say a single word lol
- Honestly I think this movie could do with a remake by someone who genuinely wants to improve the material
- I love how Bonnie has her make up on the whole time
- Holy shit this is the most awkward make out scene I’ve ever seen
- What is even happening 😭
- This is like awkward, interpretive modern dance choreography
- CW Moss and Clyde give the vibes of that meme where it’s the girl in the office and the hot guy flirts with her and she’s into it, and then the ugly guy flirts with her and she’s like “hello? H.R.?
- This movie is really really good at making really really awkward moments and I’m not sure if it’s on purpose
- What are they doing? Like what is their goal here?
- I’m guessing Clyde is sx blind lol
- Damn poor Blanche
- The way this is shot and edited is just so uncomfortable. Like the camera is just way too close at times
- Blanche is so screechy and annoying
- Hey gene wilder is in this movie. This makes me want to watch Willy wonka
- This scene is so funny lmao
- I was expecting this movie to be more like Bonnie and Clyde but instead it was more like Bonnie and Clyde, Buck, Blanche, and CW. it’s not like I’m upset about it, but it was a bit misleading lol
- Who the hell are these people
- How did they find her mom? I thought the whole thing was that she couldn’t see her mom because there were cops all over her mom‘s house, but if she can see her mom at this random fucking field, then what was the whole thing? there was no problem even
- Damn these bitches attract cops Everywhere they go. like moths to flames. Damn.
- This editing is giving Christopher Nolan
- There’s no way a mattress is enough cover for bullets. Also the blood effects r ass but it’s the 60s so I’ll give it a pass lol
- Blanche you fucking snitch
- it’s giving cmbyn peach scene
- Wow they didn’t stand a chance damn
- Rocky start, good middle-end
- What’s with all the genes in this cast
Edward Scissorhands
"How does he jerk off?"
Director: Tim Burton
Screenplay: Caroline Thompson
Edward Scissorhands, brought to you by the auteur who everyone thinks directed Coraline, but actually didn't. I've never felt particularly connected to Burton, or anything he's directed. With the exception of the live action Alice in Wonderland which I watched on repeat as a child in my parents car on the little tv screen in the back seat. Thinking of it now, having a tv screen in a car is an incredibly strange concept that's ridiculously odd to me. I digress, but however you feel about the live action remake, 4 year old me was hooked. I'm not sure if I can say the same for Edward Scissorhands. 90's Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder, are always attractive, but something about their connection felt fabricated.
I saw bits and piece of this one several years ago. Something I distinctly remembered was my sisters covering my eyes at the Joyce stripping scene, and now that I'm actually old enough to watch it, I'm very grateful they had done that lol.
I was debating subtitling this one "Why I hate women" because jeez the female neighbors were insufferable. And not to sound like one of those "this movie isn't feminist enough >:(" millennials who need to have a conversation with a real person, Kim was a constantly reactive (rather than an active/proactive, or honestly more interesting that this blog post) force within the story.
I had to watch this one in large chunks (and write this in smaller chunks) because I have other obligations, but honestly the story took a while to pick up, and I think that may have been a reason for the shallowness of Edward and Kim's connection. We have no real reason to believe Edward should matter to Kim, or that Kim should matter to Edward other than them finding each other mutually attractive (?) which is not enough of a reason outside of West Side Story (/hj), fairy tales, and shitty romcom fantasy land. It's around a full hour before their relationship actually kickstarts, and for a movie that's an hour forty-five, that's far too late in my opinion. Up until then it's more or less only alluded to and foreshadowed. So I suppose what I'm saying is that they didn't make good use of their time.
Beetlejuice
"Betelgeuse..."
Director: Tim Burton
Screenplay: Michael McDowell, Larry Wilson, Warren Skaaren
The guy from Howard The Duck is in this! Loved that movie. Anyway, Beetlejuice was alright. It has somewhat of an iconic status, and I'm sure it's a Halloween staple for many-a suburban family. I tried watching it once before, and I didn't make it very far. But what I had seen was a bootlegged recording of the Musical, which is very different from the movie. Which wasn't upsetting at all considering the fact that I'm not all that interested in the musical, and in that version Lydia is a total douche. For which version is better, I have no preference.
The thing is though, the story never really picks up. I have nothing against slower paced movies, but from ES and B, it seems as if Burton has a knack for choosing screenplays that have an uninteresting use of common narrative structures.
The creative use of lighting and effects made Beetlejuice a more fun watch, but the pretty lights do a poor job of masking the much sloppier story. It doesn't quite suffer from the Edward Scissorhands slice of life manga level of meandering, but I don't think it's much better. It relies on Barbra and Adam being clueless about being Ghosts, but we're never given a reason as to why that is. They don't "understand" the manual, but how come they can't seem to figure it out when every other character who had access to the booked seemed to understand it perfectly fine? It seems like they were written to be generally intelligent people, so why were they still clueless when they had an entire 300-400ish page book literally giving them instructions? They're ghosts, it's not like they were short on time. Maybe it's nitpicking, but if I noticed it, it probably isn't lol.
A shit ton was crammed into the final 15ish minutes. Where Betelgeuse swoops in and saves everything, minus the whole trying to marry Lydia part. Geuse's um... codependency was foreshadowed, but like ES, I feel like the substance was very much like bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbBBBHBIKBUHK. In terms of the movie's content. Although, in Beetlejuice, it was to a much lesser degree. And honestly, I feel like I might end up taking back this paragraph one day because I'm just not entirely sure how I feel about it.
Could've been better, Barbra is really pretty. 7/10 - extra points for the design.
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