To the left (above) is the brand new teaser poster from the new Star Wars film 'Revenge of the Sith" (in theaters May 19, 2005). To the right (above) is the teaser poster from 'The Phantom Menace' that some of you may remember. That TPM poster is one of my favorite movie posters ever. The new ROTS poster is definitely more menacing, but TPM is, by far, more haunting.
Films Recently Watched:
Mr. Deeds Goes To Town (1936) dir. by Frank Capra
Gary Cooper is Longfellow Deeds in this film about a simple man from the small town of Mandrake Falls, Vermont, who inherits a sum of $20 million dollars only to acquire the unwanted turmoil brought on by wealth.
Deeds says something simple, yet profound that stuck with me, he says, "People here are funny. They work so hard at living they forget how to live." Which reminded me of something my friend, Brian, had to say recently over at his blog; "Stillness will not allow itself to be found in a world where the acquisition and maintenance of wealth require constant vigil." Deeds quotes Henry David Thoreau in this film when looking at the New York skyline he says, "I got to thinking about what Thoreau said. 'They created a lot of grand palaces here, but they forgot to create the noblemen to put in them.' I'd rather have Mandrake Falls." Thoreau also wrote, "It is not enough to be busy...the question is: what are we busy about?" And it all goes back to scripture (of course): in Luke 12:15, Jesus says, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
Brian, I hope you feel that I've put you in good company, Capra, Thoreau, and God.
This film succeeds at both being a good romantic comedy as well as driving its point home clearly without compromise.
School of Rock (2003) dir. by Richard Linklater
Better than expected. I was hesitant on this one mainly because it starred Jack Black, but I heard enough good comments about it that I decided to give it a try. Jack Black stars as a rock star wannabe/slacker who pretends to be a substitute teacher at a classy prep-school. He eventually tries to turn his class of 10 and 11 year olds into a rock band, complete with groupies, manager, etc. and enter the group into the local "Battle of the Bands." This is not to be confused with Mr. Holland's Opus, but it works as a vehicle for Black's antics without allowing him to go completely over the top (OK, he's over the top on occasion). You didn't see this one up for the Academy's "best picture" for a reason, but the film is, for lack of a better word, "funny & sweet." (I know . . . it's two words, give me a break!)
Fallen (1998) dir. by Gregory Hoblit
My Sister has been hounding me for a year or more to watch this film. Denzel Washington is as good as ever in this supernatural thriller. With a supporting cast including John Goodman, Donald Sutherland, James Gandolfini, and Embeth Davidtz, I think this film succeeds at what it tries to do. I enjoyed it for what it is. I can't help but wonder, though, how much Jerry Ragovoy and his publisher got paid from this film and subsequent video/DVD releases. (Jerry Ragovoy is the writer of the song, "Time Is On My Side," used prominently throughout this film.)
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