Monday Movie on the Mind: Dark City

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe: Monday Movie on the Mind. I’ll be kicking off some weeks with a clip or trailer from a film that happens to be on my mind, designed as a retrospective look at some well-known, forgotten, or underappreciated classic from movie history, be it antique or current. Chime in with your thoughts about the film or any other movies that you might be thinking of this week!

Dark City
Directed by Alex Proyas
Released February 27, 1998



After I saw the preview for “Haywire,” which will be tomorrow’s featured Tuesday Top Trailer, I noted that it was written by Lem Dobbs, who also penned this magnificent sci-fi gem from the 1990s. I was surprised to note that I hadn’t already featured it, since it’s one of the most memorable movies I’ve seen, notable also because most of the cast and crew haven’t done all that much since. Yes, it does feature a limping, creepy Kiefer Sutherland before his “24” days, but director Alex Proyas has only made three films since then, including “I, Robot,” and star Rufus Sewell hasn’t done too much in terms of impressive acting. Still, this is a terrific mind-bending experience. Set in a world that is constantly retouched and edited by the alien beings that control it, it’s a hypnotic, frantic experience that manages to be absolutely thrilling and even make a bit of sense. The effects, while they might not be top-notch in technology, are cool, and the whole story is rather intoxicating. Watch the trippy trailer above for a sneak peek, but if you’re into sci-fi, this is like a less advanced and modern version of “The Matrix,” which trades kung fu for a truly eerie and mesmerizing universe where nothing is permanent and everything can change overnight. The soundtrack by Trevor Jones also boasts some memorable tracks that very much serve to enhance the sedated, completely lost feel that the movie has.

Monday Movie on the Mind: American History X

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe: Monday Movie on the Mind. I’ll be kicking off each week with a clip or trailer from a film that happens to be on my mind, designed as a retrospective look at some well-known, forgotten, or underappreciated classic from movie history, be it antique or current. Chime in with your thoughts about the film or any other movies that you might be thinking of this week!

American History X
Directed by Tony Kaye
Released October 30, 1998

This iconic film is one of the best of the 1990s, and also one of the most disturbing. Fortunately, the two most horrifying clips were not embeddable, which is probably for the best since they don’t need to be seen here, though they do serve an important purpose in the film. The story of neo-Nazi high schooler Danny Vinyard (Edward Furlong) is told through black and white flashbacks to the influence of his brother Derek (Edward Norton) while Danny is given an assignment to write an essay on tolerance by one of his teachers. After he commits a violent murder, Derek begins to rehabilitate as he sees things differently in prison just as his brother heads down exactly the same path he did. Norton received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for his astonishing performance, and the film barely received any other accolades, save for a standing in the thirties in the top 250 rankings on IMDB. It’s an extraordinarily moving and upsetting story, and there are a few clips embedded below that capture the essence of this film. A simple basketball game becomes an epic racial territorial battle, complete with a sweeping score and overhead cinematography. In a discussion about Rodney King, Derek so freely spews hate as a horrified Murray (Elliott Gould) tries, with no luck, to get him to back down as Danny feeds right into it. In a later flashback, the root of the brothers’ hatred is revealed as their father Dennis (William Russ) teaches them hate with a smile on his face. From towards the end of the film (stop reading if you haven’t seen it), the dismounting of the symbols is a powerful scene, and there’s nothing quite as heartbreaking as the final moments of the film. If you haven’t seen it, watch it soon, but beware of some immensely disturbing content.

Basketball Game



Discussion about Rodney King



Derek and Danny’s Father



Taking Down the Symbols



Ending Scene

Monday Movie on the Mind: The French Connection

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe: Monday Movie on the Mind. I’ll be kicking off each week with a clip or trailer from a film that happens to be on my mind, designed as a retrospective look at some well-known, forgotten, or underappreciated classic from movie history, be it antique or current. Chime in with your thoughts about the film or any other movies that you might be thinking of this week!

The French Connection
Directed by William Friedkin
Released October 9, 1971

Just over a year ago, I saw this film as part of the annual outdoor HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival. While it’s a fun classic, it’s not the greatest film to watch outside in the city since it’s often hard to hear, but fortunately there’s plenty of action and excitement to be had that make it a more than enjoyable experience. This film defeated “A Clockwork Orange” and “Fiddler on the Roof” for Best Picture back in 1971, and also took home Oscars for directing, writing, editing, and lead actor Gene Hackman. Roy Scheider and Hackman make an entertaining disgruntled team of narcotics cops looking into a “French connection” in a smuggling job. The film is full of terrific scenes, beginning with the opening sequence, where Hackman’s Popeye Doyle is dressed as Santa and chases down a fleeing suspect. His treatment of an informant in the subsequent clip also leaves much to be desired. Two of the film’s cleverest scenes are also embedded below. The first involves an intriguing discovery of the contents hidden behind panels in a seized car, and the second is an amusing cat-and-mouse game played by Doyle and Devereaux (Frédéric de Pasquale) as they both try to catch a subway. Finish off by watching the iconic car chase scene here.

Trailer



Opening

Informant



Panels



Losing the Tail

Monday Movie on the Mind: American Beauty

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe: Monday Movie on the Mind. I’ll be kicking off each week with a clip or trailer from a film that happens to be on my mind, designed as a retrospective look at some well-known, forgotten, or underappreciated classic from movie history, be it antique or current. Chime in with your thoughts about the film or any other movies that you might be thinking of this week!

American Beauty
Directed by Sam Mendes
Released October 1, 1999

I had the pleasure recently of re-watching what I consider to be my favorite film, the 1999 Oscar winner for Best Picture, “American Beauty.” At this point, I’ve attended a talk with director Sam Mendes and participated in roundtables with writer Alan Ball and stars Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening for subsequent films, permitting me to appreciate their talents all the more. This brilliant film is so carefully constructed and skillfully acted that it’s hard to find anything wrong with it. To learn that this is a film from a first-time director and a first-time filmmaker is absolutely amazing. More than that, though, it’s evident in just about every scene the high level at which the actors, especially Spacey, Bening, and Chris Cooper are performing. Each line of dialogue is uttered with such precision and care that nothing goes unnoticed or unemphasized, making the entirety of the film fully relevant and fascinating. Joining the veteran actors listed above are (at the time) young newcomers Wes Bentley, Thora Birch, and Mena Suvari, all of whom are excellent. It’s hard to find just one clip to represent this film, and therefore I’m pleased to have found five. The first is the film’s theatrical trailer, which does a terrific job of capturing the movie’s sedated feel and its sharp edge. The second is when Spacey’s Lester Burnham first lays eyes on Suvari’s Angela Hayes and instantly falls for her while he’s supposed to be watching his daughter’s cheerleading performance. Next up we have two fabulous scenes capturing the banter between Bening’s Carolyn Burnham and her husband Lester, one in the bedroom and the other in front of their daughter at dinner (how Bening didn’t win an Oscar is a mystery). Finally, enjoy that classic plastic bag scene, emblematic of what this movie is all about and why it’s so good every single time.

Monday Movie on the Mind: Pixar Edition

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe: Monday Movie on the Mind. I’ll be kicking off each week with a clip or trailer from a film that happens to be on my mind, designed as a retrospective look at some well-known, forgotten, or underappreciated classic from movie history, be it antique or current. Chime in with your thoughts about the film or any other movies that you might be thinking of this week!

This week’s Monday Movie on the Mind is a special, more general edition. Rather than address today’s national holiday of Memorial Day, I’m inclined to pay tribute to the theme of the high school youth group convention I staffed this past weekend: Pixar. This studio has, since 1995, produced eleven feature films, all of which have been spectacular. I’ve seen all but one (“The Incredibles”), and I have to say that it’s pretty impressive for a studio not to have a dud. Pixar makes for a terrific theme for a convention, that’s for sure, and it’s amazing to me how these movies can be enjoyed just as much by adults as by kids. It’s not an easy feat to balance sensibilities and work in enough relatable humor for adults in a film that’s still just as age-appropriate for young children (sorry, “Small Soldiers.”) This is hardly truer anywhere else than “Toy Story,” the inaugural Pixar film that spawned two wildly successful sequels, and which brilliantly depicted classic children’s toys coming to life. While I’d contend that the first film is still the best, numbers two and three are certainly worth their salt as well. “A Bug’s Life” may be frequently confused with another similar film released the same year, “Antz,” but it’s inarguably a blast. It’s incredible to note that all eight Pixar films released since the inception of the Best Animated Feature Oscar category have earned a nomination. “Monsters Inc.” lost to “Shrek,” but it’s easily one of the most quotable and heartwarming films of its kind. Ditto “Finding Nemo,” which won in 2003. I personally loved “Cars” and can’t comprehend how it lost to the peculiar “Happy Feet,” and I’m looking forward to the sequel, which will be released in less than a month. The last four years, Pixar has dominated with back-to-back instant classics, from “Ratatouille” to “Wall-E” to “Up.” It’s also impressive just how enjoyable and fun the shorts produced by Pixar are, often shown before the theatrical showings of the features and sometimes interrelated with them. “Day & Night” is only the most recent success, and I can remember being delighted in mere minutes by the likes of “Presto,” “Lifted,” “Mike’s New Car,” “Jack Jack Attack,” and others. The short films have earned nine Oscar nominations and three wins all by themselves, and you can enjoy two of them below. Is there anything more reliable than Pixar? I’m not sure. My favorite film is probably “Toy Story,” but the rest are just so wonderful and enjoyable. What’s your favorite Pixar flick?

Monday Movie on the Mind: Back to the Future

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe: Monday Movie on the Mind. I’ll be kicking off each week with a clip or trailer from a film that happens to be on my mind, designed as a retrospective look at some well-known, forgotten, or underappreciated classic from movie history, be it antique or current. Chime in with your thoughts about the film or any other movies that you might be thinking of this week!

Back to the Future
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Released July 3, 1985

I was reminded of the first film in this fantastic trilogy for two reasons, both of which arose this past weekend. A reference was made about a bride-to-be being an impending groom's destiny, with a hit tip to the future husband's love for this film and that token line ("You are my density"), and, later on, the signature score by Alan Silvestri had to come up sooner or later in a guessing game of hummed movie themes. I am a proud owner of the trilogy DVD set, and while I would cite the second film as my favorite, the first one is probably the best and most inventive. It's amusing to realize just how much content there is in this 1985 film aside from the decently sound and logical time travel science and plot related to the McFly family and its near-nonexistence. Terrorists chasing down Doc Brown to retrieve their stolen plutonium and jokes about Ronald Reagan, "the actor," being president are among the myriad references that make this film so great. My favorite line would probably be "Give me a milk - chocolate," but anything said by Marty or Doc has to rank high as well. It's criminal that Silvestri’s music wasn’t nominated for any major awards since it’s easily one of the most iconic melodies I know. I can instantly picture Doc plugging the cables into each other and sliding down into the bushes and Marty driving the car back into the future. Pitch-perfect comic performances from Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd can be found here, as well as spot-on supporting turns from Crispin Glover and Lea Thompson. As a science fiction film, this is probably the most excellent example. As a corny parody of the 1950s, it’s just as capable, and as an all-around film, it’s simply one of the best, and there’s just nothing else like it. Having two sequels that are pretty damn good isn’t too bad either, and this is one of those movies – and trilogies – that I could watch over and over and over again. Treat yourself to this collection of some of the funniest scenes from the film.

Monday Movie on the Mind: The Truman Show

The Truman Show
Directed by Peter Weir
Released June 5, 1998

Here we have one of my favorite films of all time, the stunning 1998 drama that might be misunderstood by some as a comedy for children. It showcases the first breakout dramatic performance by Jim Carrey – something he’s followed up on in “Man on the Moon” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” – and also the second Oscar-nominated performance by the incomparable Ed Harris. The story of a man whose entire life was, unbeknownst to him, recorded on camera and broadcast to millions of people. There’s so much hidden depth in this film, and it’s intriguing to see the slapstick, over-the-top nature of what is shown a part of the TV-show-within-a-movie that is Truman’s daily life. The incorporation of product placement is especially clever, and there’s just so much to be found in this movie. The music is a brilliant combination of classic Mozart and original Philip Glass – something I’ll come back to this Thursday. It’s hard to find another film quite as imaginative and incredible as this, and any imitators will likely not succeed. If for some reason, you’ve never seen it, see it now. The trailer below is considerably hokier than the movie itself ends up being, but there’s a simple spirit to Truman’s character and life that’s definitely captured in it. The ending, embedded below that, is one of my absolute favorites, and it gets me every time.

Trailer



Ending

Monday Movie on the Mind: Frailty

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies With Abe: Monday Movie on the Mind. I’ll be kicking off each week with a clip or trailer from a film that happens to be on my mind, designed as a retrospective look at some well-known, forgotten, or underappreciated classic from movie history, be it antique or current. Chime in with your thoughts about the film or any other movies that you might be thinking of this week!

Frailty
Directed by Bill Paxton
Released April 12, 2002



If you’re looking for a movie that’s really going to stick with you and haunt you for a good amount of time, check out Bill Paxton’s memorable directing debut. He stars as a father whose adult son recalls and recounts his upbringing, where the evangelical patriarch spoke about the presence of demons in their midst and asserted that he had been divinely charged to slay them. It’s the kind of film with just enough human contact and accessibility to make its shocking plot – where the father actually brings home random people and murders them in front of his two sons – even more frightening. Paxton is rather terrifying, mostly in the calmness with which he explains and accepts that which he believes he must do. This film also has the distinction of containing one of the few half-decent performances from Mathew McConaughey (see “Lone Star” for another) as Paxton’s adult son. “Frailty” is creepy, effectively moody, and very hard to forget. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart, and it’s one of those films that isn’t as physically visually violent but which saves and executes the greatest horror in its thematic content. You’ll get a good sense of all that from watching the trailer.

Monday Movie on the Mind: Magnolia

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies With Abe: Monday Movie on the Mind. I’ll be kicking off each week with a clip or trailer from a film that happens to be on my mind, designed as a retrospective look at some well-known, forgotten, or underappreciated classic from movie history, be it antique or current. Chime in with your thoughts about the film or any other movies that you might be thinking of this week!

Magnolia
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Released December 17, 1999

After perusing composer candidates for my Thursday Token Themes section, I started thinking about Paul Thomas Anderson’s brilliant, infinitely complex and creative “Magnolia.” It’s an ensemble drama that brings together an incredibly talented and diverse cast for a three-hour symposium filled with brilliant writing and marvelous camera work. Tom Cruise was the only actor who earned an Oscar nomination for his performance, playing against type as a chauvinistic sex guru, but there are plenty of other people who deserve some recognition, including Melora Walters as a cocaine addict, William H. Macy as a childhood game show winner, Philip Baker Hall as a dying game show host, Philip Seymour Hoffman as a kindly nurse, and Julianne Moore as an unhappy trophy wife, not to mention a stunning debut from the young Jeremy Blackman, who hasn’t done much of note since this film. The music of Jon Brion and Aimee Mann comes together in a magnificent way to support this fascinating, extremely multi-faceted story. There are three scenes in particular that come to mind instantly when thinking of this film, all of them equally unforgettable. The first is the film’s lengthy opening scene, which looks at the notion of chance through three mind-boggling stories. The second features each of the characters breaking out of their shells for just a moment to join in for a few bars of Mann’s “Wise Up.” The third, which can also be found on one of the film’s more terrific posters, features frogs raining from the sky. This is one movie where the three-hour runtime is well worth it, and I highly recommend it if you haven’t yet seen it.

Opening Scene



Wise Up



Raining Frogs

Monday Movie on the Mind: Mulholland Drive

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies With Abe: Monday Movie on the Mind. I’ll be kicking off each week with a clip or trailer from a film that happens to be on my mind, designed as a retrospective look at some well-known, forgotten, or underappreciated classic from movie history, be it antique or current. Chime in with your thoughts about the film or any other movies that you might be thinking of this week!

Mulholland Drive
Directed by David Lynch
Released October 12, 2001

There isn’t another movie quite like “Mulholland Drive.” Even director David Lynch’s earlier feature “Blue Velvet” isn’t really anything like it. While it’s hardly a perfect movie – or a comprehensible one – “Mulholland Drive” is almost inarguably the most hypnotic, haunting movie you’ll ever see. The trailer is mesmerizing and mysterious enough all by itself, and I’ll admit that a viewing of the film didn’t help to clarify any of its intrigue. I would certainly watch it again if the DVD I owned hadn’t been lent out to a neighbor and friend five years ago only to never be seen again. Preparing this week’s Thursday Token Themes post (hint, hint) got me all wrapped up in this movie all over again. Besides the music (come back later this week for that), the most notable aspect, along with its stunning, singular cinematography, is the lead performance by one Naomi Watts that was somehow ignored by Oscar voters and most other awards bodies. It’s one of the most incredible acting jobs I’ve ever seen, and certainly better than all of the Oscar nominees from that year (I haven’t seen “Bridget Jones’ Diary”). See Betty’s audition below for a small sample. It also takes a lot for a movie to be nominated solely for Best Director and nothing else, and that has much to do with the craft and unique allure of David Lynch and his singular style. This movie is one big, indescribable head trip, and it’s easily one of the most simultaneously captivating and confusing films I’ve ever seen. To cap it off, check out the two diner nightmare clips that display some incredible acting by Patrick Fischler, future Emmy-snubbed guest star of “Mad Men” and “Lost,” as well as the haunting Llorando scene, embedded from Hulu.

Trailer



Audition

Betty's Audition
Mulholland Dr. at MOVIECLIPS.com

Diner Nightmare

Dan's Nightmare
Mulholland Dr. at MOVIECLIPS.com

A Living Nightmare
Mulholland Dr. at MOVIECLIPS.com

Llorando

Llorando
Mulholland Dr. at MOVIECLIPS.com

Monday Movie on the Mind: Fargo

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies With Abe: Monday Movie on the Mind. I’ll be kicking off each week with a clip or trailer from a film that happens to be on my mind, designed as a retrospective look at some well-known, forgotten, or underappreciated classic from movie history, be it antique or current. Chime in with your thoughts about the film or any other movies that you might be thinking of this week!

Fargo
Directed by Joel Coen
Released April 5, 1996

After reading G1000’s short but entirely accurate review and writing about the score in my Thursday Token Themes post last week, it would be hard for me not to have this movie on my mind right now. It’s easily the best film ever made by the Coen Brothers, and I’d rank it as one of the top five films I’ve ever seen. It’s a dark, moody thriller ripe with violence, yet it includes some of the funniest characters – with extremely nutty accents – ever to grace the screen. It’s hard to accurately convey just how incredible the performances of Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, and Steve Buscemi are, and it’s unlikely there will ever again be another character quite as memorable as pregnant policewoman Marge Gunderson. It’s impossible to pick just one scene to accurately capture the awesomeness of the film – this is a must-see. Start with the tone-setting opening scene, continue with this “Dealer Plates” scene (below), two other memorable scenes, and then the infamous wood chipper scene below if you’ve seen the film already. This movie is just incredible, and watching clips from it makes me want to watch it all over again.

Monday Movie on the Mind: Blow-Up

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies With Abe: Monday Movie on the Mind. I’ll be kicking off each week with a clip or trailer from a film that happens to be on my mind, designed as a retrospective look at some well-known, forgotten, or underappreciated classic from movie history, be it antique or current. Chime in with your thoughts about the film or any other movies that you might be thinking of this week!

Blow-Up
Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni
Released December 18, 1966

This stylized film is a fascinating look into the world of photography and the trickiness of perception. Only moments in, we’re already introduced to Thomas (David Hemmings) and his rather aggressive style of photography, essentially simulating sex with his model using his camera. That’s only the beginning of this wildly trippy movie that manages to stay grounded despite sending its character into considerable conflict with reality. Hemmings plays his part admirably, as does a very young Vanessa Redgrave in his first major film role. The film is perfectly bracketed and represented by its first and last scene, both embedded below. There’s nothing like a mimed tennis match to really get you thinking about what's real and what's not.