1 Year…100 Films, #86: PLATOON (1986)

“Somebody once wrote, ‘Hell is the impossibility of reason.’ That’s what this place feels like. Hell.” – Chris Taylor

Let me first point out how fitting I found that the movie at number 86 was made/released in 1986. It’s the little things guys! Moving on…

This is another feature that I haven’t seen before but one in which I had heard plenty about beforehand. What I do know is supposed to be really good. My husband does love himself some war movies and he was surprised that I’d never seen this one before. He’s actually suggested we try watching it several times but knowing how overly long Oliver Stone movies could be I would always pass. Well, no more excuses for me now!

Basic Premise of the Film: Young and innocent Charlie Sheen is sent off to the middle of the Vietnam War. The Green Goblin and the dude from Inception are his superiors. One is corrupt, the other is a genuine good guy, while the other, in the sense of life, becomes a man.

Now, the way my husband described it to me, there are two movies that are considered to be THE movies when it comes to the Vietnam War. One being this one and the other being Apocalypse Now (more on that one later). He says it is so because they both don’t shy away from showing what the war did to the men while there. I also found it fitting that both movies star a father-son duo as the leading actors in each of those motions pictures. In this film, to stay on track, we have Charlie Sheen as the main character. We see his journey from week, innocent and privileged boy to tough and weathered man. I think what should be noted is that the director of this film, the great Oliver Stone, wrote this film based on his recollections of the time he actually served in the Vietnam. If you’ve seen this film you know it’s not easy to witness how some of these men went from being good guys to being over taken by the evils of war and just losing themselves out there in the jungles of Southeast Asia. I think what surprised me the most is how un-Oliver Stone-y this movie really was. If you’ve seen Scarface  you can see how most of the films that he’s either written or directed can sometimes be doing the most. Case in point: The Doors. That movie was so ridiculous and not far fetched that I turned it off after 15 minutes. Yeah, I really liked that one. Mainly, they’ll just drag on for waaay too long – which is why I thought Scarface could have been an hour shorter. BUT…back to the film.

I think the real revelations here were Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger. From what I read around about the movie, at the time of casting, Willem Dafoe was mainly know for playing the “bad guy” and Tom Berenger was known for being “the good guy.” In this film, they were cast as the opposite of that. Berenger played the man who was taken over from the perils of war so well that I even low-key hated him as much as Charlie Sheen’s character. Yes, he was to be respected because of how long he’d been able to survive being out there on the front lines. At the same time, however, that it no excuse for bending the rules of war and getting corrupt. Willem Dafoe was there as his friend and to be the voice of reason, but well, it didn’t exactly go that way. Not to be forgotten, this is some of the finest acting Charlie Sheen has ever done in his career. He went as the optimistic boy, thinking he was off to fight the good fight only to have his hopes dashed when he realized there wasn’t really a good fight to fight for. There’s also a very young Johnny Depp and Drama from Entourage to spot throughout the film – among other known faces.

Honestly, the pacing of this film was good. With a running time of nearly two hours, I never once felt that it dragged. There was great character development throughout the whole film because we were able to easily how they were are being affected by what they were seeing. That fact alone is not what makes this film so great. It is also aided by the fact that it doesn’t go to great lengths to try and sugar coat what the Vietnam War was actually like. What we saw are things that were actually seen. As I mentioned before, Oliver Stone himself is a veteran of this war, and we owe him a big thank you for sharing aspects of his story with us. For that main reason I believe that this film in considered one of the greatest American Films. When the list was first introduced nearly 20 years ago, Platoon was ranked at #83. Ten years later it dropped a few spots to land it at #86. It’s hard to say — at least not yet — whether it deserved to fall but it was definitely a better film than The Last Picture Show so at least it is ranked higher than that one. Considering the fact that this movie won Best Picture (amongst other Oscars) during its respective year, I don’t expect it ranking to change too much during the next update of the list. If you haven’t ever seen this film, I highly recommend it. You won’t be sorry.

If anyone has seen Platoon, what did you think of it? Leaves your answers and comments below!

I viewed this film via my husband’s DVD. I forgot to check if it was streaming but it’s on YouTube to rent starting at $2.99. 

And now, for fun, here’s the original 1986 trailer for the film:

1 Year…100 Films, #87: 12 ANGRY MEN (1957)

“Well, it’s not easy to stand alone against the ridicule of others, so he gambled for support… and I gave it to him.” – Juror #9

Well, it’s certainly not the first and definitely not the last but, this is another movie I’d never heard of or seen before. I have heard of the lead actor, Henry Fonda, though! He was in this little film called “The Grapes of Wrath” — another movie ranked on this list – as well as the father of famous actors Jane and Peter Fonda. When I asked my husband what the knew about this film, he said that it was great. Such a different review than the one he gave me for The French Connection. I did watch a film trailer so I can try and get a scope on why these dudes were angry, but after watching the aforementioned trailer, I still didn’t know a single thing. Well, I thought I knew, but once I actually started watching the movie, I realized I actually didn’t.

Basic Premise of the Film: A 12-man jury begins deliberation on a murder trial. Discussions and arguments ensue on trying to reach a unanimous verdict. Based on a play of the same name.

Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. When I first saw the title of the movie on the list I was expecting a western for some reason. I guess a film from the 1950s about 12 angry dudes equals “western” to me. Obviously, after I saw the trailer beforehand, I saw that it wasn’t a western in any way whatsoever. Come to find out it’s a legal thriller! Well, it’s not exactly a thriller but the way they go about reaching a solution to the problem at hand is a little bit thrill-ish. I think knowing that it’s a play now makes the single-room set of the film not seem so bad. In fact, the depth they were able to get out of those four walls was amazing — they were able to make that small room seem much bigger than it actually was. You realized that these guys were in this rooms for hours, sweating up a storm, but the passage of time (and the pacing!) made you feel that this all transpired in like an hour and half – which just so happens to be the actual running time of the film. HA!

Now, let’s talk about Henry Fonda. That man was such a great actor. The way he was able to convey his emotions and confusion and keep it together without losing his damn mind like some of the others — solid work. The guy kept his cool when the others were calling him a foo. I mean, I saw his skills when I saw “Grapes of Wrath” but here, they were solid AF. No nod for Best Actor this time around though. There was also some familiar faces in there for me. We have a very young Jack Warden — who will always be Saul in “While You Were Sleeping” to me — and Ed Begley, father of — you guessed it: Ed Begley, Jr.  The rest of the cast was a pleasure to be introduced to; maybe I’ll see them again somewhere further up the list…?

Lastly, the film’s legacy. This film has so many things going for it that has helped it remain one of the most popular and greatest films of all times. As mentioned earlier, Henry Fonda as Juror #8 is honestly, an unsung hero. He was the only one who thought differently from the group, stuck to his guns and got everyone to see the light. The suspense is great! You would think that with such a simple plot it wouldn’t be, but once these people start flipping to the other side one after another, you totally get it. While it didn’t win as many awards as you would expect for a film on this list, the nominations is did get are usually reserved for the best films in the nominated year. Oscar-wise, it was nominated for Best Picture, Film and Adapted Screenplay (or “Best Writing of Adapted Screenplay” as it was called back then). Honestly, is it a great film? Yes. Does it deserve to be on this list? Sure. Will it survive the next list update? We’ll see. When the list first debuted in 1998, the film wasn’t even ranked. Maybe it was an honorable mention? I don’t know but it was for sure nominated. I guess it wasn’t good enough to make the cut in 1998 but for the 2007 update I guess it got enough of the votes needed to be ranked. For it’s first time, it has a rather nice debut for cracking the top 90, we’ll see how well it fares for the next update — whenever that is.

I veiwed this film on a hosted site. CLICK HERE to watch. Not currently available for rent on YouTube but the full movie is available for viewing here, here and here.

And now, just for fun…

There exist what can either be called a remake or a new adaptation (a la True Grit style) of the film/play from the 90’s. I’m sorry but were they thinking this was going to be a better film? Was Jack Lemmon supposed to be better than Henry Fonda. Nothing but love to the late and great Jack Lemmon but, based on the trailer alone, he’s not better. Here’s the trailer for this newer version. Have any of you seen it?

Buy the VHS guys! 

1 Year…100 Films, #88: BRINGING UP BABY (1938)

“Now it isn’t that I don’t like you, Susan, because, after all, in moments of quiet, I’m strangely drawn toward you, but – well, there haven’t been any quiet moments.” – David Huxley

Well, guys, we’re definitely making progress on the list as of late since I’m running a bit behind schedule. Now, I’ve seen my share of Cary Grant films but I have yet to see a single Katherine Hepburn movie so I was pretty excited about this one. Not as excited as I was for “Swing Time” but still excited.

Basic Premise of the Film: Zoologist David is trying to land a million dollar grant as well as get married to his beloved. He meets Susan and crazy shenanigans ensue. A leopard named Baby is involved.

After viewing, I can see why this movie was a “flop” when it first opened — the plot overall is a bit silly. However, I can understand why this movie is now considered a classic. Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn are simply wonderful and funny in this film. I know I said that the plot is silly, but sometimes silly and simple is what the people really need. If any other two actors would have been casts as the leads I don’t think I’d be writing about this movie right now. But the fact that we have to of film’s greatest screen legends makes this film all the better. On that list of AFI’s “50 Greatest American Screen Legends,” Cary Grant is #2 (on the male list) and Katherine Hepburn is #1 (on the women’s list) so you know it’s good. I did however like the actual “baby” in the movie. Low-key made me want a pet leopard — but one that’s been trained though. I don’t have much else to comment on except that the two leads had great chemistry together so it makes sense why they made several films together.

When the list was first made in 1998 this film as ranked at 97, at the 10 year update it got bumped up to it’s current position. Obviously it’s more significant because it’s timeless and is apparently an OG Rom-Com before people even realized what a rom-com was. I’m guessing at the next update we should expect this movie to be a few spots higher. We shall see…

I viewed this film on a hosted site. CLICK HERE to watch. Just a reminder, a lot of these websites that host movies online have pop-ads if you click on play so be sure to close these ads asap or set up your pop-up ad blocker. 

And now, for fun, here’s the original trailer for the film:

1 Year…100 Movies, #89: THE SIXTH SENSE (1999)

“I see dead people.” – Cole Sear

This film has one of the worst kept secrets ever: It’s twist ending. Everyone knows it. I won’t repeat it on here mainly to save the one soul who literally knows NOTHING. It is for the fact that this plot twist is so widely known that I’ve never tried watching the movie. Well, I actually did once and two seconds in I said forget it. I feel that once you know the movie won’t be as exciting when you reach the climax, but I guess we’ll see how that plays out with this one.

Basic Premise of the Film: John McClane is a child psychologist. Movie covers his sessions with 9-year-old Cole who has a dark secret. Suspense/horror ensues.

Other than the big twist, I knew absolutely nothing about the film. I was surprised at how amazing it turned out to be. Knowing the big twist didn’t take away anything from the movie. Yes, I noticed some of the clues that foreshadowed the plot twist, but that didn’t matter one bit. The pacing and the overall story is some of the best I’ve ever seen for a film classified as a “suspense” or “horror” film. Before this one, I had seen a couple of M. Night Shyamalan‘s films. These films included “Signs,” “Unbreakable,” and last year’s “The Visit.” The first two films I used to base what I should expect from The Sixth Sense — you know, decent movie with a dumb ending. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’m sure that’s been well established by now. From what I’ve read and have seen, this movie is peak M. Night Shyamalan. All of his horror specialties come together most successfully in this film. Haley Joel Osment definitely deserved his Best Supporting Oscar nomination that year. The way he conveyed Cole’s fear and as well being able to keep the movie’s secret without giving it away was definitely worthy. Bruce Willis was amazing as well (I just realized that this is the second Bruce Willis film on this list). I read about how Willis changed the way he does things normally (i.e., writing with his right hand instead of his left) in order to help keep the big secret. All the nominations it received, it deserved.

When the “100 Greatest Films” list first debuted, this movie had yet to be released so it just missed it by a year. It should have come as no surprise that when the list was updated it was placed at #89. I think there has yet to be a film with a similar story line or in the same genre to be better than this one. I’m fully expecting it to be ranked higher at the next update because of how great it is. But, please, let me know, what did you think of this movie when you first saw it?

I saw this film on a hosted site. CLICK HERE to watch. As always, available for rent on YouTube starting at $2.99.

I couldn’t think of a “for funsies” for this one that didn’t involve giving away the main plot element of the film. Just now, shiet’s crazy good.

1 Year…100 Movies, #90: SWING TIME (1936)

“Listen, no one could teach you to dance in a million years. Take my advice and save your money!” – Penny Carrol

You guys, I’m so excited for this one. Why you ask? I just absolutely love every Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie I have ever seen. One of my favorite movies is actually “Top Hat.” If you’ve never seen any of their movies, you are definitely missing out! I know the fact that the films were made in the 1930’s might be daunting, but guys, it was the “Golden Age of Hollywood!” These are the films that set the ground for movies today and are the ones we should be watching and never forget. Keep in mind that the oldest movie we have seen, thus far, is from 1942 (Yankee Doodle Dandy) and this one is another six years older. But, before I ramble on too much…

As much as I love Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, I have never actually gotten a chance to see “Swing Time.” I have, however, seen one of the early dance numbers from the film on YouTube. I didn’t know what movie it was from, I just wanted to see what else they had been up to together. I just absolutely love to watch them dance together, it’s amazing. Needless to say, again, I was very excited for whatever was in store.

Basic Premise of the Film: Guy heads off to NYC to make his “fortune”/enough for his future father-in-law to let him marry his beloved. Shenanigans ensue. Singing and dancing is involved.

Well, I’m sure you all will not be surprised when I say that I absolutely loved it. I really loved it. I don’t know how I went so far in life without watching it. What surprises me most about watching an 80-year-old movie (yeah, let that sink in for a hot second) is how funny it still is. You would think it’d feel outdated or something, but it doesn’t. I sometimes feel like I’m purposefully expecting some caveman like quality movie when it comes to anything made before 1940-ish which is why I probably always end up surprised. You guys remember that “100 Years…100 Stars” list I talked about during Yankee Doodle Dandy? Where James Cagney is #8? What number was Mr. Astaire? #5. That Fred Astaire was the whole package. He could act, sing, and dance. And quite excellent, I might add. I know there are a lot of people in the business that can do it all, but I feel that back in the day they had to be on a whole different level. Especially considering how fast movie studios would put out films; like one every other week. Mofo’s were busy. We can’t talk about Fred Astaire without talking about his better half (in this film at least), Ginger Rogers. She is simply beautiful and amazing. She was also the full package. Actress, singer, and dancer — all at the same time. She is also ranked on the “100 Years…100 Stars” list but at #14. Yes, she’s lower but let’s not forget that this list is technically titled “50 Greatest American Screen Legends” and is split into two lists of 25. People might not right away consider Rogers and Astaire screen legends, but when you look at the list and see the people who are above and below them, they’re definitely where they belong on that list.

Doing some quick research on the film before viewing, it was my understanding that “Swing Time” was peak Astaire and Rogers. Of all 10 movies they made together, this was their best and it is not hard to see why. The dancing is great. They have their big dance number towards the end of the movie and it is amazing. I seriously can’t find the words to say how wonderful they are together. To quote someone that was quoted on Wikipedia (I know, for shame) this movie contains “the greatest dancing in the history of the universe.” I already know one reason why this movie is so significant and why it should always be on AFI’s list through every update: it introduced the world to the song “The Way You Look Tonight.” Yeah. That’s your little fun fact of the day. I can just listen to Fred Astaire sing all day. I will say however this movie includes an extended dance sequence in which Fred Astaire has blackface on (see: Bojangles of Harlem). Yes, this is highly offensive today, but lets not forget that back then this was normal. I’m not defending or supporting the use of the blackface BUT it does help us see why it’s an important film since many films do serve as  time capsule for all of us that know nothing about that life. I mean, he does some great tap dancing but I low-key couldn”t get over what I was seeing. The rest of the film is great though. When the list was first made in 1998, this movie wasn’t ranked — just like Sophie’s Choice and The Last Picture Show. Maybe they’ll decide to vote it out at the next update but based on “The Way You Look Tonight,” I think it deserves to stay on the list.

I watched this film on Daily Motion, FOR FREE!! CLICK HERE to watch. I know it’s on YouTube for rent but why rent when you can watch it for free.

And now for fun…

Here’s that big dance number I was raving about. Also, to all my ladies out there, let us swoon over that exquisite dress/gown Ginger Rogers is wearing. So beautiful and you know they’re still making dresses very similar to that today.

 

1 Year…100 Movies, #91: SOPHIE’S CHOICE (1982)

“Don’t you see? We are dying. I longed desperately to escape, to pack my bags and flee, but I did not.” – Sophie

Well, we’ve hit another milestone on our way up this list: our first sad/depressing film. The main thing I knew about this movie before I saw it was that it was used to describe a difficult situation. You know, people would be like, “oh, man, that’s such a Sophie’s Choice.” So, this had me curious as to what this choice in the movie was. I first saw this film shortly after moving back home from college. I know, such an uplifting, happy choice.

Basic Premise of the Film: The possessed guy from “Ghostbusters II” plays a young writer who recalls his time spent at a boarding house where he befriended the aforementioned Sophie and her lover, who’s not all quite there — we later find out he’s schizophrenic. Movie is spliced with flashbacks to Sophie’s previous life where we find out that she’s a Holocaust survivor and we’re also shown exactly what her choice was. Based on a novel of the same name.

Let me tell you guys, when I finally found out what her choice was, I literally bawled my eyes out. I won’t tell you what it is in case you should want to watch the film for yourselves but, man, I don’t know how I would have picked. Terrible situation, guys. Let’s all hope we never have to ever find ourselves under similar circumstances. Other than that revelation, it’s not so hard to see why this movie is considered one of the “greatest.” Meryl Streep is seriously THE greatest actress of our living time and this film shows you exactly why. She definitely deserved the Oscar she won for this role. Watch it and realize that she’s flawless. I think my only problem with this film is that I’ve seen it categorized under “Romance” on Netflix. Like, wait, what…? I guess it has romantic elements but, I wouldn’t consider the film as a whole a “romance.” Even when Google-ing it, it says Drama/Romance. Okay, world, I guess you win. Call it a romance. We can’t finish talking about this film without mentioning Kevin Kline. He is seriously a revelation in this film. I read on the movie’s trivia page on IMDB this was his actual feature film debut. He played the schizophrenic character so well (this opinion is based on what I learned in my psychology classes while I got my BA). Kline is such a great actor – you should definitely watch his Oscar winning role in “A Fish Called Wanda.” 

Lastly, we must talk about this film’s ranking on the list. The movie wasn’t even listed on the 1998 list. I wish I was able to find broadcast footage or some sort of written record as to what changed that compelled the people who voted to include this film on the updated 2007 list. I think that it’s not only the acting by Streep and Kline, but also the story. It’s important to know that the backstory of Sophie’s choice, tragically happened in real life as well. Overall, I consider it a beautiful film that shows why some people need dysfunction and why we shouldn’t judge.

I watch this film a couple of years ago on my computer. Currently streaming on Netflix.  As always, available for rent on YouTube for $3.99 (a little more expensive that the average film, but totally worth it in my opinion).

And now for fun, here’s the original trailer for the film. I think it’s so cool to see how movie trailers used to be compared to now.

1 Year…100 Movies, #92: GOODFELLAS (1990)

“As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.” – Henry Hill

Of all the gangster/mob movies out there, this film is definitely one of my favorites. This is a film I could have easily skipped watching because I know it so well, that once I told my husband it was next on the list he said, “I think you need to watch it again to fully appreciate it’s amazingness.” Okay, sure, why not? If you’ve never heard or seen this film before, WHY?! Honestly, it’s such a great film. But more on that later.

Basic Premise of the Film: The life of Henry Hill. From adolescent on the outskirts of the mob to adult fully living a life of organized crime to convict in the Federal Witness Protection Program. Based on a true story.

If you’ve ever seen a Martin Scorsese film, you know that the man does not play. From what I’ve read (and also from all of his films that I’ve seen) this movie is Peak Scorcese. The script is great, the acting is great, the pacing is great the film as a whole is amazing. This movie hits all the parts that you would expect of a mob movie but it doesn’t glamorize it. I think it’s most baffling to believe that at least half of what is depicted in the film actually occurred. Like you know shit like this has actually gone down in real life but it is still so hard to believe that it did. There is so much that I could be say about this movie but most of it has already been said before. Very few movies are able to successfully reel you in with the opening line. “As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.”  You can’t hope to come up with a better opening line than this one.

When AFI’s list first came out in 1998, the film was listed #94, on this one it got bumped up to #92. My prediction for the next update is gonna be floating around #88 — I think the significance and brilliance of this film will only be more important as time passes by. Special shout out to Joe Pesci in this film. He won the sole Oscar the film was nominated for and, boy, did he ever deserve that trophy. The role of Tommy DeVito is also peak Joe Pesci. I mean, I LOVED “My Cousin Vinny” but this is the Joe Pesci film to watch. Can’t forget Ray Liotta and Robert DeNiro in this film either. They were absolutely great. If there’s a film Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci will be remembered for, it’ll be this one (DeNiro has “The Godfather, Part II” among others).

I viewed this film on DVD. My husband owns it, is low-key obsessed and watches it probably every six months which is why I could’ve probably just skipped over it. As always, available for rent on YouTube.

And now, for funsies…

”GoodFellas: The Making of a Classic”

1 Year…100 Movies, #93: THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)

I hope this isn’t a spoiler or the “OH SHIT” moment.

Well, here’s another movie I have not seen or haven’t heard much about. I know there’s a young Gene Hackman in it — who I thought might have been bae back in the day but he looks the exact same, just less wrinkles. I was actually talking with my husband about how this was the next film I needed to watch (because I could just skip over Pulp Fiction) and he said “Oh, I don’t think you’ll like it. I thought it was boring.” WAIT. WHAT!? How is he going to try and ruining my movie viewing experience before I even get to form my own opinion…? He then redacted his previous statement by saying that he was probably too young to fully understand the film as a whole and might need another viewing to form a better verdict. I guess we shall see which one of his statements is more true.

Basic Premise of the Film: There’s drug smuggling afoot. Two New York Detectives (but really one of them) are trying to bust it up. Based on a true story.

Okay, I didn’t know what to expect beforehand except for my husband’s “review.” Honestly, this film was so much better than I was expecting. It took a minute for the film to really reel me in. There was like maybe 20 minutes or so of plot set-up before the film really took off. Suspense: AMAZING! Plot: GREAT! What really sent this movie over edge for me was this really great foot/train pursuit. All the Oscars were won based on this like 10 minute segment of the film, I swear. Also, the movie poster was a low-key spoiler of an “OH SHIT” moment. After this, you can totally see that a lot of detective-suspense movies after this one wish they were The French Connection. The French Connection isn’t THE detective movie (see: The Maltese Falcon), but it’s definitely one of the best out there that I’ve ever seen. I think one of the things I low-key liked best was that the drug and the smugglers for once weren’t from a Latino background with a cocaine hookup. In this film, they’re French (obviously) and the drug was heroin. They gotta mix it up sometimes, right?

Acting on this film was I think some of the best on this list so far — with the exception of Charlton Heston in Ben-Hur, of course. You’re-gonna-need-a-bigger-boat Roy Scheider was great as Detective Russo. Obviously, the star of this movie was Detective Doyle — Gene Hackman. He was great and definitely deserved the Best Actor Oscar he won. Not only that but this movie was deserving of the Best Picture Oscar as well — the first R-rated film to do so! When the list first came out in 1998 this film as listed at #70 now it’s at #93. 23 spots is a pretty big drop, but that’s still five less that Ben-Hur’s 28. Hopefully, when this list is updated again it’s still on the list because that whole sniper-train chase scene alone deserves to stay on the list.

If you’ve seen “The French Connection,” what did you think of it?

I viewed this film on a hosted website. CLICK HERE if you’d like to watch it. As always, available for rent on YouTube. 

And now for funsies…

Here’s a short YouTube documentary on what makes this film so great. The things I couldn’t find the words for, this covers it.