With the 17th selection in the inaugural CP Movie Draft, Team That’s What She Said is proud to select a movie that even today after numerous repeated viewings has yet to go stale (and yes it still makes me cry…). This movie, directed by Steven Spielberg, is also the movie that introduced Christian Bale to the world. With no further ado, in the War category, we select: Empire Of The Sun. It’s a bit off the board perhaps, but the movie was haunting and Bale’s performance so memorable that the National Board of Review created a special citation for him as a result of it, Best Performance by a Juvenile Actor.
The story is semi-biographical and based on the novel by J.G. Ballard and his experiences as a young boy.
The movie was adapted for the screen by Tom Stoppard & Menno Meyjes. It was critically acclaimed and received 6 Oscar nominations, 2 Golden Globe nominations, won 3 BAFTA’s & 3 National Film Board awards.
Other notable actors cast in the movie included John Malkovich as “Basie” – the fast talking American who Jim idolizes but is purely looking out for himself. Miranda Richardson as “Mrs. Victor” – the British woman who acts as a substitute mother to Jim while in the internment camp. Ben Stiller is “Dainty”, an American internee and Basie’s sidekick.
And now for some clips:
This is the original trailer for the movie:
This is one of the best scenes in the movie, not including the ending.
And Spielberg discussing the movie....
(NB: If any pics/links don't work I will fix when I am home and not behind the firewall at work.)
Hard to believe Citizen Kane fell to 12th overall. Must have been that jumper's knee?
Shameful admission of the Movie Draft #1. I have never seen Citizen Kane.
__________________ I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love." - John Steinbeck
Shameful admission of the Movie Draft #1. I have never seen Citizen Kane.
Don't worry, everyone has a list of classics they've never seen. I haven't seen Shawshank Redemption for example. (Mostly because I somehow don't think I'll like it, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't give it a try.)
Besides, I never thought Citizen Kane was THAT great. Good movie sure, and I understand it was a major breakthrough in it's time, but these are not those times. I propably wouldn't fit it in my top 100. (Although I've seen A LOT of movies.)
How old are you? I assume this was during a re-release?
Haha, no, not old enough to have seen it when it was originally released into theatres. I saw it for a film class a few years ago, so it was a theatre on campus.
Don't worry, everyone has a list of classics they've never seen. I haven't seen Shawshank Redemption for example. (Mostly because I somehow don't think I'll like it, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't give it a try.)
Besides, I never thought Citizen Kane was THAT great. Good movie sure, and I understand it was a major breakthrough in it's time, but these are not those times. I propably wouldn't fit it in my top 100. (Although I've seen A LOT of movies.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eastern Girl
I fell asleep in the theatre watching Citizen Kane. I can appreciate what it did for film, but I wasn't terribly impressed by it.
Blasphemous! That's like saying The Beatles "aren't that great".
Blasphemous! That's like saying The Beatles "aren't that great".
Maybe I was a victim of high expectation given its reputation, but I just didn't think all that much of it. I don't think it was bad, just meh. Perhaps better left in its own time.
Team (clever name coming later) is proud to select in the first round, under the Best Picture category, Sylvester Stalone's best movie ever, Rocky.
Rocky Balboa is a small-time boxer who lives in an apartment in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and his career has so far not gotten off the canvas. Rocky earns a living by collecting debts for a loan shark named Gazzo, but Gazzo doesn't think Rocky has the viciousness it takes to beat up deadbeats. Rocky still boxes every once in a while to keep his boxing skills sharp, and his ex-trainer, Mickey, believes he could've made it to the top if he was willing to work for it. Rocky, goes to a pet store that sells pet supplies, and this is where he meets a young woman named Adrian, who is extremely shy, with no ability to talk to men. Rocky befriends her. Adrain later surprised Rocky with a dog from the pet shop that Rocky had befriended. Adrian's brother Paulie, who works for a meat packing company, is thrilled that someone has become interested in Adrian, and Adrian spends Thanksgiving with Rocky. Later, they go to Rocky's apartment, where Adrian explains that she has never been in a man's apartment before. Rocky sets her mind at ease, and they become lovers. Current world heavyweight boxing champion Apollo Creed comes up with the idea of giving an unknown a shot at the title. Apollo checks out the Philadelphia boxing scene, and chooses Rocky. Fight promoter Jergens gets things in gear, and Rocky starts training with Mickey. After a lot of training, Rocky is ready for the match, and he wants to prove that he can go the distance with Apollo.
So, with the 19th overall pick, team Snoogans is proud to select in the Foreign Film category, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai.
Akira Kurosawa's "The Seven Samurai" (1954) is not only a great film in its own right, but the source of a genre that would flow through the rest of the century. The critic Michael Jeck suggests that this was the first film in which a team is assembled to carry out a mission--an idea which gave birth to its direct Hollywood remake, "The Magnificent Seven," as well as "The Guns of Navarone," "The Dirty Dozen" and countless later war, heist and caper movies. Since Kurosawa's samurai adventure "Yojimbo" (1960) was remade as "A Fistful of Dollars" and essentially created the spaghetti Western, and since this movie and Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress" inspired George Lucas' "Star Wars" series, it could be argued that this greatest of filmmakers gave employment to action heroes for the next 50 years, just as a fallout from his primary purpose.
So...without further adieu I bring you Fight Club. (tentatively placed in the Action category)
Awesome pick. One of those movies that is, although still a cult favorite to many, and even a popular choice to include on your favorite movies list on Facebook (who doesn't like Fight Club, right?) still critically underappreciated, worthy of multiple viewings, brilliantly directed, and balances satire with social commentary like so few great films have managed to do.
Here's a neat link from my favorite film critic/writer in which he condenses the movie to 2:30. Also, if you're so inclined, read the essay also- great stuff:
Awesome pick. One of those movies that is, although still a cult favorite to many, and even a popular choice to include on your favorite movies list on Facebook (who doesn't like Fight Club, right?) still critically underappreciated, worthy of multiple viewings, brilliantly directed, and balances satire with social commentary like so few great films have managed to do.
Here's a neat link from my favorite film critic/writer in which he condenses the movie to 2:30. Also, if you're so inclined, read the essay also- great stuff:
Is it just me, or is Brad Pitt underapreciated as an actor? Sure, he's a big draw at the box office and he's a huge sex symbol, but is he considered one of the best actors in Hollywood right now?
I think he should be. This is one of half a dozen or more performances in his career that were nothing short of brilliant.
__________________ I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love." - John Steinbeck
I assume this was during a re-release?
