Movies To Be Thankful For

I am Thankful that Kong has lived long enough to have remake in every generation and really Peter Jacksons was the best looking visual Kong. The Classic however I remember well for most part because the village rampage scene at the end.

MOVIES I'M THANKFUL FOR
DAY THREE: SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)

sorry for skipping a day




When I was in High School, my experience with movies from the 1950's was very limited and I didn't have much of an opinion for what I had seen. When it came to 1950's pop culture, I gravitated more towards music and television. But that all changed when I saw Sunset Boulevard for the first time. I had heard of the movie and its reputation, but until I actually saw it, I didn't know how raw and emotional it is. The movie is about a struggling Hollywood writer who gets stuck living with a has-been actress who has a few wires loose in her brain. Director Billy Wilder doesn't sugarcoat anything and gives a fairly realistic portrayal of Hollywood and the people in it. Granted, some things are exaggerated for the sake of entertainment and storytelling, but generally, I feel like Wilder is being mostly honest. This also opened my eyes to "the industry." I knew a lot about Hollywood history at this point but had never really analyzed "the business" and how it affected people. So for all this, I'm thankful. 

Porno movies.

Remember the 5th of November, for that is when Dr. Emmett Brown invented time travel.

Let's hope Marty steals the Sports Almanac from Donald Trump so we can go back to the real 2017.

BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985)



So what is it about Back to the Future that has made it one of the most beloved movies of the last quarter century? The answer is in the Sports Almanac. As we get older the number of "what if" questions grow in our head. Life is a neverending quest for happiness and depression is usually winning the battles. You spend most of your time playing Monday Morning Quarterback. So here comes along Back to the Future, a movie about how the little moments change your life for the better. Punching the school bully. Performing at the school dance. Reading a letter. It's a movie that makes you feel good and gives you a positive outlook on life. For that, I am thankful.

RoboCop



Robocop is the kind of movie I just love. You hear the premise and title and you assume another brain-dead 80s action movie, but the film goes well above standard action fare. The film's fans will typically jump to Robocop's satirical elements to argue the film's greatness. While the film's portrayal of rampant crime is certainly exaggerated, it's depiction of the news media and ruthless corporate culture have proven very prophetic. Additionally, the film is able to mine this satirical streak for some genuinely hysterical bits of comedy. Robocop is often laugh out loud funny, even slapticky at points, but it never descends into farce. A big part of this is the film remains interested in Murphy's remaining humanity and allows the seriousness to play in certain moments. Peter Weller also brings a lot to the role, especially when you consider the massive limitations placed on him. Another crucial player is the score, which balances an inspiring action movie sound with a more contemplative and melancholy side.

Even without these elements, Robocop would still be a movie worth valuing. The film is effectively able to balance Robocop's personal story and satirical elements with a criminal conspiracy and a ton of well-developed characters. This is a film with a hero, a sidekick, two different villains, and a plethora of other side characters. Most movies would collapse under the weight of so much going on, but Robocop is able to juggle everything and tie up loose ends in a clean hour and forty minutes. Most of the characters aren't particularly deep, but they have distinct personalities and are brought to life by a wonderful assortment of character actors. The film also features several fun action scenes which are distinct and memorable along with some awesome dialogue.

Robocop is the kind of movie that could have been nothing more than a silly novelty. Instead, it's an action movie classic and a masterclass on how to balance a complex tone. What's not to love?

RoboCop teaches a similar lesson.

Memories are short.  Bryan Singer had a sex scandal already.  It broke just before the release of X-Men: Apocalypse.

The People vs Larry Flynt (1996)



Hugh Hefner passed away recently. There was talks of a biopic directed by Brett Ratner and starring Jared Leto. It's doubtful that project will see the light of day and that's fine because we still have The People vs Larry Flynt.

I won't pretend it's a great movie. Most of it is your run-of-the-mill biopic. But what works IS great. Larry Flynt is a joke and morally questionable but he took a bullet to defend a right we're all entitled to: freedom of speech. In recent times, people have misunderstood what that means. We have the right to speak our mind but we aren't exempt to consequence. If I say Kevin Smith is a national treasure and SnoBorderZero punches me in the face, well, I had it coming. But if SnoBorderZero burns my house down, well, that's just ridiculous. And that's at the heart of the movie.

The whole story leads up to the Supreme Court trial between Jerry Falwell and Flynt. Falwell sued Flynt because his feelings were hurt. You know who else's feelings were hurt? Donald Trump. You know who got him elected? People who's feelings were hurt. It has been exactly one year. Are you happy with your buyers remorse? Don't let your emotions overwhelm you and also be mindful of how you exercise your first amendment rights. Learn from Larry Flynt and Jerry Falwell.

MAN ON THE MOON (1999)



In honor of the Jim Carrey/Andy Kaufman documentary on Netflix, let’s talk about Man on the Moon.

MAN ON THE MOON (1999)



Hugh Hefner passed away recently. There was talks of a biopic directed by Brett Ratner and starring Jared Leto. It's doubtful that project will see the light of day and that's fine because we still have The People vs Larry Flynt.

I won't pretend it's a great movie. Most of it is your run-of-the-mill biopic. But what works IS great. Larry Flynt is a joke and morally questionable but he took a bullet to defend a right we're all entitled to: freedom of speech. In recent times, people have misunderstood what that means. We have the right to speak our mind but we aren't exempt to consequence. If I say Kevin Smith is a national treasure and SnoBorderZero punches me in the face, well, I had it coming. But if SnoBorderZero burns my house down, well, that's just ridiculous. And that's at the heart of the movie.

The whole story leads up to the Supreme Court trial between Jerry Falwell and Flynt. Falwell sued Flynt because his feelings were hurt. You know who else's feelings were hurt? Donald Trump. You know who got him elected? People who's feelings were hurt. It has been exactly one year. Are you happy with your buyers remorse? Don't let your emotions overwhelm you and also be mindful of how you exercise your first amendment rights. Learn from Larry Flynt and Jerry Falwell.



Doomsday and Dracula were debating what defined a millennial. Well, millennials turned The Grinch into a holiday classic. Clearly - Doomsday won this argument. We... are the Jim Carrey generation. In Living Color. Ace Ventura. The Mask. Dumb and Dumber. The Cable Guy. Liar Liar. These are the defining comedies of our childhood and have no relevance to millennials whatsoever. Ask thebtskink. He’s done the research. You know what else millennials don't care about? Andy Kaufman. Can you imagine if millennials discovered Andy Kaufman? Unleash the trigger warnings!

Kaufman was the Sacha Baron Cohen of his day minus the social commentary. He lived to prank the masses. He’d go to comedy clubs and do anything except a standup routine. He pretended to be a chauvinist pig and wrestled women. He’d go on late night television and stage fights. All this was before the Internet. Entertainment options were limited. Us pre-millennials know that pain. We used to watch Jackass.



All this is covered in Man on the Moon. The timeline isn’t entirely accurate and certain things were omitted, but it covers all the basics. As far as biopics go, it’s okay. The reason to watch is for Jim Carrey. Whether he portrayed Andy Kaufman or the public image of Andy Kaufman can be debated. Whether that was a good decision or not can be debated as well. I just see it as another wacky Jim Carrey character. You can watch the Kaufman footage. He had a Jew-y approach to his hoaxes that’s missing from Carrey’s performance. Kaufman was a New Yorkers. That’s just not in Carrey’s arsenal. Not that it mattered. The movie is just a celebration of harmless fun. On the surface, his hijinks might seem outrageous and offensive but no one was hurt. In these millennial influenced days, we’ve lost track of that and it is good to be reminded not to always take things so seriously. For that, I am thankful. Millennials, listen to your pal The Grinch. He has never given you bad advice.

Doomsday

He went a tad overboard in the 80’s but he was lovably mischievous in the 70’s. That’s what was missing in the Jim Carrey movie. Although Carrey is BY FAR the better Tony Clifton,