Two New Yorkers are accused of murder in rural Alabama while on their way back to college, and one of their cousins–an inexperienced, loudmouth lawyer not accustomed to Southern rules and manners–comes in to defend them.
Director: Jonathan Lynn
STC Genre: Fool Triumphant (out of water)
- “Fool” – Vinny Gambini
- “Establishment” – the judicial system of Alabama represented by the Judge
- “Transmutation” – Vinny turns from a clueless idiot into a snappy and excellent defense lawyer
Really, really, REALLY great classic film! And funny as hell. This is likely my first candidate to examine if I ever want to write a Fool Triumphant script.
Tags: Fool Triumphant, Jonathan Lynn, Movie Reviews, My Cousin Vinny
Marty McFly, a typical American teenager of the Eighties, is accidentally sent back to 1955 in a plutonium-powered DeLorean “time machine” invented by slightly mad scientist. During his often hysterical, always amazing trip back in time, Marty must make certain his teenage parents-to-be meet and fall in love – so he can get back to the future.
Director: Robert Zemeckis
STC Genre: Dude with a Problem (Domestic?)
- “Innocent Hero” - Marty McFly
- “Sudden Event” – while fleeing from terrorists, he sends himself back to 1955. Oops…
- “Test of Survival” – in this case, literal. His very life is at stake because he prevented his parents from meeting. If he doesn’t fix it, he dies immediately.
Really fabulously done movie. A classic that can be watched over and over again. It is meticulously well-structured, fast-paced, every detail appears for a reason, and all the loose ends are tied by the end. The emotional tension keeps growing to the very end – you are on the edge of your seat and keep pushing it – until the absolutely last moment, and even then you won’t be off the hook just yet.
At the same time, the concepts are simple and crystal-clear, with more subtle elements rubbed in your face two or three times. “Look at the clock. Do you see it’s broken? Yes? Sure? Look again, just to be sure! It’s important!).
Brilliant.
SPOILER ALERT – The Beat Sheet / Time Table Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Back to the Future, Beat Sheet, Dude with a Problem, Movie Reviews, Robert Zemeckis
Jason’s epic quest for the Golden Fleece.
Director: Don Chaffey
STC Genre: Golden Fleece (Epic) – duh!… 
- “Road” – sailing to the other end of the world
- “Team” – the Argonauts, the best men of all Greece (at the time), including Hercules
- “Prize” – oh, the Golden Fleece of course! And the woman as a bonus. Why not?
The story is obviously beautiful and very strong. How can it be not? But what is really amazing in this film is the technical level of production and acting. The stop-motion animation mixed with live action is simply fantastic, especially if you consider the time it was done. Great movie.
Tags: Don Chaffey, Golden Fleece, Jason and the Argonauts, Movie Reviews
Lawyer Fletcher Reede’s (Jim Carrey) mendacious ways destroyed his marriage and alienated his son, Max (Justin Cooper). But when Max makes a birthday wish that magically comes true, Fletcher finds himself incapable of telling a lie for 24 hours. That’s great news for Max and his mom (Maura Tierney), but terrible timing for Fletcher, who’s due in court to try a major divorce case.
Director: Tom Shadyac
STC Genre: Out of the Bottle (the magic kind)
- A “Wish” – daddy can’t lie for a day
- A “Spell” – the wish came true! Oops…
- A “Lesson” – telling the truth is so much better than lying
OK, this one did it for me. I finally realized I HATE Jim Carrey’s performance. No, don’t get me wrong – I admire his capabilities, and I know (first hand, in a way) that being a clown is the hardest thing in the entire circus, but we are talking about MOVIES! Come on, this role should have been given to Pierre Richard…
OK, now that out of the system, I think the movie is actually a classic Out of the Bottle genre, and very well structured. The story is absolutely fantastic (pun intended), and it all comes together in the end. But, but, but… Jim – are you listening? – you are WA-AY over the top. The true art is SUBTLE (hint, hint!). Less is MORE. Get it? Arghhh…
Loved the outtakes though
Tags: Liar Liar, Movie Reviews, Out of the Bottle, Tom Shadyac
An alien (Jeff Bridges) crashes on Earth and takes the form of a recently deceased man. On seeing the image of her dead husband before her, widow Jenny (Karen Allen) is frightened. But eventually, Starman wins her trust — and her affection — and she agrees to help him return to his home planet.
Netflix, IMDB, Wikipedia (plot synopsis)
Director: John Carpenter
STC Genre: Golden Fleece (Buddy – or more precisely Love Fleece)
SPOILER ALERT
Tags: Golden Fleece, John Carpenter, Movie Reviews, Starman
Woody Allen’s iconic romantic comedy won four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress, for its portrayal of the relationship between neurotic writer Alvy Singer (Allen) and quirky aspiring singer Annie Hall (Diane Keaton). Allen’s snappy, pop culture-infused dialogue and Keaton’s gender-bending fashion sense influenced comedy and style for many years to come. Shelley Duvall, Carol Kane and Christopher Walken also star.
Director: Woody Allen
BS Style: Buddy Love (rom-com love)
As they say, Woody Allen is all the same, only different
Tags: Annie Hall, Buddy Love, Movie Reviews, Woody Allen
A short video I did for the martial arts school of Kaze Arashi ryu in Mountain View, CA:
If you are curious about the school itself – visit their website.
For the technical video geeks, the footage is shot at 720/60p with a 1/1000 exposure. This made each frame crispy-sharp, with virtually no motion blur even for the very fast moves. Then I slowed it down in Apple’s Motion using optical reflow – that’s the secret behind the Matrix-like slow-mo effect.
The “talk” is the only exception: 24p at 1/48 with a long zoom and open aperture (about 2.0). This “tricks” the small sensor camera into a shallow depth of focus, making the background soft.
Oh, and by the way, the last fighting sequence is no special effect – all real, unrehearsed, actual speed. It looks a bit weird and “too fast” precisely because it lacks the motion blur. I found that not only it’s impossible to take the blur out once it’s there, it’s also quite hard to put it back in believably. So I didn’t
The entire clip was shot on a single Saturday morning and edited together in a couple of evenings. Having a great “cast” makes a world of difference!
Tags: Kaze Arashi ryu, Martial Arts, Motion, SFX, Special Effects, youtube
In this comedic fantasy, science has facilitated the search for a soul mate via biotechnological implants that count down to the moment one is supposed to meet his or her match. But Oona (Emma Caulfield) is worried: She’s nearly 30, and her TiMER isn’t ticking yet. Will her dream guy get snatched up by someone else? John Patrick Amedori co-stars in this film from first-time writer and director Jac Schaeffer.
Director: Jac Schaeffer
STC Genre: Buddy Love (rom-com love), with a touch of a four-handler
- “Incomplete Hero” – Oona
- “Counterpart” – the much younger “wrong” guy
- “Complication” – the timer (or its absence)
Brilliant setup – what happens if you take the guesswork out of the love “equation”?
Tags: Buddy Love, Jac Schaeffer, Movie Reviews, TiMER
Gerard Depardieu and Pierre Richard team up in this comedy (later remade in America as Pure Luck) as incompetent cops Campana and Francois, who are searching for the accident-prone daughter of a filthy-rich business titan. Their investigation takes them from the boardrooms of a huge multinational conglomerate all the way to the tropics of Mexico.
Director: Francis Veber
STC Genre: Golden Fleece (Buddy)
- “Road” – trip to Mexico
- “Team” – the two “cops”
- “Prize” – the president’s daughter
Absolutely phenomenal classic French comedy. Who would not love Gerard Depardieu (the main hero) or Pierre Richard (his buddy)?
Tags: Francis Veber, Golden Fleece, La Chevre, Movie Reviews
A 19-year-old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) journeys through Underland, where she experiences strange ordeals and encounters peculiar characters, including the vaporous Cheshire Cat (voiced by Stephen Fry), the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) and the sadistic Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter). Anne Hathaway, Alan Rickman, Matt Lucas and Crispin Glover co-star in director Tim Burton’s bold adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic.
Director: Tim Burton
STC Genre: Golden Fleece (Solo?)
- “Road” – the rabbit hole
- “Team” – the Hatter and friends
- “Prize” – going back home
The second trip of an older Alice. Quite an interesting take on the classic tale.
Tags: Alice in Wonderland, Golden Fleece, Movie Reviews, Tim Burton
