20 QUESTIONS

1. What’s your favorite movie from the last 5 years?

 The Tree of Life

2. Least favorite movie?

Mother's Day with Rebecca De Mornay, 
i dare you to watch it

3. Name one movie you HATED upon initial viewing but eventually grew to LOVE (or vice-versa).

I hated Quantum of Solace the first time i saw it,but eventually it has grown on me and now i love the intro. I even got it on my IPOD.

4. Name your biggest “guilty pleasure” film.

Notting Hill

5. Favorite quote from a favorite actor/actress (must be a line from a movie)?

"I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."

-Don Corleone

6. Favorite ACTRESS

Helen Mirren

7. What film gets your vote for the worst or most pointless remake?

ROBOCOP

8. Best sequel?

The Empire Strikes Back

9. Worst sequel?

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

10. Best trilogy?

The Bourne Trilogy

11. Worst trilogy?

MATRIX

12. WORST APOCALYPTIC Movie

END OF DAYS

Schwarzenegger plays Jericho Cane, a drunk cop with no faith . A very bad story, bad acting, bad visual effects, ripoffs of many films( Stigmata , Seven, The Usual Suspects) This movie should be a comedy.


13. Favorite Keanu Reeves Movie

A scanner Darkly.  


14.Favorite Meryl Streep film

The Devil Wears Prada. 


15. Favorite Harry Potter Movie

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part one 
breaks tradition of the Harry Potter FILMS by taking Harry, Ron and Hermione away from Hogwarts, which is never seen. I love the way they are being hunted all the time. 


16.Favorite Zombie Movie not ZOMBIELAND

Danny Boyle´s 28 Days Later 

17. Favorite Chris Nolan FILM

THE PRESTIGE

18. Favorite COMIC BOOK MOVIE

IRON MAN

19. Favorite Supporting Character

Paul Bettany as Dr. Stephen Maturin –MASTER AND COMMANDER THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD

20. What DIRECTOR would you like to meet? 

Guillermo del Toro

HOW´S IT GONNA END?

"If you want a happy ending, 

that depends, of course, on where you stop your story." 

-Orson Welles

A movie cannot be enjoyed if it is watched in fast forward.

It is not the same. it hasn´t the same effect. Every movie is made to be seen from start to finish. It is called the build up.Why the triumph is so glorious, why the tragedy is so sad, why the confusion of the twists. Its an emotional relationship between the audience and the film.

None of this movies would be what they are ... Star Wars, The Godfather, The Wizard of Oz, Citizen Kane, Casablanca,Gone With The Wind, Psycho, The Birds... without its music.

I found myself fascinated with a particular event that happens in all movies.  Their endings. I believe, The perfect ending is  when you let the audience and soundtrack play their part. To become one. As if you were wrapping a christmas present, before giving it away. The emotional strain with the audience at the end of a film is very important, because it is the only thing that you leave the theatre with. I think it´s the hardest decision to make for a storyteller, a screen writer or a director. How to end a story?? Basically because there will be nothing after. I think The End of a film  provides a close, not always complete resolution. It is why we just spent two hours watching. It´s worth our time.

I find it harder to end a movie than to begin it, haven´t you ever felt the movie mysteriously ends too quickly?? or that the ending didn´t resolve anything? Or that it was just not coherent to the previous 2 hours of movie? The meaning of an ending is a crucial part of the story. Either nothing more can happen or we are left with ambigous thoughts of..what happened? This are some of my favorite scores and endings that i think, deeply connect with the audience.

Burkhard von Dallwitz and Philip Glass(composers The Truman Show)

Matching the story and the score is something of talent. To me what Dallwitz and Glass did is a landmark in movies, just  spectacular. Music is broken by the boat hitting a wall that resembled the sky. Truman believed all his life that was his limit. His dream was to go places to be an explorer. As he feels that wall and realizes he is no longer under that ilussion. We all know he is a free man. He is right where he wanted to be climbing those steps to a door. To the UNKNOWN. Not a Truman Show anymore ... "In case I don´t see ya, good afternoon, good evening and good night!"

ANDREA GUERRA(composer The Pursuit of Happyness)

Mixing both piano and violin with the trouble and sacrifices of earning a job and taking care of a little kid. Guerra masterfully executes an audiovisual poem. At the end its the soundtrack the emotional glue between us and Chris Gardner. When we hear " tomorrow is gonna be your first day if you´d like to work here as a broker? ...would you like that Chris?" ...and his eyes become full of tears. We are with him at that moment feeling what he feels. Speechless. As he races down those steps and he startrs to clap, we want to clap with him at his moment of Joy. In that moment we know everything will be ok in his pursuit of Happyness. I love how at the ending of the film we see Chris walking with his son. And the real Chris Gardner dressed in a suit walks right pass him.

"Being with the characters and the way the camera moves suggested certain musical things,the weightless feel of it, the lack of cuts completely influence how you write musically" -Steven Price (composer GRAVITY)

Scoring a movie in space must be quite the task. Most of all how do you come up with an ending that seems fit. British composer Steven Price found out what was inside Alfonso Cuaron´s vision of the safe return to earth. As if it was a metaphor of life coming out of the water and beggining to stand on two feet. Prices masterpiece of score celebrates human victory over adversity with violins and cellos and adding a slight chorus. Bringing all together as Dr. Ryan Stone says "Thank you " stepping away and the movie ends.

"I am very emotional how i react and film has a quality in it which appeals to me. I  immediately respond emotionally that is the most important moment."-Jan Andrzej Paweł Kaczmarek (composer Hachi: A Dog's Tale)

Some people consider animal movies cliches or even boaring. It is Lassie or Benji or some friendly animal. The depth of this movie and its soundtrack can match any drama. Made me respect in so many ways Jan A.P. Kaczmarek. He gives us the key notes to what is happening on screen with a mix of violin and piano.  Giving the same piece variations of rythm. As the movie comes to a close, we see a little summary of the whole movie and of Hachi´s bond with the proffesor. In a kind of progressive sadness in which we all know death is inevitable. That piano marks the reencounter with his old master.But the music comforts in a different way. As the proffesor exits the train station and says "Hachi!" We  know now they are together.

"I have a cool record collection, what i do is go thru it and i find different songs and different pieces of music. I SELECT as i am looking for this is the music, the rythm of Kill Bill." -Quentin Tarantino

We all knew Kill Bill VOL 1. would be a huge film not just because of Quentin Tarantino but because  it was divided in two parts. The one thing i didn´t expect was the ending of Volume 1 is much, much better than Volume 2. Yes, volume 2 gives closure to everything and resolves our doubts. But as The Empire Strikes Back did in 1980....Tarantino wisely chose the final song and decided to give us one more final surprise with the final line. After such a violent movie, full of blood and dead bodies it seems appropriate to use a Gheorghe Zamfir song, called The Lonely Sheperd. That Pan flute is PERFECT. It is such a delicate instrument that it BUILDS UP all this Tension, agression and revenge. Just to leave us with the last line said by BILL "Is she aware her daughter is still alive"

In many ways, an ending is synonym of freedom to the characters. An assurance of  permanent rest or a time of peace. After all of this ...life will never be the same.

" And I want to know the same thing

Everyone wants to know

How's it going to end?"

-Tom Waits

THE DEPTH OF AN 80´s ICON

"nobody wanted him for the part, producers wanted Toshiro Mifune or some big asian actor, not a comedian, but the director was the only one who wanted Mr. Morita"

-Ralph Macchio

No other movie has made KARATE a common word. Known for being one of the most influential movies of the 80´s it gave us all the right push outside the door to beg our parents for Karate lessons. It´s message is clear it needs no subtitles. This film is The Karate Kid.

Take a skinny kid from new jersey and a wise old mentor  and boom!!! Let THE POP CULTURE LEGACY begin. "The Karate Kid"  a martial arts romantic drama! that every kid could feel identified. I knew when i came out of the movie theatre all i wanted was to get that bandana and kick everyone.

Written by Robert Mark Kamen,  The Karate Kid´s main character was originally called Daniel Webber finally changing to Daniel Larousso and directed by John G. Avildsen (academy award winner for best director in 1977  for  Rocky), starring Ralph Macchio (Daniel)& Noriyuki "Pat" Morita(Mr. Myagi) made in the 80´s what Rocky (Stallone) & Mickey( Burgess Meredith) did in the 70´s. The story of a nobody that needed to believe in himself FIRST, in order to achieve anything. After that it was dedication and training. Pat Morita (earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor) became an eternal character in POPULAR CULTURE as Mr. Myagi. And as every POPULAR ICON he also has his FAMOUS QUOTE.

"Wax On - Wax Off"

This trademark scene made possible that waxing cars, painting walls and doing chores (some thing every kid could relate to)payed off at the end. Daniel learned to defend himself by repeating constantly a chore. Or basically pay attention to your parents, because what they are teaching you now...  will help you in the future. 

There is a scene in the movie, probably the most important for the movie, that very few people remember. But it makes Mr. Miyagi and Daniel´s bond to grow. As they are teacher and apprentice. In the scene where Mr. Miyagi is drunk. Daniel feels sorry for him and becomes the care taker of this man. As he lays him to bed, Daniel realizes Mr. Myagi lost his wife and son.  Mr. Myagi is a troubled human being, full of imperfections. Daniel realizes his teacher as himself has flaws.

Martial Arts is just one piece of the movie.

You are never too old or too young to learn something new from someone. There are no "it has to be like that". Every single person you meet in life is important. Whether its for 10 minutes or 10 years. In the story, Mr. Myagi becomes Daniel teacher and father figure as for Daniel  he becomes Mr. Myagi´s best friend and son . Karate is more than FIGHTING, Karate is a deeper form of art.

One of the many philosophies of Karate is that the student must be "inwardly humble and outwardly gentle." And as in the movie The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda says to Luke " A Jedi uses the force always for knowledge and defense, never to attack" Karate shares the same principle. 

On rainy afternoons, i remember my mom used to drive us to karate class. Myself, my brother and my sister all dressed up in our white suits and our karate belts. I know i felt like Daniel San throwing kicks and imitating what i had seen on that movie. The key ingredient to me was the comfort that i was learning to defend myself. We felt special, powerful but as many of our parents lessons in life, it got us closer as siblings to protect each other. It´s one of those movies everyone saw. The impact of The Karate Kid remains to this day. It is a very important part of movie history, of my childhood and for all that Generation that was instantly drawn to a Karate Dojo.It´s unreal to me that this movie turns 30 years old and its still as relevant as when it opened.

"what the remake felt to me ....was to enhance the legacy of the original 1984 "-Ralph Macchio

Mythos & ethoS

"i like having a cast doing something difficult in every shot"

-Wes Anderson

A rarity is what i would call this film. Not for being odd or silly. But because nowadays it´s really rare to watch a good, well written, well performed, well directed and entertaining movie at the same time. A STORY WORTH TELLING. A story you would actually like seeing again and again. Because it is very well told. The characters are 3 dimensional. They have feelings, they are coherent. They are different among themselves. No one is the same as the other. Like in theatre everyone has their ins and outs. Every character portrayed plays their part as if it was a dance or a gymnastics choreography. No egos, No superstars trying to get the most camera time in the editing room. Every single one wants to be a part of the Wes Anderson universe. And to be inside that world is a privilege. It´s a simple, little film about a hotel. The Grand Budapest Hotel.

The way Wes Anderson introduces us to his simetrically perfect world is like in every one of his films. By the time the credit sequence is over. We are in. The way he plans his shots for them to condence the most of the story inside a  a single frame is a real treat. I laughed at his dark humor and really enjoy watching this film. Because it is a great film told by a great director. He is clearly influenced by french cinema and old black and white films. But he took film to an unthinkable perfection. The colors, the music, the acting, the timming, the humor. It is a film that could be shot indoors but you never feel like you are in a closed space. Wes Anderson is in fact a genre of his own. A Wes Anderson film is  unique.

Terry Gilliam once told Quentin Tarantino " You have a vision of a movie in your mind now gather the best people in the business and tell them your vision so that they can bring it to life coreographed by you" That´s the importance of the director". It is the very fundamental of why he is there. That is why many directors continue to work with the same cinematorgraphers, camera crew, gaffers, sound directors, composers, editors etc, etc, etc. There is no written formulas to success but as in real life chemistry exists and when several, very talented people get together they can make movie magic.

Wes Anderson reminded us of one key element of going to the movies:  enjoy the film. He really delivers us a good story with solid characters. No mistakes or script flaws, or  stupid twists. This movie is a must.

The GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL is a character on its own. It is center stage and it holds the intimate secrets of everyone who works there and stays there as a guest.

"i have always wanted to work in the theatre, but i´ve never actually done it. Not since i was in fifth grade, but i´ve had many plays in my films. maybe....theatre is a part of my movie work"

-Wes Anderson

TIME AND TIDE

MEMPHIS TIME
As if someone had encapsulated together both the wind, the sea and all our memories. Alan Silvestri´s score for the movie CAST AWAY reaches far into the deepest corners of our mind Robert Zemeckis put it on film. Tom Hanks portrayed Chuck Noland. No Land?? hmm

I´LL BE RIGHT BACK!
Chuck Noland is so sure of everything. He works for FEDEX, he lives by the clock, he is a workaholic. So much he has gained fame in FEDEX  as someone who  "stole a bike in order to deliver a package".  He torments others about how they should do their job, as if life was A FEDEX DEADLINE to reach. We live by the clock we die by the clock. As if his life was such an example. But his life changes unexpectedly when he is on a plane crash.
Leaving him... all alone... on an island with a lot of FEDEX packages.

HELLO!!ANYBODY OUT THERE ??!

He screams, he cries , he calls for help!  Every time i see this film, i found myself making the same choices as Chuck. You get on a plane sure you will reach your destination. You unbuckel your seatbelt because you want to grab what you most love the watch with Kelly´s picture. You cry for help because there will always be someone to help you. You find yourself full of darkness. And that is when we search for light. With doubt comes knowledge. There are a lot of hidden messages on this film intentionally or not. But to me it is the masterpiece of both actor TOM HANKS and director ROBERT ZEMECKIS. The island can be a metaphor of the mind.

As this movie portrays life as a mirror. All of our choices are roads we will take. If it takes us far or near. If it is a defeat or a victory. We should learn from every experience.We don´twant life to change but it does. We don´twant people to go but they do. What we must always treasure is the chance to be alive, to be aware of life, to be able to look around and enjoy it. 

WILSON IM SORRY!!!
Wilson is born from Chuck drawn with his blood. Wilson a methapor of the importance of others in our life. What we can achieve by being silent. Have you ever done that? just listen to others instead of trying to win an argument?
Wilson has no dialogue, Wilson has no actions or reactions. But the way it interacts with Chuck as a witness of his adventures, makes it so hard for the viewer to watch him go.  As the tide takes him further. How we miss him when he is gone. Chuck´s life will never be the same but is not over its only beggining. 

Wilson is everything but "a goddamn volleyball!!!"



YOU´RE THE LOVE OF MY LIFE
I THINK The message is not only about a man who lost everything because of being a CAST AWAY BUT about a man who thought controlled everything and everyone.
 As he returns to civilization, on a rainy night he goes to see Kelly only to realize one thing  "Now i´m back and i´ve lost you all over again". Kelly was his hope. Chuck finds out the reason he is alive is for himself.

YOU LOOK LOST
And just when his task is over, when he finds his way home. He finds out the world moves on with or without him. Nothing is certain. Nothing lasts forever. As waves in the ocean are the only eternal sound. We are mere guests here in this life. As Chuck finds himself in a cross road with 4 different options. We are left wondering what would he choose? What would i choose if i had to start all over again from zero?

I HAVE MADE FIRE !!!

a·chieve·ment: something accomplished, especially by superior ability, special effort, great courage, etc.; a great or heroic deed: his remarkable achievements in art.

We are made of goals and achievments. We value so little what we´ve got until we have lost it. And i´m not talking material things. When we value each other. Respect everyone that makes us better.We must seek others not be an island. In order for us to be happy we have to be exposed and we have to risk failure.  This film earned no Oscars. But it is a testament of what excellent filmmaking is. 

A great cast a great score and a great story crafted by a great team including one hell of a Director. We can be certain of very few things in life. 

As there is Time... there is Tide.

"acting is a never-ending process of examining where you are in life"
-Tom Hanks 

FAMILIAR FACES

In movies we often expect actors to portray the same characters over and over again. There are main characters, supporting characters, but many are extras or have one single line of dialogue. Not often recognized by name when the credits roll. But always recognized by their face. 

Albert "Al" Leong 

Martial Arts expert and stunt double in over 200  movies. Has been killed in most of them. Ofently typecasted as an evil thug. Al Leong is a legend in the underworld  movie community.

Ernest Lee "Ernie" Hudson Sr.

He helped Brandon Lee as Sergeant Albrecht in Alex Proyas Cult masterpiece The Crow and  saved the world as Winston Zeddemore in both Ghostbusters movies. Often portrays a good guy doing whats right. To me his best character; as Solomon in  The Hand that Rocks the Cradle

Richard "Rick" Ducommun 

Neither good or bad...This Canadian comedian turned actor appears in many many films saying one liners or being the annoying rich guy in The Last Boyscout  or even a yelling costumer in Groundhog day. His best movie is with non other than Tom Hanks as two suspicious neighbors called THE BURBS

Udo Kier  

This german actor has appeared in more than 200 movies. Mostly horror movies as a vampire. He usually gets type cast as a villain. Why?  because he looks Evil and always planning something. I´ve always dreamed of a James Bond film in black and white ...if I directed it... he would be the PERFECT BOND villain.

William Gary Busey

Neither good or evil, always on the grey line doing what is best for him: Predator 2, Under Seige, Lethal Weapon, The Firm, Fear and Lothing in Las vegas ...to name a few. He has performed all....  Awesome villain, great hero both corrupt cop and funny bank robber. One word UNPREDICTABLE.

Andrew Daniel Divoff  

Another 48 hrs, Toy Soldiers , AIR FORCE ONE, Venezuelan actor always typecasted  as a bad guy because of his looks and accent.

Bradford Claude "Brad" Dourif 

Who can forget his maniac laughter. Most people don´t even recognize him by face. He ofently plays disturbed characters, as GRIMA Wormtongue in Lord of the Rings trilogy and as  Charles Lee Ray also known as CHUCKY in the cult movie franchise CHILD´S PLAY. 

Michael Ironside

Famous on TV because of the TV SERIES "V". Usually typecasted as a military officer because of his commanding Voice. Ironside is one of the best actors as supporting cast ever. Acted in Scanners, Total Recall, Top Gun, Star Ship Troopers.

Walter Charles Dance

Always a Gentleman. One of my favorite English actors. Clever sight and cunning dialogue. He is one of the finest villains in movie HISTORY. He is not too over exposed. He made a horrible movie tolerable as bad guy MR. BENEDICT in The Last Action Hero saying the line: HELLO TOTO! and made the most deep character since Lt. Ellen Ripley in the Alien saga as Johnathan Clemens. A morphin adict doctor who decided to stay behind humanity as one of the 25 prisioners in Alien 3´s Fury 161. Saying: "When they stayed ......I stayed."

William Henry "Bill" Duke, Jr.

Born in 1943 in New York, a very tall actor. Commando, Predator, Action Jackson, Bird on a Wire, Red Dragon or Payback he usually is in action films. The quintessential "Tough guy" He has played a Police Chief, a Detective, an assasin, a Pimp and a corrput agent. With his no expression face meaning he is only business.

A true actor delivers and convinces with his performance without you knowing or even thinking "he is acting". A true actor becomes the part. He is like you or me in real life but on a sound stage. When he hears "ACTION" he is not acting but living the moment. This performances are almost invisible because they are not main characters but that does not make them less important as part of a whole entity called A MOVIE. Either good or bad this are a few of a long list of unrecognizable names ...but familiar faces.