Movie-A-Day #4: Kids (1995).
Today is writer/director Harmony Korine’s 38th birthday. Which means it’s as good a time as any to check out his first (and best) feature, “Kids,” which he co-wrote with famed photographer Larry Clark, who also directed. It’s a gritty and uncompromising – or should I say, bleak and depressing – look at the blighted lives of aimless kids in New York City. It’s not light fare, but it’s far better than any of Korine’s subsequent work, and it features breakout performances from an ensemble cast of then-unknowns that includes Chloë Sevigny and Rosario Dawson. And then there’s the great soundtrack put together by Lou Barlow of Sebadoh and the Folk Implosion.
Movie-A-Day #3: The Seven Samurai (1954).
Today marks the anniversary of the Meiji Restoration in Japan in 1868. It was the culmination of perhaps the most sweeping cultural change any nation has ever seen. Japan’s feudal tradition, virtually unchanged for centuries of shogun rule, was swept aside almost overnight as the country was opened to the West and its modern government was put in place.
Most emblematic of the change was the abrupt end of the culture of the samurai. For the Japanese, they have become symbolic of the virtues of that vanished era and Japanese filmmakers have returned to samurai stories again and again, in much the same way American filmmakers have mined the western genre. So to mark the end of the feudal era in Japan, it’s only appropriate to turn to a samurai movie, and Akira Kurosawa’s “The Seven Samurai” is perhaps the pinnacle of that genre. Not only is the storytelling superb, but it also demonstrates the deep parallels between the samurai films and American westerns. Kurosawa tried to marry the two genres by consciously using many western tropes in “The Seven Samurai,” and American director John Sturges repaid the debt by remaking the film as a western in 1960 as “The Magnificent Seven.”
Movie-A-Day #2: Annie (1982).
On this date in 1983, the musical “Annie” finally ended its record breaking run on Broadway after six years and 2,377 performances. The story of a Depression-era girl taken in by a childless billionaire, based on the 1930s Harold Gray comic strip “Little Orphan Annie,” obviously struck a chord with ’70s audiences sick of economic malaise. The movie version of “Annie,” released while the play was still running, is just as relentlessly optimistic as the stage version and stars Carol Burnett, Albert Finney, and newcomer Aileen Quinn as Annie herself. The 1930s have long faded into history, but now in the midst of another economic crisis, that curly headed moppet is ready for another comeback – a revival of the play is scheduled to open on Broadway next year.
Movie-A-Day #1: The Poseidon Adventure (1972).
Happy 2011 everyone! For the new year we’re adding a new feature here at the Movie Spot: the Movie-A-Day Calendar. There will be a new topical movie recommendation for every day in 2011. The recommendations will be based on whatever is appropriate for that day – holidays, anniversaries, birthdays, current events, or sometimes just because. The one thing they’ll all have in common is that they’re movies worth watching.
So we start off 2011 with a New Year’s favorite, “The Posiedon Adventure.” As the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s, a rogue wave capsizes the cruise ship S.S. Poseidon, so our ragtag group of celebrity survivors must spend the first day of the new year climbing through the upside down ship to reach safety. It’s ’70s disaster moviemaking at its best – fun, dumb and cheesy – perfect for nursing that next day hangover. Because, after all, there has to be a morning after.
Metapost: Happy Birthdayversary to Us!
It’s the fourth anniversary of the Desuko Movie Spot. Can you believe it? I’m surprised I’ve been able to keep up with it this long, and I’m going to do my best to keep it up for more years to come. I want to thank each and every one of you who have visited this site – either as a regular reader, or just by dropping in through a Google search. You’re the reason for this little blog, and I truly appreciate your support.
As is becoming customary at our anniversary time, the Movie Spot will be taking a short holiday break and will return in January. The new year will also bring a new feature to the blog that I hope you like.
But in the meantime, it’s become another custom around here to mark our anniversary with a special post. This year, I want to look back at the most popular reviews here and say a little something about each of them. So here’s the all-time Top 10 at the Desuko box office (so far):
10) Scooby Doo: The Mystery Begins (2009).
This is the live action prequel to both the classic cartoon series and the not-so-classic movie franchise, made for Cartoon Network. It’s actually better than you might expect, provided your expectations aren’t too high.
9) Succubus: Hell Bent (2007).
Dear god, this one is a turkey. It’s so unbelievably, horribly bad that you just have to see it, just for the train wreck factor. Especially for Gary Busey’s whacked out cameo. Why is this turd so popular on my site? Oh yeah, that’s right – sexy chick. My bad.
8) Earth vs. the Spider (1958).
This one may not be perfect, but it’s classic B-grade ’50s drive-in science fiction at its best. Don’t you dare call yourself a genre fan if you haven’t seen this one. And be sure to check out the “Mystery Science Theater 3000” version too.
7) Ratatouille (2007).
Not my favorite from Pixar, but still pretty good nonetheless. Probably a must-see for those of you who are into gourmet cuisine.
6) The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999).
This is a completely unnecessary sequel to the 1976 Sissy Spacek/Brian De Palma original. That notorious money-grubber Stephen King wanted nothing to do with this, which should tell you all you need to know. But Emily Bergl is pretty hot in it, though.
5) Gamera vs. Barugon (a.k.a., War of the Monsters) (1966).
So many Gamera movies, so little time. This is the one where our flying turtle overlord battles a dinosaur dog that shoots rainbows. And this isn’t even the weirdest one in the series.
4) Suburbia (1984).
An absolute punk rock classic from Penelope Spheeris. She cast a bunch of unknown punk kids instead of real actors to give it authenticity, and it worked. Some of the acting by the kids (including Michael Balzary, who would grow up to be Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) is a little wooden, but at a time when popular entertainment was filled with portrayals of punks that were nothing but cartoonish caricatures, this was a breath of fresh air.
3) Gamera vs. Zigra (1971).
More Gamera madness! (In fact, the original “Gamera” just barely missed cracking the Top 10, or we would’ve had three on the list. What is it with you people and flying turtles?) This one has aliens whose spaceship turns into a giant land shark. Um, okay…
2) The Tale of Despereaux (2008).
I thought this one was clunky, moralistic and boring. But my kids love it, so go figure. This is also the closest thing to a major new release I’ve ever reviewed for this site, which probably accounts for its popularity on this list.
1) The Notorious Bettie Page (2005).
And the red hot Bettie Page is the queen of them all. In fact, this review is No. 1 by a wide margin – nearly twice as many hits as “The Tale of Despereaux.” Sure, this film had its flaws. But it’s Bettie Freakin’ Page on the top, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Desuko Movie Spot. 