Iro's One Movie a Day Thread

I used to be - loved the first two Solid games (my username is a reference to Snake's fake name in MGS2), but never got around to finishing the third one or playing the fourth one (due to not having a PS3). As such, I find it hard to truly call myself a fan, but this is just semantics.

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

Yeah I was a big fan of the first two. I've never actually played Snake Eater despite my friend who is a massive MGS fan telling me its the best. Sons of the Patriots was pretty good but I didn't enjoy it as much as the first two. Good to know where your username comes from, I always thought it was something to do with the Native Americans sided with the French since I've heard something about that before. I suppose that was the inspiration for Snakes fake name since Hideo Kojima is such a big history buff.

Yeah, if you contact Snake via codec after the reveal of his true identity then he more or less gives the same explanation as to why he picked that name (especially since it apparently translates to "snake"). I have thought about changing it because I think that I, as a person with no Native American heritage to speak of, probably shouldn't be using it, but changing usernames on here is too much of a hassle.

I loved codec in that game, before the internet me and my friend spent quite a bit of time talking to the Colonel when he goes crazy. He reveals a lot about the story.

The only members I can think of that changed their names were Lucas and Mmmm Donuts, but they were fairly new at the time. You've been here for years and despite your un-Native-Americanness, I like the username

#286 - The Thing
John Carpenter, 1982



The inhabitants of an American research station in Antarctica finds themselves face-to-face with an alien that can perfectly imitate other living things.

While Escape From New York may be my favourite Carpenter film on a purely subjective level, it is most definitely The Thing that stands head and shoulders above the rest of Carpenter's filmography on an objective level. Halloween may have established him, and it is still one of his best films, but it's hard not to think of it as a rather basic prototypical slasher film despite its craftsmanship and quality. If you were to similarly boil down The Thing to such a basic narrative, then it's definitely a monster movie, but of course it's a testament to the talent on display that it becomes so much more than that. A significant factor might actually have to do with the casting - instead of vapid young people of multiple genders who are picked for their ability to look pretty and die horribly, The Thing assembles a collection of character actors of various ages who are able to carry the film well in between deaths. Though it does have some concession to narrative convenience by having a clearly defined protagonist in the form of rugged helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell), he does not overshadow the rest of the cast, the highlights of which include a sharp-tongued mechanic (Keith David), an extremely paranoid biologist (Wilford Brimley), a wacked-out scientist (David Clennon), and an avuncular physician (Richard Dysart). Even before the paranoia sets in following the discovery of the Thing, the interplay between characters is often hostile and the actors pull it off perfectly.

The Thing is also well-executed on a technical level. A lot of the film's notoriety rests on the grotesque nature of its titular monster, who undergoes a series of increasingly gory and horrific transformations each time its true nature is discovered. The practical effects on display are stunningly well-executed, to the point that in the one instance where the film resorts to stop-motion animation it's extremely jarring. The vague nature of the Thing's biology and behaviour also means that there's a lot of the film that's up to interpretation but not enough to make for gaping plot holes. The bleak Antarctic setting is captured well by frequent Carpenter collaborator Dean Cundey - the blending of warm and cool colours is common and captivating even when there isn't any body horror going on. Though Ennio Morricone earned a Razzie nomination for his score, I can't imagine why - the skittish strings are used sparingly for maximum effect, even if the main theme sounds like vintage Carpenter instead of vintage Morricone. The Thing is definitely one of the best horror films and deserves to be considered Carpenter's masterpiece - though the violent nature of the titular creature may be alienating (pun possibly intended) to some viewers, those who persevere will definitely find something of worth.

Excellent write up Iro . I agree that The Thing is the best thing Carpenter has ever done, whether you like him or not I think that's his masterpiece. Personally I enjoy Halloween a lot more, and I'm sure you enjoy Escape From NY more.

I currently rank Halloween as my #5 Carpenter film with a solid . Big Trouble in Little China and They Live are #3 and #4, respectively.

How many Carpenter films have you seen?

This many.

#287 - Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Rupert Wyatt, 2011



A prequel to Planet of the Apes.

Short logline, but it gets the point across. The sheer existence of this film does seem a little disrespectful towards people who for whatever reason might be oblivious to the 1968 classic's infamous twist ending, but on its own it is not the worst film. That doesn't mean that its main plot isn't riddled with clichés, though - apparently, the catalyst for the planet's inevitable domination by intelligent apes starts with a scientist (a not-particularly-convincing James Franco) trying to develop a cure for Alzheimer's so as to save his ailing father (John Lithgow). In doing so, he ends up in possession of a hyper-intelligent ape named Caesar (Andy Serkis pulling another mo-cap performance). What follows is a fairly standard tale involving ethically dubious applications of science, a friendly animal being misunderstood and mistreated by humans, and of course the inevitable third act where the apes eventually take over. It is not a film that is especially full of surprises, and the clichéd nature of both plot and characterisation bear that out.

What does elevate Rise... over its largely predictable narrative are the apes themselves. There are those who would think that Serkis' performance as Caesar is reason enough for motion-capture performances to be nominated for Oscars, and underneath the fairly competent CGI it shows. Though Caesar can be written off as a version of Gollum who is incapable of speech, he ends up being a rather compelling example of some admittedly tired tropes. Other ape characters are also given enough development to distance them from the fairly one-dimensional human characters - enough so that I definitely want to see Dawn of the Planet of the Apes just to see what they're up to next. Otherwise, this is an extremely disposable film that still feels very unnecessary despite the strength of the ape characters that is almost good enough to redeem the film.

That shows me how much I know Carpenter . Is he your fav director Iro?

I don't have a definite favourite, but he's definitely up there.

Cool. I doubt I'll ever watch that Rise of the Apes, so I feel sorry for you

#288 - Two-Lane Blacktop
Monte Hellman, 1971



A pair of drivers challenge each other to an interstate drag race.

During this film, I got the same feeling that I got when I watched Vanishing Point, another early-1970s road movie about the seemingly existential journey of a muscle car driver tearing his way across America and attracting police attention for seemingly no other reason other than because he could. That same air of existential absurdity hangs over Two-Lane Blacktop, which traces the journeys of two cars and their occupants. One car is occupied by a two-man team consisting of a driver and mechanic (James Taylor and Dennis Wilson, respectively), the other by a sole driver (the always-dependable Warren Oates). They also have a female hitch-hiker (Laurie Bird) constantly swapping between cars and they agree on a plan to drag race all the way across several states. Of course, it's not especially focused on making it a race so much as a fairly typical counter-culture movie as both cars keep stopping to catch up with one another or pick up other hitch-hikers (most memorably the inimitable Harry Dean Stanton making a brief appearance as a rather affectionate cowboy).

Unfortunately, much like Vanishing Point the film is quite possibly too existential for its own good, with its long action-less takes and mumbled dialogue not being interesting enough to make a difference. Sure, it looks reasonably good, but what little characterisation there is isn't much chop (Oates is pretty decent, but he seems to be the exception here) and there isn't nearly enough here to sustain a feature film. At least Vanishing Point had enough plot to back up the vagueness of its lead as he alternated between driving fast and kicking around on the side of the road. Two-Lane Blacktop isn't horrible, but it seems to think that lack of external action will pass for depth and as a result it simply passes through one's eyes without leaving much of an impression. It gets points for having some ambition, but there's quite a standard when it comes to road movies from this period and this one doesn't quite live up to it.

#289 - Brazil
Terry Gilliam, 1985



In a brutal yet ineffective urban dystopia, a lowly bureaucrat starts challenging the system in order to find a woman who resembles the girl of his dreams.

Original review found here.

#290 - Pretty Woman
Garry Marshall, 1990



A lower-class call-girl is employed by a wealthy businessman for the span of a week to serve as a business associate.

Probably the most well-known example of what constitutes a modern Hollywood rom-com, Pretty Woman isn't quite as intolerable as I'd been led to believe, but it's still hard to take seriously either as a romance or a comedy. The basic plot sounds like it leans more towards the tragic than the upbeat - Julia Roberts plays the titular character, whose struggle to make rent and keep up with her drug-addicted roommate/colleague (Laura San Giacomo) results in her meeting the successful but romantically impaired millionaire (Richard Gere), who ultimately contracts her services for an entire week. Going beyond the obvious implications of sex work, she also serves as a more conventional escort to various social engagements that he must attend. Of course, between her rather uncultured upbringing and his standoffish demeanour, there is plenty of odd-couple chemistry to fill out two hours before the pair eventually realise how right they are for one another (while also fighting off various other complications).

Even without knowing that it was originally intended to be a much darker film than it eventually ended up being, it's still pretty weak as far as fluff goes. Granted, Julia Roberts is fairly charming as the titular character, but otherwise it feels too light for its own good - even when it does edge into sufficiently unsettling territory towards the end, it still feels weirdly inconsequential afterwards due to the treatment of the rest of the film. The whole thing just blows along with a soundtrack of nothing but hits, some largely lacklustre comedy (the only genuine chuckles I got out of this film were simply based on the presence of a pre-Seinfeld Jason Alexander, while Hector Elizondo is a memorable presence as a stuffy hotel manager who gradually warms up to the uncouth Roberts), and a romantic element that is unbelievable enough to the point of there being very understandable jokes about how the movie is practically a fairytale (which isn't helped by the fact that at one point Roberts' character recounts her own princess-rescue fantasy). There's enough going on that it's not a total waste of time, but it comes pretty close.

I've just never gotten the appeal of Escape From New York. The Thing is brilliant. I agree with you almost completely about Rise... It's agreeable but completely forgettable. Like you, I liked it enough to be interested in Dawn.... I really like Vanishing Point, but Two Lane Blacktop less. I remember liking Pretty Woman more than you, but I agree with what you've said about it there. It's been more than 20 years since I last saw it, I think, so I don't know if I'd feel any better about it than you do now.

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Like HK I think I like Pretty Woman a tad more than you. Overall though its not a good film at all.

If I see you use "titular" again...

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