PIXAR

                                                                      Part 2

          As promised, here are five more solid gold Pixar movies, personally guaranteed by Mr. Movie. 

The Incredibles (2004) takes super heroes to a whole new level. Each member of their, okay, incredible family has a fantastic talent. Father Bob has superhuman strength and endurance. Mother Helen can shapeshift her body. Daughter Violet can make herself invisible and also can generate force fields. Son Dash has superhuman speed. Baby Jack-Jack can do most anything. Forced into early retirement, they rebound and demonstrate the need for super heroes. 

Cars (2006) is about, of course, talking cars. Laugh out loud funny most of the time. The somewhat complicated plot involves a championship race, deliberate forcings of crashes and other outrageous behavior. But the real hero of his film is the wrecker Mater, hilariously voiced by Owen Wilson. The film premiered at Charlotte Motor Speedway and went on to gross millions. It has spawned several sequels which are not nearly as good. 

Ratatouille (2007) proves that Pixar can make anything charming, in this case, rats! Remy is a wannabe chef who secretly bails out a young trainee’s mistakes. When he is discovered, at first the plan is to kill him. But that all changes when he demonstrates that (1) he can talk and (2) he can really cook up a storm. Strangely, the colony of rats in hiding in their attic home over the restaurant, are not creepy. Patton Oswalt voices Remy. Ian Holm, Brian Dennehy, Janean Garofolo and Brad Garrett are among the many voices chiming in. 

Can a robot be funny? Loveable? The hero of a movie? Why yes and Wall-E (2008) is all of the above. Left nearly alone in a post apocalyptic world, the hero is a robot designed to clean up the mess left by lazy, destructive humanity. He survives by pirating parts off other robots. He finds love (?) or something when he is discovered by Eve (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) and they both find a sinlgle living plant that may save the world. 

I have saved for last what for me is the very best of this bunch: Up (2009). Widower Carl, voiced by Ed Asner, refuses to leave his cliffside home and go to an assisted living facility. Instead, he uses all the helium balloons he has stored from his business and floats his house into the sky. Unknown to him, he has a reluctant stowaway: Russell, a dorky kid in a scout uniform. They are floated to South America where they encounter a strange large flightless bird Russell names Kevin. They also meet a golden retriever (Dug) who wears a magic collar that translates his thoughts into English. And like your dog, he is completely sidetracked by squirrels.  Many adventures follow. The high point is Carl’s recollection of his marriage and early time with his late wife Ellie. If you can watch this part of the film without tearing up, you are made of iron! 

All of these movies are available on DVD and are fine for everybody.

                                                 A GOOD TIME TO BE HAD BY ALL

Pixar is a computer animation company started by George Lucas. The true genius of Pixar is not in the animation, which is excellent, but in the stories. The first five full-length Pixar films are absolutely guaranteed by Mr. Movie to appeal to everyone in your house, regardless of age!

Pixar’s first feature, Toy Story (1995) has already grossed over 325 million dollars. It is, in a way, an old story- toys come to life (see, for example, The Nutcracker). But the film is completely fresh.  Woody the cowboy has been the favorite toy of Andy, but may be replaced by spaceman Buzz Lightyear (“to infinity and beyond!”). And the other toys, which must resume inactivity when a human comes around, are a joy, from the toy soldiers to Mr and Mrs. Potato Head. Woody must be rescued from the horrible Sid next door and his nightmarish hybrid toys.

Most sequels fall flat. But Toy Story 2 (1999) is even better than the first one! In this film, cowboy Woody is mistakenly sold at a yard sale to a fiendish toy dealer. Off to the rescue again are Buzz and company. The trip through the toy store led by Tour Guide Barbie is alone worth the price of admission.

Between those two came A Bug’s Life (1998) in which Flik, a good-hearted ant, tries to save his colony from the evil grasshoppers by hiring tough killer insects. 

Unfortunately (or fortunately, for us) he hires a circus troupe by mistake. Full of delicious sight gags and great one-liners!

Despite its title, Monsters, Inc. (2001) is a delight from start to finish and won’t scare even the scardiest little kid. The Monster Factory is powered by the screams of kids frightened by monsters in their closets. But this ideal world is threatened when a real little girl named Boo inadvertently enters the factory and wreaks havoc all around.  Boo is, well, the definition of cute. 

Last but not least comes Finding Nemo (2003). Nemo is a delightful little orange clown fish with a flipper defect who gets lost with his blue companion, a fish with no short term memory. From sharks who have joined Fisheaters Anonymous to schools of fish who arrange themselves in hilarious patterns, this is a joy all the way through.

In any Pixar film, be sure and watch all the way to the end of the credits, because the outtakes are really great. How can an animated feature have outtakes? Well, because Pixar put them there! 

Disney bought Pixar in 2006 and so far (cross your fingers!) they haven’t ruined it. 

All of the films in this column are now available on DVD and all are suitable for all ages. Mr Movie has another bunch of Pixar winners for next time.

                                                          WHO SAID THAT? 5

Yes, yet another helping of movie quotes. These are the hardest yet. Answers at the bottom. No cheating! If you get number 15 you’re brilliant! 

1- This is really a great city. I don’t care what anyone says!

2- Would you be shocked if I put on something more comfortable?

3- I don’t know nothin’ ‘bout birthin’ babies!

4- My first wife drove me to drink. I’ll always be grateful to her.

5- Years from now when you talk about this- and you will- be kind.

6- In spite of everything, I still believe that people are good at heart.

7- When I die, in the newspapers they’ll write that the sons of bitches of the world have lost their leader.

8- I like to watch..

9- I’m not bad. I’m just drawn that way.

10--All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.

11- The only question I ever ask any woman is “What time is your husband coming home?”

12- Round up the usual suspects.

13- To infinity...and beyond!

14- Beulah, peel me a grape.

15- 24601.

1- Woody Allen to Diane Keaton in Manhattan (1979)

2- Jean Harlow to Ben Lyon in Hell’s Angels (1930)

3- Butterfly McQueen to Vivian Leigh in Gone With The Wind (1939)

4- W.C. Fields in Never Give A Sucker An Even Break (1941)

5- Deborah Kerr to John Kerr in Tea And Sympathy (1956).

6- Millie Perkins in The Diary Of Anne Frank (1959)

7- Vincent Gardenia in Bang The Drum Slowly (1973)

8- Peter Sellers in Being There (1979)

9- Jessica Rabbit (Kahleen Turner) in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)

10-Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)

11-Paul Newman to Patricia Neal in Hud (1963)

12-Claude Rains to his police officers in Casablanca (1942)

13-Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) in Toy Story (1995)

14-Mae West to Gertrude Howard in I’m No Angel (1933)

15- Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman)  confessing his prison number in Les Miserables (2012)

15- Brilliant! Mensa candidate

12-14 Cinephile

9-11 Fair

                                                               ELVIS 

I watched Elvis (2022) on DVD the other day and I remembered why I would never go to a theater to see it. It is waaayyyy tooo looonnnngggg! Two hours and thirty-nine minutes. It’s actually not that bad if it didn’t wear you out. Unknown Austin Butler is just right as The King. (He does his own singing and dancing). And Tom Hanks proves he can play despicable.  I’m sure a lot of his fans love that much of Elvis, but it’s sort of like ten pounds of chocolate all at once. Nevertheless I have heard from Elvis fans wanting some guidance through his 30-plus movies. Not all of them are terrible. Just most. So here goes.

Elvis’ filmography is contained in 10 short years- 1957-1967. And in that time span the studios frantically rushed to cash in on his popularity. The results are some truly awful movies and a few that aren’t so bad. 

I’ll begin with King Creole (1958). It is based on a Harold Robbins story, A Stone For Danny Fisher and in addition to Elvis, has Walter Matthau and Carolyn Jones. It is directed by Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) and was a commercial and critical success. Elvis later said his role as Danny Fisher was his favorite. Danny drops out of high school and works to support his family. They move to New Oreans and Danny winds up singing at the King Creole club. After several fight scenes and several songs, it all ends  pretty well. 

Flaming Star (1960) stars Elvis as the son of a Kiowa mother and a Texas rancher father. He happily works at the ranch until the Kiowa indians start raiding settlers in the area. He is caught between two worlds and the film is about his determination to find his way between. At Elvis’ insistence, two of the four songs were cut from the film as he wanted to be taken more seriously as an actor. Though not a great commercial success by Elvis standards, the film was well received by most critics and audiences. 

Viva Las Vegas (1964) has Elvis as a Formula 1 race car driver intent on winning the Las Vegas Gran Prix but needing money to buy a new engine for his car. The beautiful and famous Ann-Margaret is on board as the love interest and there are ten song and dance numbers to rev up the film. 

Jailhouse Rock (1957) was Elvis’ first film and one of his best. This film, together with his legendary appearance on the Ed Sullivan show (from the waist up!), sealed his place as the number one rock and roll star of his time. Okay, maybe all time! The movie stars Elvis and nobody else you ever heard of. It begins with him doing time for manslaughter and developing his singing and dancing. The famous scene in the prison was one of his best. The songs were recorded later and dubbed into the film. Elvis lip-synched them! 

Well, Elvis fans, it’s pretty much downhill from here. There are 27 more Elvis films and none of them are very good. All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. And all are fine for all ages. 

                                                        2021 Sleepers

                                                     Part 4

        Here is the fourth and last handful of films from last year that disappeared unmourned and which I thought were pretty good.

    Passing is about a light-skinned black woman who did exactly that- pass. She has made it into the white world, including a beneficial marriage, when she encounters an old friend who is decidedly black. The effects of this reversal on each of the friends is eye-opening. Ruth Negga plays the passer and Tessa Thompson plays her friend. 

The wretched Bakkers- Jim and Tammy Faye- have had their share of trouble. In the 60's they became internationally famous preachers with mega congregations and donations to match. The flimsy walls came tumbling down. Jail for him, unending comic portrayals of her. The Eyes Of Tammy Faye uses as a title the trademark makeup mishap of Mrs. Bakker to tell her side of the story. Jessica Chastain is excellent as Tammy Faye and Andrew Garfield plays Jim to a tee. The film portrays her as a clueless blonde caught up in a tsunami of trouble. Not sure you’ll believe in her innocence, but it’s a good movie. 

Would you like to retire to a place where no children are allowed, where everyone is well-off and about your age and everything is furnished for your enjoyment? Then pack your bags for The Villages in central Florida, a “Disney World for Retirees”. Some Kind of Heaven is Lawrence Oppenheim’s unflinching documentary about four different people who live there. All is not sunshine and oranges, but see for yourself. 

What to make of India? We read of the rape and murder of women going unpunished and yet they had a female prime minister. Writing With Fire is a fascinating documentary about a small corner of that huge country- Khabar Lahariya is the only news agency in India run entirely by lower caste women. Their dogged determination to get at the truth and get it out is a stunning portrayal of journalism at its best. 

Nightmare Alley features Bradley Cooper as a grifter who begins at a decidedly lower rung carnival and with his native cunning works his way up to be a headlining psychic. He stuns rapt audiences with his ability to tell things about them though they are strangers. Rooney Mara is his helper and stooge and Cate Blanchett is the psychiatrist determined to expose him. It’s quite a ride!

All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for adults. 

                                                              NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand is the site of some wonderful films. Almost all of Lord of the Rings was shot there; the scenery is simply breathtaking. But that trilogy is science fiction; let’s look at films not only in, but about, this little-known country.

Hunt For The Wilderpeople (2016) is billed as a New Zealand adventure comedy-drama. I could not have said it any better. Left an orphan, Ricky goes to live with foster mother Bella and her taciturn husband Hec. Bella dies, and the child welfare people want Ricky back. Neither he nor Hec are keen on this, so they take to the woods and for most of the movie hide out from the authorities and meet interesting people. Aussie Sam Neill is good as Hec and newcomer Julian Dennison is just fine as Ricky. Oh, by the way: Who or what are the Wilderpeople? I have no idea. 

Whale Rider (2003) is a terrific film that was in my top 10 for 2003. It is the life-affirming story of a young girl growing up in the Maori culture, which does not allow girls much room to grow. The young heroine fights back with courage and elan. It is a heart-warming film that should be seen by every young (and not-so-young) woman (and man!) 

Once Were Warriors (1994) is a devastating look at what increasing urbanization has done to the Maori culture and New Zealanders in general. The father’s traditional role as unquestioned head of the house has to give a little when he’s not making the living. With universal application, this fine little film gives us enough to think about for weeks. 

Heavenly Creatures (1994) is directed by Ring Cycle’s Peter Jackson and is based on a true story. Two young girls form a perilous friendship including a dangerous private world inhabited only by them. When separation is threatened by their parents, they take extreme measures. Melanie Lynskey and the better-known Kate Winslett (Titanic) are superb as the two girls. Trivia note: One of these girls grew up to be British mystery writer Anne Perry!

Angel At My Table (1990) is director Jane Campion’s affecting study of New Zealand poet and author Janet Frame, a quiet child misdiagnosed as mentally ill and sent to an institution for eight years! The fact it is a true story only adds to the emotional wallop of this excellent movie. 

Finally, there is the intriguing and utterly weird The Piano (1993), also directed by Jane Campion. Sam Neill and Harvey Keitel join Oscar winners Anna Paquin and Holly Hunter in the story of a mail-order bride (Hunter) who is apparently mute by choice and who loves only her piano and her daughter (probably in that order). 

All of the films in this article(including the whole Lord of the Rings cycle) are available on DVD. The Ring cycle and Whale Rider are fine for 8 and up.  The rest are for adults only.

                                                 DOWN UNDER THE RADAR (3)

Here’s another handful of really good films from Down Under, none of which had much of an impact here.

Among her many talents, Meryl Streep does accents better than anyone. So this very American lady seems right at home as the mysterious mom in A Cry In The Dark (1988). Her baby may or may not have been carried off by dingoes (wild dogs), but she stands trial for murder. Did she or didn’t she? Sam Neill (an Aussie) is quite good as her husband, and we find out that trial by sensation goes on somewhere besides the U.S.

Another very American actor, Kirk Douglas, is the grizzled old rancher in The Man From Snowy River (1982). This fun movie is as classic a western as John Ford ever made, and features the best horse action ever captured on film. And without computer tricks.

In The Getting of Wisdom (1997), a young girl from the outback is determined to get an education and rise above her somewhat rustic background. Most of the story takes place at a snooty girls school, and you will pull hard for this spunky young lady. The American frontier would have been just as good a setting for this story, and we identify with it wholeheartedly. 

Innocence (2000) with a largely unknown Australian cast, is about a widowed man and married woman, both well into middle age, who rediscover each other after many years of going their separate ways. Both tender and sensuous, it approaches the subject of love among the not-so-young about as well as anything since Queen of the Stardust Ballroom (1975) or Brief Encounter (1945).

Mel Gibson was not always a household word, either on these shores or in his native Australia. What put him on their map, and ours, is a series of outlandish films about the world in the distant future. In these exciting films, gasoline and goodness are in equally short supply. The new world order consists of a few daring policemen and crazed androidal bikers. Doesn’t sound like much, does it? But Mel is a decent, resourceful cop whose family is killed by crazies. He vows revenge. The stunts are amazing, and the look is like nothing ever seen before or since. Mad Max (1979) is the best, followed closely by The Road Warrior  (1981), and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). The last one is even more of a stretch but does feature as a dominatrix Tina Turner (of all people!)

All of the movies in this column are available in DVD. All are for mature audiences.