A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

What is there to say about the best black and white movie ever made? Well.... Masterpiece. My first Marlon Brando movie was a tremendous success, my second Vivien Leigh movie has made me ask myself a question: Is this better than Scarlett? (From Gone With The Wind [1939])Well, that was a tough question, they are both so different, but they share some similar traits (selfishness for instance haha)

In the first scene we see Blanche DuBois (Leigh) arrive in New Orleans, so far removed from the youthful glamour of Scarlett that i was taken aback at first. I watched the parts of the film on youtube (mostly 2-3 minute clips) and thought that Leigh was over the top, but everyone praised her so i decided to give the movie a chance. Afterwards i came to a realization. It isn't Vivien Leigh who is being OTT it's Blanche. Which makes the performance even more remarkable. Blanche's descent into madness was amazing and often times i forgot it wasn't real. Which is exactly what a makes a great performance. Speaking of great performances...

Brando is.... Phenomenal. He is Stanley Kowalski who we should all hate because he's a mean brute, but do we? No. Brando had this weird charisma about him where he could make you people understand and even sympathize with 'bad' people.. Which is why i think he was such a great actor.

The supporting cast is great. Kim Hunter as Blanch'es sister Stella (the subject of Stanley's now iconic plea) is perfectly refined and turns in an underrated performance. Karl Malden (another underrated actor) is superb as Blanche's would-be Romeo. I have to say that i was thoroughly engrossed in the film within minutes which doesn't happen as often as i would like it to.

The cinematography is excellent (and i mean EXCELLENT) particularly later on in the film. The film was brilliantly directed by Elia Kazan (East of Eden [1955], Splendor In The Grass [1961])

Sorry about the short review but yes it was a really good movie. (i had to rush)

"I have always depended on the kindness of strangers" Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh), A Streetcar Named Desire

Everything i want to Say.....

Sorry to keep you guys waiting for new reviews, i really want to give you good ones. I rented Doctor Zhivago (1965) the same week i rented The Elephant Man (1980), but because Dr Z had such a long running time i couldn't find time in my busy schedule to watch it. My loss right? I watched the movie Fired Up! (2009) last night, which i found shallow but more enjoyable than what i expected it would be. But too predictable and boneheaded, i liked the two leads though so that's a plus and the humour though often crude will appeal to the teenage demographic (which is probably why i liked it).

I have recently added Stir Crazy (1980), Hyperdrive Series 2, some Carol Burnett Skits, Somewhere in Time (1980), The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977), The Major and The Minor (1942) and Tootsie (1982) to my already vast array of movies on my computer. i have yet to watch most of them but the ones i have watched are:

Tootsie (1982): which was terrific and Very, Very, Very funny. It features Dustin Hoffman in my personal favourite performance of his with Jessica Lange, Bill Murray and Teri Garr giving great support. Hoffman plays Michael Dorsey a struggling actor with a reputation for being difficult, in order to get a role he dresses up as Dorothy Michaels and gets a job on a soap opera, but (of course) problems arise when he begin to fall for his co-star (Lange).

The Major and The Minor (1942): charming, silly, funny and albeit slightly creepy movie starring Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland as Susan (Suzu) Applegate and Major Kirby respectively. I found the movie funny, the plot was paper thin but the dialogue and chemistry between the actors kept it going. The plot is: Susan only has enough money to afford the half (child) fare for the train home, so she dresses up as a 12 year old in order to make the cut, Major Kirby actually does think she's a twelve a year old. It's a romantic comedy. Creepy right? But look past that weirdness because it's really just an innocent movie with some very funny lines. Did i mention it is written by Billy Wilder (Some Like It Hot, The Apartment)?

Rocky (1976): The prototype of the underdog sporting movie still packs a punch (forgive the pun) today. Sylvester Stallone mumbles his way through the movie in way that Marlon Brando would be proud of, but i mean that in a good way. The one thing i don't like about some movies is that it's not very realistic to be able know exactly what people are saying. anyway as i was saying: Stallone created a lasting hero in Rocky Balboa (aka The Italian Stallion) a southpaw (left handed) boxer who has a shot at the big time. I loved the movie. (NOTE- i'd copied this off my brothers hard drive about a month before but i hadn't watched it yet).

To finish off: i know i'm no writer and i am awful at being subjective, but hey i still love movies. Don't forget to comment!

"He doesn't know it's a damn show! He thinks it's a damn fight!" Apollos Trainer (Tony Burton), Rocky.

The Teen movies that defined a generation and the ones that made us want to blow up Hollywood.

Teen movies. I think we all have seen at least 5 from this somewhat worn out genre, some teen movies are great (Mean Girls, Heathers, Juno, The breakfast club, Clueless) and others aren't even worthy of a wedgie.
The teen movie really started in the 50's because studios wanted to address real issues at the time and one of these issues was 'juvenile delinquency', famous movies about this includes The Wild One (starring Marlon Brando) Blackboard Jungle and Rebel without a cause (my personal favorite). Arguably the best title out those three is that of Blackboard Jungle because it doesn't sound nearly as cheesy as the others, but ironically it is perhaps the least famous.

Lets take a look at some of the really good teen movies that have come out-

• Rebel Without a cause - not only was the movie striking at the time it came out (and is still relevant if not as powerful today) it also contains the quintessential performance of James Dean and the one he will always be remembered for, it also has great performances from Sal Mineo and Natalie Wood. A bold movie for its time. It may seem pretty tame today, but i suppose it all depend on your tastes.
• To sir with love - a film to be enjoyed by anyone, Sidney Poitier turns in a fine performance as do the actors who play his students, a sixties classic, although if you don't like cockney accents all that much you may find it grating.
• Blackboard Jungle - Which is in a similar vein as To Sir, With Love, i haven't seen it but I've heard good things about it. A teacher comes to an unruly boys school and instead of just putting up with his students' antics he decides to instill discipline in them. Which is mostly the plot of To Sir With Love.
• Mean Girls - a film almost completely cliche free and irreverently funny. An accurate, if exaggerated, look at the politics of high school girl cliques.
• Heathers - It's like Mean Girls only with murder. That's how i describe it to anyone who hasn't heard of this movie and it immediately gets them interested, then when they see it they are slightly disappointed that it doesn't have the same humor as Mean Girls. Heathers is darker and deadpan, and until a second viewing i don't think you can appreciate it as much. Winona Ryder and Christian Slater star as Veronica Sawyer and Jason 'JD' Dean, i think it's quite obvious about the reference. The movie plays joyfully with the conventions of high school movies and is a wonderful throwback at the John Hughes movies of the 80s.
• The breakfast club - a staple of any 80's teen movie fan. it follows 5 teenagers from different social types stuck together in Saturday detention. While enjoyable i never thought it was all that brilliant but i knew that i'd be killed if i didn't put on here.
• Juno - quirky teen Juno gets pregnant by her best friend and goes on a an emotional roller-coaster with funny results, it's not just funny its a good portrayal of teen culture, i wouldn't rate it as brilliant but it is well written and everyone in it delivers a great performance.
• Napoleon Dynamite - ok now, he's just cool. who doesn't love this film? i'm not going to say anymore on the  matter, if you haven't seen it rent it and you'll understand.
• Splendor in the grass - Bud and and Wilma Dean 'Deanie' Loomis are in love in the 20's, they want to take their relationship further but face pressures from their parents. The performances in this movie are astounding and often heartbreaking, Buds father is multi dimensional human like he should be and the movie was made all the more stronger by his presence. Warren Beatty (Bud) made his film debut in this movie and he turned in a good performance giving us a taste of what was yet to come (plus he looked friggin' hot). Ginny Stamper (Buds sister) was a highlight of the film and steals every scene she's in. But it's Natalie Wood in one of her best performances that keeps the movie interesting. I talked a lot about that one but i think that shows that i really like the movie. 
• Pretty In Pink - Molly Ringwald was the teen movie queen back in the eighties and is still very much associated with them, she was quite good in this and has young Jon Cryer as her best friends Duckie. Really, it's worth watching just for him. 
• Saved! - good but awkward satire on a religious high school.

There are so many more like Fast times at Ridgemont high, Risky Business and Scream, but i can't talk about them all.

Now let's take a look at our teenage wasteland-

• Material Girls - Getting it's name from a Madonna song and even having Hilary and Hayley Duff do a cover of it must have seemed like a good idea at the time, but it takes more than that to make a film, a cliche'd mess if there ever was one and i feel slightly sorry for everyone in it. It's a shame because i truly hoped it would be better than what people claimed.
• Spice world - kind of self explanatory, you put a music group that can't act (or sing for that matter) in a movie and you've got the worst musical ever made, sure it was aimed at teen audiences but even we, the teens, aren't stupid enough to watch this - and we watched Disaster Movie.
• Weird Science - i'm sorry fans, i have failed you, this wasn't that good of a movie, maybe it's because it's a John Hughes classic and i expected too much or perhaps i just didn't like hearing the 'tries too hard to be funny' lines
• Crossroads - When i saw this i wasn't surprised that Britney Spears couldn't act, i was just surprised that those guys down in casting thought she could. fair is fair though, i did find her funny in those episodes of How I met your Mother. Zoe Saldana (of Avatar fame) was in this as well, perhaps something she might like to forget.
• From Justin to Kelly - bad actors, bad music, lame attempts at 'comedy' and a cliche'd plot. shall i go on? the only way it could have been worse was if the 'Justin' in the title referred to Justin Beiber.
• Teen Witch - campy and cheesily enjoyable, this movie comes under the so 'bad it's good' title.

I'm going to stop there. I think this post is already too long! i may continue on in this teen movie vein until i get it out of my system so don't be surprised if my next post is about teen movies.

"Though nothing can bring back the hour of splendor in the grass; glory in the flower; we will grieve not' but rather find strength in what remains behind" Wilma Dean Loomis (Natalie Wood), Splendor in the grass (Poem written by William Wordsworth)