The King of Kong

Truly one of the more original documentaries of recent memory, the King of Kong examines the relics that are arcade video games, and the hangers-on who continue to vie for global dominance and high scores. Donkey Kong has been named the most technically difficult game ever created, and this expose follows the reigning champion and world record holder, a forty-something, mullet-sporting blowhard from Florida, and the challenger - a normal family man from Redmond, Washington as their competition boils to a head to determine who is in fact the master of Donkey Kong.

For a documentary, there was quite a bit of character development. Billy Mitchell, the aforementioned blowhard has been a record holder of numerous video games over the course of the last twenty-five years. He demonstrates his competitive spirit and devious tactics nefariously by refusing live competitions and submitting questionable video footage of his alleged feats.

Steve Wiebe is the challenger, and the clear protagonist in his endeavor. His back story is more simple. A consummate competitor his whole life who has come up short on numerous occasions and is emotionally damaged as a result. He decided to take up Donkey Kong after being laid off, and is now a middle school science teacher. His character is never drawn into question, and he clearly wears his heart on his sleeve.

The interesting thing about this study is just how serious the individuals involved take arcade video games and the high scores. There is an organization that was founded in the 1980's whose sole purpose is to validate submissions of scores and dole out individual records for every game ever created. The holy grail of all quests for the gamers is in fact the "kill screen" at the end of Donkey Kong. Only Mitchell has been rumored to have reached it, and it represents the point where the game runs out of memory. At that point, it's just over.

Wiebe follows the protocol for validation by journeying from Washington to Florida to Funspot, a beacon of video arcade nostalgia located ironically enough in Billy Mitchell's hometown. It is there that an annual competition is held for all comers to vie for their place in history (okay, maybe a slight overstatement).

As the film builds to its climax, there is a real sense of good versus evil. Such a simple and almost petty concept becomes more than just geometry, muscle memory and timing. The tension is palpable. The good guy has to win, doesn't he?

Being a part of the video game generation, I remember arcades being a place full of mystique and magic. Man versus machine (kind of) in an accepting environment that promoted solitary achievement and fun above all else. Only now do I realize the complexity of so many of these games, even ones as simple as Donkey Kong. There are established parameters and algorithms that dictate movement, action and reaction. There are random probabilities thrown in so that the patterns can't be completely figured out. It is truly a skillful blend of art and science.

This documentary does a great job of shedding light on the underground world of competitive classic gaming. I enjoyed it, and you will too, regardless of your interest in video games. 7/10.

Top 100 Movies of All Time

After years of deliberation and some consultations with the AFI list, I have decided to create my own list of the top 100 movies of all time. Criteria is a blend of objective film-making brilliance, exceptional acting, intriguing story and emotional investment. That said, many of these are personal favorites of mine. I would love to hear what you think.

1. It’s a Wonderful Life
2. Dr. Strangelove
3. The Graduate
4. The Godfather
5. Aliens
6. The Shining
7. Se7en
8. The Departed
9. Patton
10. Pulp Fiction
11. Braveheart
12. A Clockwork Orange
13. Apocalypse Now
14. No Country for Old Men
15. American History X
16. The Shawshank Redemption
17. Raging Bull
18. Fargo
19. Rear Window
20. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
21. Good Will Hunting
22. M.A.S.H.
23. Gladiator
24. The Usual Suspects
25. American Beauty
26. Citizen Kane
27. Casablanca
28. Schindler’s List
29. Saving Private Ryan
30. Brokeback Mountain
31. Taxi Driver
32. Forrest Gump
33. Seven Samurai
34. The Exorcist
35. On the Waterfront
36. Reservoir Dogs
37. The Sixth Sense
38. Scarface
39. Caddyshack
40. Raiders of the Lost Ark
41. A Streetcar Named Desire
42. Annie Hall
43. The Apartment
44. Crash
45. The Manchurian Candidate
46. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
47. Boogie Nights
48. Heat
49. Traffic
50. Mystic River
51. The Silence of the Lambs
52. There Will Be Blood
53. High Noon
54. Godfather 2
55. Primal Fear
56. Cool Hand Luke
57. Rebel Without a Cause
58. Fight Club
59. LA Confidential
60. Dazed and Confused
61. Enter the Dragon
62. Modern Times
63. Unforgiven
64. This is Spinal Tap
65. It Happened One Night
66. North by Northwest
67. 2001
68. Sin City
69. Tombstone
70. The Thing
71. Deer Hunter
72. Alien
73. Jaws
74. Rocky
75. Glory
76. Bonnie and Clyde
77. The Gold Rush
78. The Fellowship Of The Ring
79. Titanic
80. A History of Violence
81. Sideways
82. Duck Soup
83. To Kill A Mockingbird
84. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
85. Star Wars
86. The Big Lebowski
87. Trainspotting
88. Vertigo
89. The French Connection
90. All Quiet on the Western Front
91. Training Day
92. American Graffiti
93. Dog Day Afternoon
94. Psycho
95. Snatch
96. True Romance
97. Animal House
98. Million Dollar Baby
99. The Wall
100. Hoosiers

Oscar Picks for 2007

Matching up my Oscar picks with the list released last night, I made some good calls, but was surprised with a few picks as well as snubs.

Surprising picks -
Tommy Lee Jones - Best Actor. Wow, this wasn't even his best performance of the year.
Juno - Best Picture. I liked it, and considered it, but didn't think it had the momentum.
Jason Reitman - Best Director. Granted, the film was good, but it was a witty dramedy, not a whole lot of direction necessary.
Ruby Dee - Best Supporting Actress. She was in the film for maybe 12 minutes, and wasn't all that impressive. This is a make-up nod for her past body of work.

Snubs-
Sean Penn - Best Director. Simply because Reitman was nominated, it's a shame that Penn wasn't.
Josh Brolin - Best Actor. The star of the best film of the year had a lot to do with it. He deserves Jones' slot. If not Brolin, then Hirsch.

Those are the majors. Looking at minor categories, I am shocked that Jonny Greenwood didn't get a nod for Original Score for There Will Be Blood. Likewise for Eddie Vedder for Guaranteed from Into the Wild. Come on, three nods for Enchanted? It was cute, but not moving in the slightest.

I've said my piece, I'll leave you with this; Transformers deserves the special effects and sound editing awards, hands down. That movie was entertaining and impressive.

My picks are listed first, with my winner in bold. Additional Academy nominations are italicized. Enjoy the show.

Best Picture
• No Country For Old Men
• There Will Be Blood
• Into the Wild
• Atonement
• Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Juno
Michael Clayton

Best Director
• Joel and Ethan Coen – No Country For Old Men
• Sean Penn – Into the Wild
• Paul Thomas Anderson – There Will Be Blood
• Tony Gilroy – Michael Clayton
• Sidney Lumet – Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Jason Reitman
Julian Schnabel

Best Actor
• Daniel Day Lewis – There Will Be Blood
• Viggo Mortenson – Eastern Promises
• Josh Brolin – No Country For Old Men
• Emile Hirsch - Into the Wild
• George Clooney – Michael Clayton
Johnny Depp
Tommy Lee Jones

Best Actress
• Ellen Page – Juno
• Angelina Jolie – A Mighty Heart
• Keira Knightley – Atonement
• Amy Adams – Enchanted
• Laura Linney – The Savages
Cate Blanchett
Julie Christie
Marion Cotillard

Best Supporting Actor
• Javier Bardem – No Country for Old Men
• Philip Seymour Hoffman – Charlie Wilson’s War
• Tom Wilkinson – Michael Clayton
• Josh Brolin – American Gangster
Casey Affleck
Hal Holbrook

Best Supporting Actress
• Tilda Swinton – Michael Clayton
• Amy Adams – Charlie Wilson’s War
• Amy Ryan – Gone, Baby, Gone
• Saoirse Ronan – Atonement
Cate Blanchett
Ruby Dee

Best Adapted Screenplay
• No Country For Old Men
• There Will Be Blood
• Atonement
• Into the Wild
Away From Her
Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Best Original Screenplay
• Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
• Juno
• Michael Clayton
• Eastern Promises
• The Savages
Lars and the Real Girl
Ratatouille

Cloverfield

This highly anticipated and secretive project from producer J.J. Abrams is as original in its delivery as it was in its advertising campaign. Months of Internet buzz and teaser trailers that showed nothing more than a group of confused party-goers who experience some sort of catastrophic phenomenon have led to the most successful January opening in box office history, and at a meager budget of only $30 million. The brilliance of simulating the entire movie through the lens of a hand-held camera cut perhaps dozens of millions of dollars in special effects budgeting, and adds to the realism and plight of the situation on the screen.

Reminiscent of the Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield keeps the viewer more in suspense because the characters are actually likable, and the events unfolding on the screen are both obvious and mysterious at the same time. While attending a going away party for Rob, something massive attacks New York City, and through the first wave of destruction, we see only shaky glimpses of a gigantic creature through nervous Hud's camera and we hear deafening monster noises amidst the chaos and demolition. We travel along with Hud, Rob and a couple of others as they scramble through Manhattan in an attempt to rescue Rob's would-be girlfriend.

Cloverfield achieves what most other monster movies of the past have failed to. Essentially transporting the viewer to the front line, and not spoiling the film with dazzling effects or creatures (at least until the final 15 minutes or so) makes it a much more humbling and spine-tingling experience. Suspending belief for the sake of entertainment, the characters do a fantastic job portraying the confusion, pain and loss that comes with such a tragic and horrifying event. What initially seemed to be a good old fashioned monster movie ended up being so much more, evolving into what will surely be considered one of the finest horror movies of 2008. The lack of splattering blood in deference to shadows, imagination and half-realism makes this a shockingly scary film.

Because the film was shot on a handy-cam, many of the effects that would typically be the showcase were obscured, but that absolutely made it better. There was no music, which would typically guide the highs and lows of the action. Instead, all we have is Hud's commentary and the raw emotions of the people around him. There is some comic relief, but it is done in a subtle way so that it doesn't take away from the tension on the screen. Another clever parallel is that the action on the camcorder is being recorded over a sub-plot from a previous recording, and they intertwine throughout the entire film, of course ending in a ironic twist.

As the end nears, there is a sneaking suspicion that the film will turn out a certain way, and at that moment of realization (for me it was as they were boarding the helicopter), the hairs literally stood up on the back of my neck. I was thoroughly entertained throughout the whole film, and my only complaint is that it ran a bit long, even at a scant 85 minutes. Abrams deserves everything he gets out of this project (millions and millions) for the originality and innovation to bring this movie to the screen. Certainly no Oscars, but this is destined to be a cult favorite. As entertaining as it gets. 9/10.

Golden Globe Predictions

Golden Globes Picks - 8/14. Not bad. I had some personal favorites in there, but I have to strongly disagree with Atonement as the Best Picture, as well as Sweeney Todd for Best Music or Comedy. Julian Schnabel for Best Director is a slap in the face of the Coens and Paul Thomas Anderson. Otherwise, I have no major disagreements.

Film
Best Picture, Drama - No Country for Old Men
Best Actor, Drama - Daniel-Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Best Actress, Drama - Julie Christie, Away From Her
Best Picture, Music or Comedy - Juno
Best Actor, Music or Comedy - Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Best Actress, Music or Comedy - Ellen Page, Juno
Best Supporting Actor - Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Best Supporting Actress - Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Best Animated Feature - Ratatouille
Best Foreign Language Film - the Diving Bell and the Butterfly, France
Best Director - Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Best Screenplay - No Country for Old Men
Best Original Score - Into the Wild
Best Original Song - "Guaranteed", Into the Wild, Eddie Vedder

There Will Be Blood

The title of this film is a bit misleading. Blood is not a significant component of this film, but the thematic metaphors run deep. If blood is thicker than water, than oil is certainly thicker than blood. I was not disappointed, however, that there was not blood. The film ran long, at over 2 1/2 hours and this fact alone gives me the sneaking suspicion that audiences will be polarized over this epic production. You will either love it or hate it, I guarantee that. I loved it, by the way.

The critic for the Seattle Times called this Citizen Kane without Rosebud. I would agree with him to some extent, but the story conjures up more memories of Giant, with a little Grapes of Wrath feel to it. You see, the story is not about a wealthy oil magnate. At least not directly. It is about prosperity during a time of discovery in a new and somewhat wild West. It is not wild in the sense of cowboys and outlaws, but more so in the fact that the industrial revolution had begun, and raw materials were rising in value, while procurement of those resources became a more mechanical and streamlined process. This led to prospectors and speculators roving the lands for potential jackpots.

Daniel Day Lewis stars as Daniel Plainview, a lowly and lonely silver miner who sees the future of oil, and starts a small, yet successful drilling and barreling company. He is a smooth talking businessman who prides himself on speaking the truth and getting to the point. He uses economics to undercut the competition when seeking out new oil fields to exploit out of ignorant communities of farmers, and considers himself a family man although the relationship with his adopted son, H.W. is simply loveless. Lewis makes this film successful. His performance is mesmerizing to say the least. His voice is hypnotic and his professionalism and natural movements propel him to another plane as an actor in the industry. Without a doubt, this was the single best performance by an actor this year in film and he gets my vote for the Oscar.

The supporting cast did fine, but this was mostly a one man show. Paul Dano has received critical acclaim for his dual role as the Sunday twins, one of whom is the local overzealous evangelist at one of Plainview's project sites. There was something missing for me, and as this film spans the course of 30 years or so, the lack of aging at the climax bothered me a bit. The rest of the cast is mostly unknowns, but they held their own and were believable for the time.

Paul Thomas Anderson, whose body of work has been unimpressive aside from Boogie Nights and Magnolia created a masterpiece with this film. This is by far his crowning achievement. He adapted the Upton Sinclair novel "Oil!" himself, doing the screenplay and direction and despite its length and somewhat dry subject matter, it was very well done. There were times that the film was carried without dialogue, with just the music or sounds of an ax on rock, or wooden beams creaking under stress, and other times when the conversations and antagonized speech were marvelous. This was of course due to the talents of Daniel Day Lewis almost single-handedly.

The music was original, yet nostalgic of Alfred Hitchcock films. Fast paced and simple; single notes being played repeatedly, or sharps and flats played together to create an eerie feel that meshes well with the happenings on the screen. Jonny Greenwood, of Radiohead fame is responsible for the original music, and it is brilliant. It is not overwhelming in the slightest, but it is also not your typical score and it adds to the emotional crescendo of the film.

There is a surreal paradoxical element to the turn of the century setting on the screen, with music reminiscent of the 1960's, while maintaining a noticeable, but not quite disruptive modern quality. It is difficult to explain, but in combination is a quite unique overall movie. I have to give kudos to Lewis for his performance, Anderson for the creation of this epic journey, and Greenwood for the accompanying score. As I stated before, it is certainly going to polarize audiences, but I have a feeling that the academy will see it from my perspective. Lewis wins the Oscar. 9/10.