Dez's Favorite 50 Movies, #'s 40-36

Time to get back to the flicks after my Maui excursion. (You probably haven't heard the last of Maui, I've got a couple more things in the works. Also some politics on the way.) In case you missed #'s 41-50 (or just want a refresher), check out 50-46 and 45-41. I think there are some surprises in these next five. #40 is more of an experience than just a mere film. Unless you go to a theater and participate in the midnight ritual, it is hard to really understand why the film has lasted. Because if you just sit down and watch it conventionally on a Sunday afternoon, that doesn't really cut it. Here we go...

40. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), dir. Jim Sharman

The cult movie of all cult movies. I have fond memories of going down to the no-longer-existing Bellaire movie theater in Houston late on Friday or Saturday nights to participate in the odd ritual that has risen out of this film. I also went more recently to a showing on Halloween night in Austin which was a blast. Wicked fun, sexually playful, catchy musical numbers, engaging performances from everyone from Tim Curry to Meatloaf and a winking tribute to both classic horror and B-movie sci-fi make for a film that is best when communally experienced, not merely passively watched.


ABOVE: Tim Curry is the "Sweet Transvestite," Dr. Frank N. Furter

39. First Blood (1982), dir. Ted Kotcheff

This is a film whose reputation has been unfairly tarnished by the terrible Rambo sequels that followed. But if you can take this movie on its own terms, it is a top notch action thriller. Stallone gives an excellent performance, from a purely physical standpoint but also from an emotional angle as well. It is also the best of the thousands of cop roles played by Brian Dennehy. Dennehy is superb as the headstrong Sheriff Teasle, a bigoted good ‘ole boy sheriff who thinks he’s keeping his town clear of the riff raff by harassing a drifter passing through. Teasle soon realizes that he has unleashed a hurricane upon his sleepy Northwest town when he and his deputies push Rambo too far; but he is equally determined to bring Rambo to heel, no matter the cost in human lives or property damage.


ABOVE: Sheriff Teasle (Dennehy) harasses Rambo (Stallone) (this is before he realizes that pushing around a former Green Beret who has frequent ‘Nam flashbacks is a bad idea)

38. Capturing the Friedmans (2003), dir. Andrew Jarecki

A fascinating documentary film about the nature of truth. Jarecki initially set out to make a film about birthday party clowns (really), but once he learned of the dark and controversial family history of clown David Friedman, Jarecki wisely changed course. The facts as we know them: family patriarch Arnold Friedman and son Jesse Friedman are accused of pedophilia on a pretty massive scale. That is all that we know for sure. Facts, perspectives and accusations fly wildly from and in all directions as Jarecki chronicles the case. Some people are clearly lying, but it is near impossible to figure out whom, because everyone seems to sincerely believe what they are saying. In the midst of it all, we are privy to the painful but mesmerizing unraveling of the Friedman family itself. This is intense and bold documentary film making.

37. The Limey (1999), dir. Steven Soderbergh

This quirky noir-crime revenge film benefits from unorthodox editing and directing, as well as excellent performances from its leads. Retired criminal/convict Wilson (a supercool Terence Stamp) investigates the suspicious death of his daughter. The quest takes this very British man to the slimy and dark underbelly of L.A. Peter Fonda is also excellent as a cynical, former hippie turned sleezeball record producer who was Wilson’s daughter’s boyfriend at the time of her disappearance. (I love the scene where Fonda tries to tell Wilson’s daughter about the wonderful 60’s, and then wearily admits that “it was only really good for a couple of months in the summer of ’67…that’s it”). TL is a perfect balance of style, suspense, action, humor and interesting characters. Soderbergh employs a great trick of using scenes from Stamp’s 1967 film Poor Cow as flashbacks of Wilson’s own past, and weaves the flashbacks into the story of TL.


ABOVE: Wilson (Terence Stamp) will kick your ass

36. Witness (1985), dir. Peter Weir

I think this is Harrison Ford’s best performance. Ford plays cop John Book, who must protect an Amish child who was a witness to a brutal murder of another cop. The plot unfolds to where Ford has to go into hiding with the boy and the boy’s mother (an excellent Kelly McGillis) out in Amish country. Much of the film centers around the fish-out-of-water scenario of Ford’s hardboiled city cop coping with Amish life and trying to blend in (as their lives depend on it). Weir is one of my favorite directors, and he wisely takes his time here. The relationships and story unfold leisurely, but you become emotionally invested in these lives. There are several gorgeous sequences where Weir takes full advantage of the beautiful landscape, such as the somewhat famous barn raising sequence. When the violent climax finally comes, you had almost forgotten why Ford was originally there because the viewer has become so involved with the characters and relationships quite outside of the original crime plot; so it is a jolting and well earned payoff that caps a wonderfully moody picture. (You will also notice early appearances from actors who later become quite well known, such as Danny Glover and the film debut of Viggo Mortenson).

Maui '09

ABOVE: Yes, that is a real sunset that I photographed at Lahaina in Maui

Having resisted my wife's entreaties for a Hawaiian vacation for years, I finally relented and we spent the last 10 days exploring the wonderful world of Maui. I don't take vacations to relax, so we filled those ten days with snorkeling, hiking, helicopter rides, charters to surrounding islands, driving to every corner of the island, beaches, luau, etc. First things first, I ate snow cones (sorry, "Hawaiian shaved ice," please notice blue color) almost every day:


It is a cliche to say, but Maui is a fascinating, fun and beautiful place. For such a small island, the variety and microclimates are astounding. Perfect beaches (of course), rainforest, desert, volcanoes. It is hard to summarize the trip, but some highlights include...

* We took a daylong snorkel trip out to the neighboring island of Lanai on a catamaran. On the way back, a pod of dolphins decided to swim along with us. As we were cruising back, I got on my stomach and leaned over the front of the boat and took this shot, mere feet away from the dolphins.


* While snorkeling at Napili resort beach (the thing about resorts in Maui: the security is not very tight. My wife and I stayed at a reasonable hotel in South Maui, but we were able to stroll into several Maui resorts and used their facilities mostly with ease, we only got caught once in our ten days over there). Anyway, while I was snorkeling at Napili, I was swimming over some nice coral and looking at the fish, when this very large shape swims right under me. Once I realized that it wasn't a shark, I saw that it was a huge sea turtle. I followed her for what seemed like 30 minutes. She was unafraid, and I got about two feet from her (but did not touch, sea turtles will allow you to touch them but you shouldn't, because they can get very sick from human disease from just a touch).

* The road to Hana town is one of the more famous drives in the world. A gorgeous drive down a winding road through Hawaiian rain forest, it is the best example of "it's about the journey, not the destination" that I can think of. Pull off the road virtually anywhere along the way, and you can hike into the rainforest and find a cool waterfall to take a swim in. On one of our hikes, we went into a bamboo forest that was gorgeous. It is a wonderful and haunting sound of the wind blowing and the bamboo creaking all around you.


* If you drive past Hana, there is a beach on the southern tip of Maui called Hermoa Beach. The best, most intense waves I've ever been in. My wife and I did some body surfing and boogie boarding there, and it is not for the faint of heart. Freaking amazing.

* Of course, I had to explore some Hawaiian music while I was there. My wife and I discovered the music of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (or "Iz" for short). He is deceased, but he was a Hawaiian national hero of sorts. A huge man, known to most of you probably for his popular ukelele rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" that has appeared in several movies. I highly recommend his album Facing Future from 1993, the highest selling album in Hawaiian history. It features "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," of course, but is beautiful from start to finish. Other highlights include the romantic "White Sandy Beach of Hawai'i", the fun "Maui Hawaiian Sup'pa Man" (in Hawaii, rap boasts center around fishing prowess) and the haunting "Hawai'i '78", which is an anthem of sorts for the still potent Hawaiian sovereignty movement.

ABOVE: Here is the cheesy but touching music video for Iz's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," near the end is footage of his funeral celebration and his ashes being dumped into the Pacific

Lots more to tell, but those were some highlights. My wife and I had a fabulous time.


ABOVE: Dez with some lovely Polynesian ladies (wife of Dez took the photo)


ABOVE: Here's a shot of the Maui coast that Dez took from a helicopter tour. Not a highlight of the trip, because Dez sometimes gets motion sickness.


ABOVE: Dez, Wife of Dez and the supercool John, our kayak guide. John took us out in the waters off of Wailea. We came across about 10 sea turtles, so we anchored the kayaks, put on the snorkel gear and dove in with them.

I Shall Return

I've been quite busy this week and will continue to be for the rest of the week, but I promise to be back in the swing of things with plenty of posts next week. Until then, be reassured (just like the Filipinos were by Gen. MacArthur's promise when the Americans abandoned the islands to the Japanese for several years in WWII): "I Shall Return."

Bad Time To Be a Rockets Fan (and other NBA off season moves)

The "Big Three" experiment in Houston is officially a bust. Perrenial selfish baby Tracy McGrady is not even tradeable at this point; brittle china plate Yao Ming may be out all of next season as he recovers from his 237th foot injury; and Ron Artest is about to sign with The Lakers. Hard to blame Ron Ron once the Yao news broke. It looks like Ariza is on his way to Houston. The Rockets have to dump McGrady and start rebuilding. The problem is that they can't go full rebuild with Yao still hanging around. Sucks. They've got some promising talent, but not near enough to seriously compete for a championship.

The San Antonio Spurs continue to impress me. A+ for the Spurs front office. Giving up virtually nothing, they pull in Richard Jefferson to join Duncan and Parker, making Ginobili no longer such an issue. If Manu comes back relatively healthy, the Spurs compete. If he doesn't, they still compete. They also did very well in the draft considering their picks.

The East will be fun. Gordon and Villanueva in Detroit; Shaq with Lebron in Cleveland; Vince Carter joining Orlando. Of course, if Orlando loses Turkoglu, which it looks like they might, that is bad news for them. He was integral to their success.

Already looking forward to next season.

John Cazale (Dez Hall of Fame IV)

In the midst of my Top 50 Movies List, I thought a film-related induction into the Dez Hall of Fame was appropriate. The name John Cazale may not immediately leap out at the average person, but fans of 70's era cinema certainly know who he was. And even casual fans would recognize the face. The sad sap, forlorn face of Fredo Corleone is one of many indelible images from The Godfather series.

Here is a remarkable statistic: EVERY single film that John Cazale appeared in was nominated for Best Picture. Every one of them. Granted, he only appeared in five films before his untimely death from bone cancer (and one posthumously through archival footage), but each of those six films were nominated (and two of them won). If I am not mistaken, that is a unique feat.

Cazale came up through the New York theater scene along with good friend and frequent stage partner Al Pacino. Cazale didn't start small in the movies. His film debut was as the meek Fredo Corleone in The Godfather. Cazale was brilliant at portraying this lamb in a family of lions. He was even better in the sequel Godfather II, where his desire to be respected like younger brother Michael (Pacino) has disasterous consequences.


ABOVE: Michael (Pacino) and Fredo (Cazale) discuss Fredo's betrayal and other family issues in The Godfather II

Cazale also appeared in Coppola's The Conversation alongside Gene Hackman, as well as with Pacino again in Dog Day Afternoon. He died just after he finished filming his scenes for The Deer Hunter alongside fiance Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro. (Cazale finally appeared in archival footage during some scenes for The Godfather III.)

Cazale was never the leading man, but his contributions were always crucial to the fabric of his films. His best characters (Fredo and Sal in Dog Day Afternoon) were men in over their heads and displayed heartbreaking vulnerability at times. As one critic commented, "he was the walking embodiment of the aphorism acting is reacting, providing the perfect counterbalance to his recurring costars, the more emotionally volatile Al Pacino and Robert De Niro." Pacino simply said: "All I wanted to do was to work with John the rest of my life."

There is a documentary about Cazale that came out this year called I Knew It Was You that is supposed to be excellent, although I have not seen it. If you are going to have a relatively short film resume, you can't do much better than John Cazale's.

Dez's Favorite 50 Movies, #'s 45-41

Well, since the response to my first batch of films was overwhelming, I thought that I would hurry up and give you the next five. As #45 shows, I do include documentaries. In case you missed the first five on the list, see the post immediately below.

45. Inside 9/11 (2005)

A riveting 3-hour documentary detailing the defining event of our time. The first half covers the rise of Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaeda, while the second half is a moment by moment account of the day itself. Gripping personal accounts, fascinating factual detail and harrowing footage make for the definitive account of 9/11. I show parts of this to my U.S. History class at the end of the year, and it leaves an incredibly strong impression on them.

44. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) (Italy), dir. Sergio Leone

Although I probably enjoy watching Leone’s Man with No Name trilogy more, #44 is Leone’s masterpiece. The incredible opening sequence is Leone style at its peak, almost 15 minutes of visuals without a word spoken. The plot deals with a vicious battle for a piece of land where a railroad is destined to cross (thereby making the land more valuable than gold), as well as a revenge tale. A stoic Charles Bronson (never better than here) takes the place of Clint Eastwood as Leone’s shady hero, and he matches wits and gunplay with a fantastic Jason Robards and Henry Fonda, in a ruthless turn as the sadistic Frank. The lovely Claudia Cardinale plays the woman who finds herself in the middle since she controls the rights to the coveted land in question. With all due respect to the fine performances, it is Fonda who steals the show. One of the most revered heroic leading men in movies boldly turns his reputation on its head and gives us one of the all time great cold-hearted villains. OUATITW serves as a metaphor for both the end of the wild and open West (and the type of men who populated it) and an end to the Western film as we know it. I was watching a documentary recently on this film, and a critic made the interesting comment that it was the first music video. Leone had the incomparable Ennio Morricone write the score before the film was shot, and Leone choreographed the action to the music, even insisting that his actors walk in rhythm to the music.


ABOVE: This may be my most favorite scene in any movie. Leone is at the top of his game, just watch the cinematography, choreography and style here. This is typical Leone, in that he uses waist shots sparingly (the most common shot of a person for most directors), and instead prefers either facial close-ups or long body shots, but not much in between.


ABOVE: Fonda on why he was cast and about that scene.

43. The Wizard of Oz (1939), dir. Victor Fleming

Ever heard of this one? 60 years on, it still retains all of its charm and wonder. I don’t think that I really need to explain anything here.

42. Point Break (1991), dir. Kathryn Bigelow

Perhaps I do need to explain this pick, though. I’m a sucker for a great action flick, and perhaps I am partial to great action flicks that came out when I was at my most impressionable age…but PB offers superior thrills and excitement. Definitely Patrick Swayze’s finest hour as the seductive surfer guru Bodhi, and even Keanu Reeves is tolerable (which he usually is not). Throw in Gary Busey and you’ve got 2 hours of dumb action-packed fun. It has held up over the years, and is now viewed as a minor cult classic in some circles. Replace surfing with street racing, and you can see how The Fast and The Furious shamelessly lifted PB’s plot, point by point. A superior action thriller.

41. The Breakfast Club (1985), dir. John Hughes

None more 80’s than this one. While the stereotypes perhaps haven’t aged so well and are so neatly drawn as to be caricatures (and Judd Nelson’s juvenile delinquent is about as dangerous as today’s average 3rd grader), the film still has a lot of heart and scenes and moments that are ingrained in the conscience of people of my generation. If I had to pick the ultimate John Hughes 80’s film, I’d have to go with TBC. Can you say enough about the comic genius of Paul Gleason as Principal Richard “Dick” Vernon? Every scene he’s in cracks me up. Working in education, I know some Dick Vernons.

“Don’t mess with the bull, young man, you’ll get the horns.”

Dez's Top 50 Movies, #'s 50-46 and Introductory Comments

OK, more lists. All of life can be reduced to a good, well put together list. I'm going to give you my favorite 50 flicks in list form at about 5 per week. As much as I do love movies, I am not quite the expert in this arena as I am in music. But I'd like to think I've got good taste and I know enough. The purpose of these lists is twofold: first, I hope they inspire some discussion, be it agreement or disagreement. That is what makes these things fun for me. You won't hurt my feelings, because I know I'm smarter than you. =) Secondly, I do hope that some of these picks inspire you to check them out. Many a movie on this list came from close friends suggesting to me that I see them.

This is NOT a definitive, AFI-type list of the most important or classic films. Some of these picks do overlap with that type of inquiry, but that is purely coincidental. If I wanted to look intellectual or be overtly artsy fartsy, I could definitely construct such a list and fill it with obscure Japanese and French films to impress my readers. These are films that have struck a chord with me over the years. The criteria used here was simple: if I'm sitting on my couch with an afternoon to kill and flipping channels, which movies are most likely going to make me stop flipping channels and shout out "alight!"...even if I've seen them 50 times already. Anyway, more observations in later installments. I challenge JMW and ANCIANT to post their own lists on their own blogs (and anyone else, for that matter). I'm always looking for more great suggestions from people I semi-respect...

50. Tyler Perry's...

Just kidding. Here we go.

50. Wages of Fear (Fr)(La Salaire De La Peur) (1953), dir. Henri Georges-Clouzot

The plot is simple: an oil company pays four desperate men to drive an extremely volatile cargo of nitroglycerin across 300 miles of dangerous Central American terrain. The film has a slow start, but once the men actually depart on their trip, almost every moment is filled with tension. Imagine driving an old battered truck full of dangerous explosives that could blow you to smithereens with each bump in the road. Clouzot directed several masterful sequences, especially the famous scene where the men try to maneuver their trucks around on a crumbling bridge over a mountain gorge. The film has some political subtext that is fairly obvious, but it should be enjoyed primarily as a top notch thriller. Thanks to ANCIANT for suggesting this one to me a few years back.

49. Rear Window (1954), dir. Alfred Hitchcock

Hitchcock gave us an innovative twist for the time when he made the hero of the film an invalid. James Stewart’s cynical but resourceful L.B. Jeffries is clearly a man of action under normal circumstances, but throughout RW he is confined to a wheelchair recovering from an accident. Jeffries passes the time by spying on his neighbors through his apartment window which overlooks the backside of an adjoining apartment building. Over several evenings, he sees and hears suspicious goings on in a particular apartment and begins to suspect one of his neighbors (a creepy and imposing Raymond Burr) of murder. Hitchcock is a master of detail here, and he wraps the viewer up in the lives of several of Jeffries’ neighbors, not just the possibly homicidal Burr. The only unbelievable part of the film? No presumably heterosexual man would play hard to get like the grumpy Jeffries does when the radiant Grace Kelly is practically begging him to marry her.


ABOVE: Is Jimmy Stewart's L.B. Jeffries a homosexual? That is the only explanation I can think of as to why he resists Grace Kelly's attempts to seduce him through most of Rear Window

48. The Shawshank Redemption (1994), dir. Frank Darabont

I was a latecomer to the Shawshank party. Many of my friends declared it an instant classic, but I was a bit more cautious. Turns out they were right. I recall having a heated discussion with my friend Johannes regarding whether Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) or Red (Morgan Freeman) was the main character of the film. It is a rich film full of ideas and themes over which you can have such heated discussions.

47. No Man’s Land (2001) (Bosnia), dir. Danis Tanovic

A wonderfully dark comedy/drama that takes place during the Bosnian conflict of the 1990’s and winner of 2001's Oscar for Best Foreign Film. It is the deceptively simple story of a Bosniak soldier and Bosnian Serb soldier who get trapped together between enemy lines and are forced to come to an uneasy truce in order to survive. The film’s most biting satire is saved for the inept United Nations peacekeepers. If you missed this one, I highly recommend you check it out.


ABOVE: The UN as effective as ever

46. The Blues Brothers (1980), dir. John Landis

I’m usually not a fan of musicals, but when a musical features exuberant performances from Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, John Lee Hooker and Cab Calloway…I’ll make an exception. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd’s genuine affection and respect for blues and soul music shines through in every scene, and they buy into the ridiculousness of their characters so completely that we can’t help but go along for the ride. Plus, there are many funny moments in this film that have helped to make it a classic. “What kind of music do you play here?” “Oh, we play both kinds. Country and western.”


ABOVE: I’d go to this church with the Rev. James Brown presiding (or, Rev. Cleofus James in the film). “I don’t want to go hear no jive-ass preacher talking to me about heaven and hell.” “Jake, you get wise! You get to church!”