  "It can't rain all the time."
I did not expect to like this film considering it's a 90's "horror" film, which was not the greatest time for the genre. Without nostalgia for many of those films that viewers have, they just don't stand the test of time for new viewers. Except the Crow really isn't a horror film at all. It's a comic book movie. The opening shot invites you into a Gotham that has no Batman. The city is on fire. The low life's rule this world and an unfortunate couple finds themselves the victim of a cruel reality. Soon the cards are reversed and fate gives Erik Draven a chance to make things right. His love so deep and pure that he cannot rest until he avenges his dead wife Shelley. The rest of the film follows him on a revenge tour revisiting the same characters who bloodied his life exactly one year ago on Oct 30th night. While the city represents Gotham, The Crow is much more the Joker than the Batman. He isn't self-serious and he is playful with the use of his newfound invulnerability, bringing levity to his own revenge plot. We still get moments of warmth from Sgt. Albrecht and little Sarah, who manage to carry the movies soul. Their exclusion from the 2024 remake I'll never understand. This is a classic that stood the test of time. It's a particularly easy and fun watch and a bittersweet farewell to it's lead actor Brandon Lee, who died during the production of this movie.
0 Comments
  About ten minutes into this American classic and we learn that Forrest Gump's great grandfather was the leader of the Ku Klux Klan, or at least his mama tells him so. Young Forrest explains, "We all do things that well, just don't make no sense." Then the film moves on. Forrest Gump is an insensitive movie from an insensitive time in our country. Not for blatant racism or weird masculinity complexes that plagued cinema of the 90' but for it's perspective. The movie is all from the perspective of Forrest Gump and we all know who he is. He sees everything in his own special way and at times it's a very endearing and wholesome perspective that will bring tears to your eyes. Other times it brushes over very harsh moments in our country with a blind eye. For this reason it doesn't sit well with a lot of audiences in 2021. Which is a shame, because Tom Hanks miraculously brings this character to life and he was one of the only actors who could possibly pull it off. This movie could have very easily been a cringe fest but it manages to not be most of the time. It is still one of the most quotable movies of all-time. Though it's a shame it beat Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction at the Oscars. Those films aged way better.
  A late-night watch party of Scream with good friends is always a treat. Though in 2020, its a bit of an ironic experience. This film was made in retrospect of the horror films of the late 80's and early 90's. Its very self aware and is constantly referencing classic horror movies, which is a good laugh most of the time. The true irony for us current viewers is that this movie has been constantly rehashed itself. So not only is it referencing clichés but its simultaneously creating them. With that said, it's still loads of fun. It's not scary in the slightest, but maybe that's the true genius of master horror director Wes Craven's Scream. It doesn't have to be scary. The actors, the script, the ridiculous plot, the loads of fake blood, all of it timeless because it's fun. Truthfully, that's a lot more than can be said about 90% of horror films that release today.
  "God? Lonely. But funny. He's got a great sense of humor. Take sex for example. There's nothing funnier than the ridiculous faces you people make mid-coitus."
Kevin Smith tackles organized religion in this big scale comedy about fallen angels (Matt Damon and Ben Affleck) trying to get back into heaven. There's plenty of laughs to go around including jokes about Catholics, Jesus' ethnicity, sex, and Catholics. A pleasant amount of theology is discussed and being raised how I was- I got a kick out of it. Kevin Smith proves again that he can be both funny and smart. |
