Die Hard – Review (Classic)

“Now I have a machine gun. Ho Ho Ho.”

Die Hard is regarded as one of the best, if not the best action movies of all time. I had never seen the movie in its entirety, only bits and pieces on TV as a kid. I went into this movie hesitant whether the accolades and hype around it would hold up after nearly three decades. And in short, it blew them away. It is one of the most fun, clever and intense movies I’ve seen in a while.

John McClane (Bruce Willis) is an average cop from New York. Besides being on the force for 11 years he does not have any extraordinary skills or experience. When he’s caught in this crazy hostage situation and no way to communicate with anyone outside the building (at first) he is left to improvise quickly in order to save his wife and the other hostages. McClane drops numerous one liners during his radio talks with Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his new “partner” Sgt. Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson), such as the legendary phrase “Yippee ki yay motherf*cker.” While nearly all the characters played their roles great, the two Johnson FBI agents were annoying, plain and boring to me and I was more happy than surprised when their plan “blew up” in their face (Haha). The movie spaced out all the fights and shoot outs to make each action packed moment feel special. Whether the terrorists were blowing up an armored police car or McClane is hanging from the roof by a fire hose, each moment felt different and memorable in and of itself.

You should definitely watch this movie if you haven’t yet or watch it again if you already have. Here’s a taste of the movie…Ben Stiller style:

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) – Review

I was excited to see Birdman after all the buzz I had been hearing about it the past few months and I was not disappointed. The film follows the story of Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton), an actor who used to play Birdman, a movie superhero (just like Michael Keaton did as Batman), and decided to not make Birdman 4. Now in present day he remains popular – “Popularity is the slutty little cousin of prestige.” Mike Shiner (Edward Norton) – but has not achieved prestige. In order to regain his old glory and show everyone how great he still is he chooses to write, direct, and act in his own play, “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”, in St. James Theater on Broadway. Throughout the days leading up to the opening night chaos ensues as actors thrown fits on stage, relationships among the actors are stretched and formed, and Riggan finds himself in only his underwear in Time Square.

Possibly the most important person of this movie is never seen – the camera man. Rightfully so, the cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki, won the Oscar for cinematography for his amazing work in this movie. Besides for the last scene, the entire movie is filmed in what appears to be one seamless camera shot. As a conversation between characters would end, the camera would follow one of them as they left the room, walked down the hallway while interacting shortly with a few extras until they reached a room across the building and began a new scene with another character. This process is continuous and last throughout a majority of the film. It is a magnificent feat in cinema that cannot be truly appreciated until experienced in person.

Within the amazing cinematography are some great performances. My only memories of Michael Keaton are of Beetlejuice and those corny and campy Batman films so I was curious to see what he would bring in a more serious and dramatic role. He delivered a character that was believable and thought provoking. He struggles with risking it all on the success of this play and trying to mend his broken relationship  with his daughter Sam (Emma Stone) as well. I found myself rooting for him while also waiting to see how he’d screw up next. Edward Norton as Mike Shiner performs great as an opposite to Keaton’s character. Shiner’s rude, arrogant, and intolerable behavior along with his witty humor and moments of profound speeches makes him a likable antagonist throughout the preparations for the play. Zach Galifanakis gives a good performance as Riggan’s best friend/agent/producer/attorney, usually protecting him from many of his consequences. Emma Stone’s character Sarah, Riggan’s daughter recently out of rehab and reluctantly her father’s assistant, remains distant except for a rant to her crumbling father and her flirtatious conversations with Shiner.

This film is an experience. Movie makers dream of creating a film like this which pushes boundaries in the way it is filmed and the meaning behind it. This movie is definitely worth seeing. Don’t miss it!

10/10

I Am (Movie Mash Up)

This video has many moments of profound emotion by simply declaring “I Am…”