30 Days of Film - Days Three and Four.
Oops. Forgot to post yesterday. Ah well, I suppose these two are probably the best days to cover together.
Day 03 - movie that makes you really happy
Several films in the running for this. There are girly movies that cheer me up and make me happy (like Pretty Woman (1990) and Dirty Dancing (1987)) and there are movies where things that go splodey boom that also cheer me up and make me happy (like Die Hard (1998) and Iron Man (2008)) but there is only one film that every time I watch it leaves me honest to god bouncing off the walls and grinning like a loon. And that is
Tuff Turf (1985)
I probably shouldn't like this film as much as I do. On the face of it is is just another predictable 80s teen movie. Rich Kid's family loses money so they have to move and Rich Kid has to go to a bad school, where he makes new friends, falls in love with the girlfriend of a local gang leader and gets into a couple of fights. So far, so boring. And yet, there is something that raises it above the average. For one, Rich Kid in question is played by James Spader of The Slightly Scary Bouffant Blond Hair And Sexy Tattoo in his first starring role. For two, the New Best Friend is played by none other than Robert Downey Junior, so unknown he is credited as Robert Downey. For three, the two of them have fantastic chemistry and bounce off each other really well.
The soundtrack is pure 80s cheese, with a nice bit of retro 60s cheese thrown in for good measure but is so upbeat you can't fail to bop along. There is a part where James Spader sings (I believe it to be so, in the absence of any credit for dubbing him over telling me otherwise) what is a truly, truly awful fist clenching power ballad, which I love far too much.
This is at the end of a scene in which they crash the Youth Night at a Country Club and proceed to completely confuse all the posh people there (by, among other things, talking about finger sandwiches, pretending to be Indian and talking about oral sex) and steal as much food as quickly as possible (including RDJ stuffing an entire French stick down his trousers).
There is another great scene where James' Spader goes to RDJ's gig (Did I mention he has a band? Did I mention he's the drummer? Did I mention he drums topless) and starts some form of bastardised swing dance which causes Spontaneous Choreographed dancing to break out.
At one point James Spader gets beaten up in a locker room by the aforementioned gang using keys in towels. It shouldn't be so hot.
There is retroactive irony when Robert Downey Junior walks in front of graffiti saying "The New Avengers".
Based purely one one scene in this film where James Spader and Robert Downey Junior are in a car together I want to see the pair of them in a buddy road movie.
There is a fight at the end in which the bad guy is like the motherfucking terminator. I swear, he goes down at least three times.
It finishes with Jack Mack and The Heart Attacks playing another classic song called "So Tuff" whilst the cast rock out in a 60s club. I love it cos everyone is clearly having a blast.
I also find it interesting because a couple of facts in James Spader's character's history make sense as the back story for Alan Shore. Like his mother being a cold hearted bitch, and the way she acts with his brother compared to Morgan making a very good reason for him never to speak to / about them. The Girl could easily be his Wife Who Died, or just his high school girlfriend. The interest Alan has in pro bono work could quite easily spring from experiences like this. In my head, this is his back story. In fact literally. There is this whole complicated thing where Robert Downey Junior's character becomes a screen writer and writes this film (changing the names for privacy), and then in later life writes a legal show that he asks Alan to be consultant on. The show is called Massachusetts Law. Yes I think too much about these things.
And did I mention the pretty? I must have mentioned the pretty? No? Well. James Spader at 24. Robert Downey Junior at 19. Nuff said.
Umm yeah.
So as you can tell from the amount I have gone on about it, I love this film. Just listening to the end credits now as I type this has left me with a smile on my face.
On to Day 4.
Day 04 - A movie that makes you sad
A smaller pool of films to choose from this time round, as I don't watch sad movies as a rule. Toy Story 3 goes without saying (but I just said it anyway) but other movies in the running were The Notebook (2004), Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Ladder 49 (2004)
But as I weep buckets every time I see this one, I'm going to go with:
Dead Poets Society (1989)
What can I say about this film? Robin Williams is not being "madcap", Robert Sean Leonard is being young and heartbreakingly angsty, and we all wish we had a teacher like that. Last time I watched this movie I ate an entire tub of toffee ice cream. I don't even particularly like toffee ice cream. And I still had to watch another film after to cheer me up.
This movie is so poignant and heartfelt, and if I'm not already crying over Neil then the scene with the desks will get me. Every. Damn. Time.
Oh Captain, My Captain.
In other, less heartrending news, I got the keys to my flat today! It's scary to think I'm close to being one of those grown up type things. Eep! I love it. It's just so light and airy and mine. *grin* Moving stuff in over the next few weeks.
Day 03 - movie that makes you really happy
Several films in the running for this. There are girly movies that cheer me up and make me happy (like Pretty Woman (1990) and Dirty Dancing (1987)) and there are movies where things that go splodey boom that also cheer me up and make me happy (like Die Hard (1998) and Iron Man (2008)) but there is only one film that every time I watch it leaves me honest to god bouncing off the walls and grinning like a loon. And that is
Tuff Turf (1985)
I probably shouldn't like this film as much as I do. On the face of it is is just another predictable 80s teen movie. Rich Kid's family loses money so they have to move and Rich Kid has to go to a bad school, where he makes new friends, falls in love with the girlfriend of a local gang leader and gets into a couple of fights. So far, so boring. And yet, there is something that raises it above the average. For one, Rich Kid in question is played by James Spader of The Slightly Scary Bouffant Blond Hair And Sexy Tattoo in his first starring role. For two, the New Best Friend is played by none other than Robert Downey Junior, so unknown he is credited as Robert Downey. For three, the two of them have fantastic chemistry and bounce off each other really well.
The soundtrack is pure 80s cheese, with a nice bit of retro 60s cheese thrown in for good measure but is so upbeat you can't fail to bop along. There is a part where James Spader sings (I believe it to be so, in the absence of any credit for dubbing him over telling me otherwise) what is a truly, truly awful fist clenching power ballad, which I love far too much.
Click to viewThis is at the end of a scene in which they crash the Youth Night at a Country Club and proceed to completely confuse all the posh people there (by, among other things, talking about finger sandwiches, pretending to be Indian and talking about oral sex) and steal as much food as quickly as possible (including RDJ stuffing an entire French stick down his trousers).
There is another great scene where James' Spader goes to RDJ's gig (Did I mention he has a band? Did I mention he's the drummer? Did I mention he drums topless) and starts some form of bastardised swing dance which causes Spontaneous Choreographed dancing to break out.
At one point James Spader gets beaten up in a locker room by the aforementioned gang using keys in towels. It shouldn't be so hot.
There is retroactive irony when Robert Downey Junior walks in front of graffiti saying "The New Avengers".
Based purely one one scene in this film where James Spader and Robert Downey Junior are in a car together I want to see the pair of them in a buddy road movie.
There is a fight at the end in which the bad guy is like the motherfucking terminator. I swear, he goes down at least three times.
It finishes with Jack Mack and The Heart Attacks playing another classic song called "So Tuff" whilst the cast rock out in a 60s club. I love it cos everyone is clearly having a blast.
I also find it interesting because a couple of facts in James Spader's character's history make sense as the back story for Alan Shore. Like his mother being a cold hearted bitch, and the way she acts with his brother compared to Morgan making a very good reason for him never to speak to / about them. The Girl could easily be his Wife Who Died, or just his high school girlfriend. The interest Alan has in pro bono work could quite easily spring from experiences like this. In my head, this is his back story. In fact literally. There is this whole complicated thing where Robert Downey Junior's character becomes a screen writer and writes this film (changing the names for privacy), and then in later life writes a legal show that he asks Alan to be consultant on. The show is called Massachusetts Law. Yes I think too much about these things.
And did I mention the pretty? I must have mentioned the pretty? No? Well. James Spader at 24. Robert Downey Junior at 19. Nuff said.
Umm yeah.
So as you can tell from the amount I have gone on about it, I love this film. Just listening to the end credits now as I type this has left me with a smile on my face.
On to Day 4.
Day 04 - A movie that makes you sad
A smaller pool of films to choose from this time round, as I don't watch sad movies as a rule. Toy Story 3 goes without saying (but I just said it anyway) but other movies in the running were The Notebook (2004), Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Ladder 49 (2004)
But as I weep buckets every time I see this one, I'm going to go with:
Dead Poets Society (1989)
What can I say about this film? Robin Williams is not being "madcap", Robert Sean Leonard is being young and heartbreakingly angsty, and we all wish we had a teacher like that. Last time I watched this movie I ate an entire tub of toffee ice cream. I don't even particularly like toffee ice cream. And I still had to watch another film after to cheer me up.
This movie is so poignant and heartfelt, and if I'm not already crying over Neil then the scene with the desks will get me. Every. Damn. Time.
Oh Captain, My Captain.
In other, less heartrending news, I got the keys to my flat today! It's scary to think I'm close to being one of those grown up type things. Eep! I love it. It's just so light and airy and mine. *grin* Moving stuff in over the next few weeks.