Cinemalphabet: G is for ‘Great’ Movies

Trying something a little different by expanding the scope of the Cinemalphabet series. Not only will there be posts about specific films, but the series will also highlight various aspects of cinema that fascinate me. For example: what’s up with films with ‘great’ in the title? Of the many film idiosyncrasies I have, an aversion to films with ‘great’ in the title is one I’ve least been interested in examining. Despite inclusion of the adjective rarely being a direct testimony of a film’s cinematic worthiness, I still can’t help but frame it in that manner. Consequently, I find myself underwhelmed by the films. I can’t recall the last time I used the word ‘great’ in a non ironic manner. Like the dozens of times I noticed a ding in my car door courtesy of a runaway shopping car. What do I utter: “Oh that’s just great.”

HGTV Dream Home 2012

an irresistible blend of excess and bland furnishings

When I moved into my first grown up place, I watched an unfathomable amount of HGTV. When I wasn’t helping Briscoe and company solve crimes on back-to-back episodes of Law & Order – spoiler alert: they always do it for the money – I was giving the side-eye to dubious design choices inflicted on eager homeowners with matching freeze dried smiles. And each year, just in time for the holidays – because we all totally need to feel like shit about our homes the one time of year we’re most apt to open them up to others – HGTV would offer up its Dream Home Giveaway. Now I’d admit, I always watched, imaging what I’ll do with all that unneeded space in a neighborhood devoid of a decent all night gas station or RiteAid. Then I’d wonder about property taxes, heating cost or the location. My faux worries weren’t unwarranted it seems: the bulk of previous winners have opted to sell the properties because they couldn’t afford the tax bill!

Do you care? Did you enter? Do you have an extra $800k to give to Uncle Sam?

12 for 2012

I have become one of those annoying instagr.am people…

and I make no apologies for it. Because nothing says, “Only you can stop narcissism” (I see you, Raymond. thank you for bringing this phrase into my life.) like your daily coffee shot from 15 different angles. I love using my real camera, but more often my phone is within reach and…well, those cups of morning coffee or brunches aren’t going to photograph themselves.

Silver Shadow

Did I serious lug all my stuff through the Adirondacks? I’m finally officially moved to Syracuse. And this is a round up of some of instagram pics. I love that freaking app. Now I have to finish making a “Backyard BBQ in the 80s” spotify playlist.

Empire State of Mind

I have no idea what to do with this blog or any other I write. It’s not as though I have run out of things to snark on or celebrate. I guess I find the idea of blogging kind of boring. I figure it’s better that I abstain from it until the feeling passes, which could be a month or five years depending on how entertaining my FB feed remains.

Cinemalphabet: F is for For Keeps (1988)

It must have seen like a good idea to Molly Ringwald and her agent at the time: a role that provided an opportunity for Ringwald to spread her acting wings beyond the John Hughes oeuvre. Unfortunately, For Keeps was one of a string of late 80s duds that essentially ended Ringwald’s charmed career. Fresh Horses and The Pick-up Artist anyone?

Cinemalphabet: E is for The Expendables (2010)

Midway through The Expendables there is a scene where Sly, Mickey and Mickey’s ridiculous manweave have a conversation about regrets, relationships and duty. In most dude-bro action films these conversations serve as reminders that despite the absence of humping, bumping and skirt chasing, these are men who love women. However, in The Expendables ruminations of love and regret serve no such purpose. For these are men who love action and each other. No illusions of some great love awaiting the heroes. Not even Christmas’ (Jason Statham) whining about the girl from Buffy who had another dude all up in the crib seem to be about relationships with women.

Cinemalphabet: D is for Drive Me Crazy (1999)

Todd Strasser – a prolific and extremely talented YA novelist – created a witty series called “Time Zone High” chronicling the lives of a group of teens from Timothy Zonin High in several novels: How I Spent My Last Night on Earth and the horribly adapted How I Created the Perfect Prom Date. Strasser’s body of work is not limited to these novels, but also includes the truly sublime pair of novels – Workin’ for Peanuts and A Very Touchy Subject which tackle the challenges of growing up male the way Blume does for gals.

Cinemalphabet: C is for Crimson Tide (1995)

Only Hackman can sell me a ticket to an overwrought jingoistic hot buttered fail of an action film. Don’t get me wrong; it’s not a bad film and he’s pitch perfect in it. It’s got some good tension and more, “Oh snap, it’s Tony Soprano, The Kang, Logan’s first partner and that dude on ‘Treme nobody likes” moments than you can shake a stick at. It’s Tony Scott and it’s Denzel and it’s a lot of fun. Speaking of The Kang, Viggo looks to be overtaking Ed Harris and Forest Whitaker in the race to become the next “Hackman”.

Cinemalphabet: B is for Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)

Sweet, boneless Bruce!

Oh the juicy intersection of a polarizing director – Brian De Palma – a “likable” movie star audiences were not ready to see play “bad” and Bruce Willis in an earnest hairpiece! It’s like they were trying to mountaineer to the top of the box office bomb reference list on the wings of a cinematic cautionary tale.

– (via a post on box office bombs I wrote)