The Hidden Talent in Florence Foster Jenkins

You know what is exceptionally hard, to be so good at something that you can show yourself performing it poorly. It’s not something we think about, but when it comes to actors and performers, there is an element of talent that sometimes has to be taken in the opposite direction. You have to be so good at something that you can play it as if you had an absolute lack of talent. And more people deserve to be recognized for this.

Florence Foster Jenkins is an oddity of a historical figure. She’s most known for being passionate about something she lacked talent for. And she’s not just some wild made-up character, she really existed. So to portray her, poor crooning and all, is a really complicated thing. Especially when you cast an actress who can not only embody the role but also showcase that lack of skill genuinely.

What makes Meryl Streep’s performance in this movie so complicated is just how much she makes you believe she has less skill than she does. She leans into the role with honesty and heart and doesn’t play at the fact that Jenkins can’t sing well. Which is hard, it takes so much training and practice to unlearn a skill you’ve spent years working on.

There is an old idea that the actors who portray certain architypes are often the opposite in real life. Dumb characters are often portrayed by the smartest actors. Jerks are usually some of the nicest people. And in this case, the worst singer in the world is played by an actress and singer who has shown herself to be incredibly good at both. Now I’m not saying Streep is perfect as a singer, but she’s got enough ability to make her performance as someone who doesn’t work.

All this is to say that the movie doesn’t work because of Streep’s talents. It works because she not afraid to use them to look bad. She takes the role first and her own reputation second and it shows that the performance is stronger because she’s willing to look ridiculous and even make fun of her own critical history in order to give the best performance possible.

So let’s breakdown this performance.

My criteria for judging each performance is as follows:

Intentions and Choices – What was Meryl doing as a performer and did it come across in a way that was interesting and compelling?
Physicality and Vocal Choices – Was there a select set of choices for Meryl’s posture, gestures, rhythms, accents, and all other physical aspects, and did they help add to the character or distract from it?
Character Backstory – Were there choices Meryl made that showed us secrets beyond the script or screen? Did those choices add to her work or were they something that took us out of the present story.
Stand Out Moments – What scenes from the movie worked the best, or worst, and how did those reflect on Meryl’s performance?
Overall Movie Quality – How is the movie outside of Meryl’s performance? Is it a brilliant work because of her, in spite of her, or is her performance the only thing that makes the movie redeemable?

So let’s break down Florence Foster Jenkins in Florence Foster Jenkins:

Intentions and Choices – There is an obliviousness to Florence that helps keep her character lovable in spite of her flaws, but the passion also shows a lack of awareness, which is hard to show effectively. So Streep making it believable needs to be praised. (8/10)

Physicality and Vocal Choices – I mean this whole character is designed to sing poorly and we believe it from the beginning. It’s a lot of work and Streep shows it in her entire performance, all through the good and bad moments of Florence’s journey. (10/10)

Character Backstory – I feel like this movie didn’t care too much about what came before. And it hurts the character because her story is less interesting than it could be overall. (6/10)

Stand Out Moments – Her major Carnegie hall performance and subsequent fallout is the pinnacle of her performance in this movie. It’s charming, heartbreaking, confusing, and altogether sensational to watch, even if you struggle to listen to it. (7/10)

Overall Movie Quality – I think this movie is a unique one in the biopic genre and should have gotten more press than it did. I don’t think it’s going to be everyone’s favorite, but I do think it deserves a watch or two somewhere down the line. (7/10)

Total Score: 38/50

Current Ranking:
The Devil Wears Prada
Kramer vs. Kramer
Doubt
The Deer Hunter
Postcards From the Edge
Sophie’s Choice
The Iron Lady
One True Thing
Julie & Julia
Silkwood
The Bridges of Madison County
Ironweed
Florence Foster Jenkins
August: Osage County
Into the Woods
Adaptation.
Music of the Heart
The French Lieutenant’s Woman
A Cry in the Dark
Out of Africa

Next week is the last week. It’s also the first time this blog has had a repeat movie that crossed over lists, so it will be exciting to rewatch something from a different angle.

But until then, as I always say, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!

The Spielberg Filmography Wrap Up (For Now)

So now we’ve reached the final end of this directorial journey. If you haven’t read a single blog post in the Spielberg series, I’m going to quickly summarize each of my posts here. I’ll be going in ranking order with a final list summarized at the end.

So let’s get to it!

The BFG

The BFG tells a classic story, but by having a Jewish filmmaker tell it, it allows the story to be reclaimed and redefined in a way that separates it from its antisemetic creator.

Always

Always has no reason for its creation, this lack of a true reason hurts the movie as it feels hollow and lacks any sort of depth it is hoping to achieve.

1941

1941 could be a lifeless comedy, by taking the crafting of the movie seriously it helps keep it more grounded and better overall, even if the movie isn’t a smashing success.

Munich

The problem with Munich is not that it does a tender job to service the story. It’s that it takes that care too far and ultimately tries too hard to pay reverence to the story it’s trying to tell and that ultimately makes it feel melodramatic rather than sincere.

The Sugarland Express

The comedy of The Sugarland Express is a surprise given the movie’s dark themes, but it works more often than not.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence

The story of A.I. Artificial Intelligence is centered on the idea of hope. Love, though the more obvious theme, would not stand out as the primary piece of the story unless there was hope there to keep that love alive.

Twilight Zone: The Movie

The disastrous production of Twilight Zone: The Movie was a tragedy that should never have happened. The fact that it did is horrifying and ultimately changed the landscape of film safety forever.

The Color Purple

The Color Purple is a powerful story. The movie version does no justice to it source material because Spielberg couldn’t personally relate to the story that needed to be told and it loses something because of that.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Given the massive success of its predecessor, The Lost World has too much to live up to. As a result it was struggling from the beginning and ultimate fails to recapture the magic of the original.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

The fourth Indiana Jones movie is fine. It’s not perfect, but it also isn’t so bad that it deserves to be called the worst movie ever made. And it deserves to be seen for mediocrity not hyperbole.

The Terminal

The Terminal is far too relevant in today’s culture. It’s too relevant because it feels like a reminder that we have made no progress with how we treat those who need the most help and understanding.

War Horse

War Horse tries too hard to be sentimental and the result loses honesty and sincerity which overall hurts the goal of the movie.

Empire of the Sun

The secret that makes Empire of the Sun work better than expected is how it doesn’t directly show the moments people know but instead shows those in the distance to keep the focus on its story.

Duel

There is a power in leaving questions unanswered. By doing this, Duel manages to keep the stakes high in spite of a lot of long stretches without action.

Amistad

The problem with Amistad is it focuses not on the men wrestling for freedom but the lawyers who worked for them out of obligation. This cheapens the final result and makes the movie feel less sincere.

Ready Player One

Ready Player One places value on pure knowledge but without addressing the value that knowledge lacks outside of specific contexts. By making it’s characters brilliant in the world, it makes them seem better and more developed than they truly are or will be when that world is not more.

The Post

The Post tells a story about the role of the media in society. In doing this, it shows the value of speaking out against corrupt power and the need for bold risks in the name of truth.

War of the Worlds

Under the spectacle of alien invasion, War of the Worlds shows the danger of a humanity that lacks unity, trust, and understanding. All in all that danger, much like the one in the movie. will cause us to fall apart and lose the eventual struggle.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

It’s well known now, but Temple of Doom took a chance to redefine the way we rate movies, by showing that young people have to take in mature content at more appropriate ages rather than being sheltered until adulthood.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a story fueled by curiosity. In the same vein, Spielberg uses his own curiosity to fuel his desire to tell stories and create long lasting movies.

Bridge of Spies

What makes Bridge of Spies succeed is not the way it tells the story, but the way it shows its characters. In doing that it allows human beings to develop which makes for more interesting stories.

The Adventures of Tintin

There is something just delightful about The Adventures of Tintin, and it shows that now all movies need to be these big, impressive masterpieces, sometimes they can just be fun.

Hook

The struggle with Hook is that is doesn’t let itself have fun soon enough, and by doing that struggles to create the magic that allows for youth, in the same way that its main character struggles to find his.

Catch Me If You Can

The truth behind Catch Me If You Can is muddled. But for the purpose of storytelling it actually makes the final narrative more compelling. Whether that choice should be told for every story remains to be seen, but for this one it works.

Jaws

Movies are often placed in genres to help categorize them, but Jaws breaks out of those categories and shows that a movie can be many things, even when its story is a simple one of survival and resilience.

Minority Report

Minority Report asks an interesting question of its audience. If you knew the outcome of your life, would you accept it quietly, or would you resist it with all of your being?

Lincoln

The thing that makes Lincoln succeed is not that it tells a bold story, but that it takes the time to honestly showcase the man who let the country through the civil war, rather than the myth who ended slavery in America.

West Side Story

West Side Story is still a timeless story, because we have not learned the lessons of the past, only found more nuanced and specific problems to address. It is up to all of us to stop the narrative from continuing to be relevant another 60 years from now.

Raiders of the Lost Ark

There have been many great cinematic heroes throughout the decades. But the hero of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones, left an impact that was unparalleled. In doing so he left a legacy that has yet to be matched in style, tone, or overall longevity.

Schindler’s List

Schindler’s List is a brutal movie. But the message it is conveying requires that brutality. If the movie wasn’t as harrowing, terrifying, and ultimately hard to watch as it is, then the movie would not have been as effective at telling it’s story.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

While a good director is one piece of the complex puzzle that is a movie, it is not the only thing that movie needs to be successful. The addition of a great crew is necessary to help create a masterful movie, as was the case with sound engineer Ben Burtt in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Saving Private Ryan

The reason that Saving Private Ryan succeeds is it pushes the pace of its nearly three hour runtime and knows how to keep the movie flowing. This pacing makes the movie feel shorter and therefore more captivating.

Jurassic Park

While Jurassic Park is truly a blockbuster, its secret to success is due to the intimate lens it displays its spectacle through. By keeping the focus on the characters experiencing the majesty and terror of the events, it allows the story to be more connected to its audience.

And that leaves the best movie by one of the best filmmakers of our time, which is…

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

The secret to E.T. is the emotional connection between all the characters. It not only allows them to find a connection with each other, but extends to the audience so we too feel all of there are feelings, just like E.T. and Elliot do in the movie.

This has been a fun watch/rewatch, and now that I’ve done 5 broad overviews, I want to do something more specific. So we’re going to be breaking down a series of movies that showcase a phenomenal talent in one area. I’ll reveal more about that soon but know it’s coming.

It’s gonna be a couple weeks while you’re waiting for that to get started though. So in the meantime feel free to check out my Youtube channel and my podcast for a different look at movies. You can find it all here: Ploominator

Thanks again for joining me on this journey and until next time, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated.

Knowledge, Context, and Ready Player One

Life is not about power, it’s not about money, or control, or anything we seem to place value on. It’s about learning, growing, and bettering the world around us through that process. Every choice poses the question, will this change my life, or will it change someone else’s, and will that change be ultimately for the better overall? If the answer is no, then why are you doing it?

Ready Player One has a major problem, it values perfection over journey. Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) and his avatar Parzival succeeds in his journey through no personal growth. His entire quest depends on him simply knowing things about one man. And likewise, James Halliday (Mark Rylance) does not place value in overcoming challenges, but rather being clever enough to see meaning in moments that mattered to him. But this does not allow characters to grow, and it does not challenge them in any way.

The tension placed in the story is of the common man overcoming the powerhouse ideals of a corporation, but that struggle is not accurately personified because Parzival is always on the advantage. They take this direction with the villainous Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn) that he is some sort of moron with not even a shred of popular culture knowledge. And so he uses money to buy loyalty and power to keep it through intimidation. But none of that matters because Parzival manages to outsmart Sorrento at every turn through superior trivia knowledge.

But knowledge is not useful unless there is a place to apply it. And when the hunt for Halliday’s egg ends, that knowledge becomes meaningless and Wade, becomes someone who has not actually grown up and changed. He’s not his own person, he’s a reaction to the successes and failures of Halliday’s life.

So what does this mean for the larger picture. Why does the movie, and the book its based on, make that choice? Because in the day of nerd culture being on the rise it was suddenly a point of pride to know more about specific things than others. But being an expert in the human nervous system does no good when cooking souffle, having an encyclopedic knowledge of NFC football teams will do nothing in a medical emergency. And so context is key. And Wade’s talents only apply to this specific situation, which means he’s basically useless outside of the OASIS.

When you learn things, they need to be more than just knowledge they need to teach you something that can help you be a more capable and well developed person, and while yes, you will have things you are better at than others, if you just obsess over specific things you will never move beyond singular moments and therefore never grow, just like Wade.

So, let’s break everything down.

All Spielberg movies will be judged based on the same five pieces of criteria.

Acting – Are the performances good and do they serve the story or are they distracting and awkward?
Story and Dialogue – Does the story being told make sense and is the use of dialogue allow it to succeed or does the story struggle and/or the dialogue drag it down?
Shooting and Editing – How is the camera used, how are the shots arranged, what other elements are used to enhance the movie?
Design – How does the movie look? Does it help the movie or hurt the movie?
Iconic Moment – Spielberg has made several big iconic moments throughout cinema, what are they, how many of them are there, and which ones stand out the most?

All these criteria will be judged on a score of 10 for a total score of 50.

So here is my breakdown of Ready Player One:

Acting – The cast of this one does a really great job. Tye Sheridan has a strong everyman quality and ambition that drives the story forward, and Olivia Cooke’s Art3mis balances strength with vulnerability in unique ways, and Lena Waithe’s Aech brings comedic brilliance to the story.. But Mendelsohn’s Sorrento has menace but also lacks that final killer villainy he’s brought to other roles, and the supporting cast struggles to stand out with their minimal character development. (8/10)

Story and Dialogue – The plot is really rushed. While there is a lot of difficult cuts from the book that had to be made. But the story hops from point to point in a way that makes the story feel like it happens over mere days when in reality it should feel much longer. This format may have been better for a show than a movie. (6/10)

Shooting and Editing – This one has a lot of really interesting camera work, again especially because of the digital choices. There are multitudes of visual references to other movies and television and it all looks like a true homage than a cheap easter egg. (8/10)

Design – I think there are some bold moments of design, especially in the details of the characters, but there are also some choices which are obviously only done because of the things they chose to incorporate. And while there are cool visual moments they aren’t the things in this movie that draw your eye in the right ways. (7/10)

Iconic Moment – I can’t even think of a bolder moment than to see a slew of pop culture characters charging as a united army. All these big characters are fun, but again they pull away from the movie and can be more distracting apart from this one moment. (7/10)

Total Score: 36/50

Current Ranking:
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Jurassic Park
Saving Private Ryan
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Schindler’s List
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Lincoln
Minority Report
Jaws
Catch Me If You Can
Hook
The Adventures of Tintin
Bridge of Spies
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
War of the Worlds
The Post
Ready Player One
Amistad
Duel
Empire of the Sun
The Terminal
War Horse
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
The Color Purple
Twilight Zone: The Movie
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
The Sugarland Express
1941
Always
The BFG

And now we are down to the final movie. There is one more story left to be told in this grand adventure we’ve been on (at least for now). It will be a good one, but it will have to wait until it’s time.

So until then, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!

A Little Joy in September (2022)

Over the course of 2020 and 2021, I watched at least one movie every day. I did this for me. I did this to challenge myself to start the year with a somewhat ambitious, but achievable goal. But in the process, I found that there were days where something positive happened to me even on the worst of moments.

So, I went into 2022 with the goal of continuing to spread joy. But also adding the additional goal of watching movies more consciously and purposefully. So here I am to tell you about some of the best things I watched each month in order to help give you something to look forward to, something to think about or just something to help brighten your day.

This is how I found a Little Joy in September.

I watched at least one movie every day in September. I documented 30 of those movies. 25 of those documented I had never seen before.

These were the 3 I found the most joy in:

1. Imperium

This movie came out in August of 2016. It started filming in 2015. It was inspired by a book published in 2008 from a former FBI agent who left the agency in 2004 after 16 years undercover in terrorist groups, meaning his career started in 1988. The fact that this movie feels like it could have come out yesterday and still been just as relevant and real in 2022 says so much about our country. It is sad that the world of domestic terrorism, white supremacy, and xenophobia are still a battle being fought with no end in sight, and this movie shows it brilliantly.

2. Four Lions

A comedy film about jihadist terrorists is not something you would expect to be made mere years after 9/11. And for that movie to both be well made and funny is a phenomenal thing. Riz Ahmed leads a cast of bumbling incompetent terrorists through twists and turns of farcical nonsense that shows another side to the stories being told during the early 2000s. You’ll feel bad for laughing as much as you do, but you will laugh nonetheless.

3. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

There has never been a better movie, based on a video game, than this movie. It gets the tone of the characters perfectly. It makes incredible jokes about the world in a way that are both relevant and meta without breaking the movie too much. And the fun that this movie allows itself to have just shows that video game movies should learn to not build these deep and sincere stories but embrace the story in a way that is fun, exciting, and joyful, just like Sonic 2 is.

And that is how I found a Little Joy in September.

War Horse Fails to Tell an Honestly Sincere Story

The line between honest and reverent performance and overly sincere melodrama can sometimes get blurred very quickly. What this means is that we have to often ask the questions about when emotional connection is overall too much. What makes a story heartfelt and what makes it sappy?

There is a real strong story within War Horse and it has been told well in other mediums (specifically stage) before. But the movie has something about its reverence that really throws the story in a way that makes it seem insincere. Almost as though being too sincere is actually providing the opposite effect.

And the movie has strong moments, most of which involve the titular horse, but that also manages to let those moments play too long and too slowly and the result is that the movie loses the wonder of this miracle horse and instead just feels like its trying too hard to make us care. And the irony of the whole situation is that the moments where we do care are the ones that aren’t actually trying.

What makes a story work is honesty. Telling the story in a way that seems like genuine feelings are coming through and not letting those stories be too overly moral or heavy-handed in their messaging. And what happens when you do this is you actually push the audience away because it feels like the movie is preaching something and not actually producing a true story.

This is why those movies with hardline moral messages often fail. Because it’s tying to be so sincere that it actually reveals its not being sincere at all. And the final result is a movie which just feels like it’s converting minds rather than hearts. If a story is told well and honestly it will do that job. But it won’t succeed if the story is trying to push an agenda, or tell a story where the moral is too obvious.

So, let’s break everything down.

All Spielberg movies will be judged based on the same five pieces of criteria.

Acting – Are the performances good and do they serve the story or are they distracting and awkward?
Story and Dialogue – Does the story being told make sense and is the use of dialogue allow it to succeed or does the story struggle and/or the dialogue drag it down
Shooting and Editing – How is the camera used, how are the shots arranged, what other elements are used to enhance the movie?
Design – How does the movie look? Does it help the movie or hurt the movie?
Iconic Moment – Spielberg has made several big iconic moments throughout cinema, what are they, how many of them are there, and which ones stand out the most?

All these criteria will be judged on a score of 10 for a total score of 50.

So here is my breakdown of War Horse:

Acting – As impressive as the horse is… it’s also a shame because the entire cast is getting out acted by it. And that doesn’t serve the rest of this cast too well. It’s hard to remember anyone for more than a passing glance as the horse gets all the glory and pulls the most heartstrings (4/10)

Story and Dialogue – The plot of this movie, in addition to the afore mentioned overly sentimental storytelling, is just way too convenient. It seems like everything happens by accident and even then there are some moments that just seem absurdly over the top, which is wild for something trying to be a grounded war movie in places. (5/10)

Shooting and Editing – This thing looks great in scale and style. The camera is moving well and the clips move along in great stride. But it does pace a touch awkwardly in some places, and some of the shots get muddled in other, however it is one of the strongest parts of the movie. (8/10)

Design – The world is cohesive and the way they managed to make the titular horse stand out is really incredible given how many are in this movie. Everything feels real and grounded and the score is epic and heartfelt throughout. (9/10)

Iconic Moment – The No Man’s Land s sequence is phenomenal, from the beginning to the end it just keeps you tense from start to finish and the final result is so genuinely remarkable that you just wish it were true. (8/10)

Total Score: 34/50

Current Ranking:
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Jurassic Park
Saving Private Ryan
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Schindler’s List
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Minority Report
Jaws
Catch Me If You Can
Hook
The Adventures of Tintin
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
War of the Worlds
Amistad
Duel
Empire of the Sun
The Terminal
War Horse
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
The Color Purple
Twilight Zone: The Movie
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
The Sugarland Express
1941
Always

The final six movies remain and most of them I have seen before. I know it seems like Spielberg’s been struggling to match his best but there are some real phenomenal movies coming so it’s still possible to see something take over the top spot. Only one way we’ll find out though.

So until then, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is Fine.

Watching a series of movies that people claim are the literal worst ever really puts other movies that have been called the worst ever by people who found the movie didn’t live up to their expectation into perspective. And with the continuing idea of legacy sequels gaining steam, it’s important to look back at movies that did not live up to public expectations and see what caused them to falter, but also… that they weren’t nearly as bad as people said they were.

There are very few movie trilogies out there that have 3 solid movies among them: Lord of the Rings, Toy Story, Star Wars, and… one could argue Indiana Jones. Even with the slump in Temple of Doom, the movies work and are consistent in telling interesting stories about a phenomenal character. And so when Crystal Skull came along people were excited to see a new story and the anticipation of nearly 20 years between sequels really made audiences find excitement in the idea that a franchise they thought was done could continue.

And yet, despite the movie getting decent critical reviews, and working to recapture the feeling of the previous movies, it was assaulted by fans as an absolute disaster. It was called cheesy, annoying, boring, and over the top, all at the same time. The movie was hit with criticism after criticism in a hyperbolic manner and yet, it really doesn’t deserve the hate. And to make matters even more pressing, this trend has only gotten worse with more and more movies making sequels that span increasing gaps of time.

Whether we like it or not, Legacy Sequels are now a constant thing. Star Wars, Toy Story, Lord of the Rings, Tron, Ghostbusters, Spider-man, Jurassic Park, Jumanji, Terminator, Independence Day, and The Matrix all have them in some form, some with more success and longevity than others. But what is interesting is no matter how good, bad, or mediocre they are, there are almost always two responses: abject devotion, or outright rejection.

The problem is not that legacy sequels can’t be made well. Creed revived the Rocky Franchise in a way that honored the originals but felt new and interesting for a modern audience. Mad Max; Fury Road threw down one of the best science fiction action thrill rides in recent memory. And Top Gun: Maverick took the over-the-top macho nature of its original and turned it into something powerfully nostalgic and rewarding which deepened the characters. But these are rare. Legacy Sequels often get mired in the battle between telling new stories while having enough from the original to keep fans satisfied and rarely do these contrasts work completely.

But at the same time, these movies don’t fail either. Often, they come in as just mediocre, and even more often have moments that really shine, or introduce new characters that are fun and exciting and show the potential of continuance. But because of backlash there is a long-standing idea that if nothing matches the power of the original, then it’s all garbage. It’s not though. It can be disappointing and still be fine. Because when the original comes out we weren’t ready for it, we had no expectations. Original works like Raiders of the Lost Ark, for example, surprise us because we don’t know anything about them, nor do we have expectations around the works. So we get to just experience it with joyful ignorance.

So what is the point of all this? It’s that yes, Crystal Skull isn’t perfect, yes it’s probably the weakest of the movies in the franchise, but that doesn’t mean it’s awful. It’s not. It is just fine, nothing more or less. And if it’s not the favorite that’s ok. But we don’t need to make statements of tearing down the establishment or how one bad movie ruined our childhoods. It’s not the case and the more we say it the more we drive these creators away from this profession. Don’t like something, don’t watch it. Simple as that.

So, let’s break everything down.

All Spielberg movies will be judged based on the same five pieces of criteria.

Acting – Are the performances good and do they serve the story or are they distracting and awkward?
Story and Dialogue – Does the story being told make sense and is the use of dialogue allow it to succeed or does the story struggle and/or the dialogue drag it down
Shooting and Editing – How is the camera used, how are the shots arranged, what other elements are used to enhance the movie?
Design – How does the movie look? Does it help the movie or hurt the movie?
Iconic Moment – Spielberg has made several big iconic moments throughout cinema, what are they, how many of them are there, and which ones stand out the most?

All these criteria will be judged on a score of 10 for a total score of 50.

So here is my breakdown of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull:

Acting – Harrison Ford comes back surprisingly strong even with the massive age difference from his last outing. Cate Blanchett is delightfully pulpy as the villainous Irina Spalko and really lets herself have fun. The rest of the cast feels either like fan service, as with Karen Allen coming back with very little to do, John Hurt, Ray Winstone, and Jim Broadbent feeling like replacements for other beloved characters and Shia LaBeouf does what he can but is out of place in the role of Mutt. It’s ok but could be better. (7/10)

Story and Dialogue – I think the thing that makes this one struggle is how it feels too farfetched from the originals. Aliens have been a big thing for Spielberg, but it’s not mired in religion and culture in the same way that previous movies addressed their quests. And that just makes it feel forced and awkward and like it’s trying to appease people. (5/10)

Shooting and Editing – The movie does a good job of updating its look while keeping the feel of the pulp movie. It has some genuinely fun shots that really work well and make the spectacle feel exciting and interesting, and enough homages to older moments that you get those winks without being too overt. (7/10)

Design – For the most part the movie work in its design, there are a few moments that seem really cheesy or overly fake in the design and others that just seem less spectacular than they should. But overall it’s not too bad. (7/10)

Iconic Moment – The chase scenes in this one are outstanding. I know everyone wants me to trash the ‘nuke the fridge’ scene but it’s not nearly dumb enough, it’s not even the most outlandish scene in this franchise. But the chase through the jungle is exciting, captivating, and has endless fun from start to finish. It’s not perfect by any means but it is fun. (7/10)

Total Score: 33/50

Current Ranking:
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Jurassic Park
Saving Private Ryan
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Schindler’s List
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Minority Report
Jaws
Catch Me If You Can
Hook
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
War of the Worlds
Amistad
Duel
Empire of the Sun
The Terminal
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
The Color Purple
Twilight Zone: The Movie
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
The Sugarland Express
1941
Always

And then there were seven. We’re getting so close to the end of this journey and it’s about to get better for a while. I can’t wait to finalize this list and show just how consistently good Spielberg has been as a director from beginning to end. But we’re not there yet.

So until then, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!

The Disastrous Production of Twilight Zone: The Movie

You’re watching through another movie, a movie not only of seasoned directors but of fresh new voices in the medium. A group of creators whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s the movie up ahead – your next watch, Twilight Zone: The Movie!

Twilight Zone: The Movie is a collaboration between four directors; two directors who were well established by earlier work (John Landis and Stephen Spielberg) and two who were just beginning their soon to be noteworthy careers (Joe Dante and George Miller). And what is remarkable is how the younger directors managed to overshadow their more experienced counterparts.

The movie is divided into four segments, all based on original segments from the Twilight Zone television show. And what’s rough is that Spielberg’s particular segment “Kick the Can” is one of the less memorable ones. His wholesome story of a man teaching several elderly people to rediscover their youth, both metaphorically and physically.

And while the segment is fine, it’s honestly the most forgettable of the four. Dante’s segment “It’s a Good Life” mixes the crazy cartoonish antics and subtle horror that he would become known for in Gremlins the next year. And George Miller turned his high octane action stylings from the Mad Max franchise into the standout segment “Nightmare at 20,000 feet”.

And then there’s the most infamous segment, “A Quality of Mercy” directed by John Landis. It’s not infamous for its content but for its production, which doffed safety for spectacle and resulted in the deaths of Vic Morrow and two children Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen. It should have ended Landis’s career, somehow it didn’t. And the accident became the most noted part of the movie and resulted in massive changed to filmmaking safety procedures, particularly from Spielberg who said the movie “made me grow a little” and changed his relationship with Landis while also affecting his devotion to the project.

Clearly this movie, while not a pleasant experience, was one necessary to help Spielberg grow. You have to be passionate about the work, and you can tell that he wasn’t in it the way he was with previous movies. And yet, you have to celebrate the legacy of Spielberg as a producer of new talent. While Landis was virtually undone by this movie, Dante and Miller showed that innovation is necessary, and Spielberg, as a producer, took that chance to create something new, even if it meant making himself look less talented and noteworthy.

And that shows that Spielberg cares more about the success of others than his ego or reputation. He’d rather make a movie that works safely and well, than one that is a smashing success and makes him look like a legend. We still have incidents of actors and crew being injured or killed on sets as recently as last year and it needs to change. No movie is worth the risk of death. Spielberg himself said “No movie is worth dying for… If something isn’t safe, it’s the right and responsibility of every actor or crew member to yell ‘Cut!’”. Again his devotion to the craft doesn’t overshadow his responsibility to those he works with, and that too shows why he is such a renowned director.

So, let’s break everything down.

All Spielberg movies will be judged based on the same five pieces of criteria.

Acting – Are the performances good and do they serve the story or are they distracting and awkward?
Story and Dialogue – Does the story being told make sense and is the use of dialogue allow it to succeed or does the story struggle and/or the dialogue drag it down
Shooting and Editing – How is the camera used, how are the shots arranged, what other elements are used to enhance the movie?
Design – How does the movie look? Does it help the movie or hurt the movie?
Iconic Moment – Spielberg has made several big iconic moments throughout cinema, what are they, how many of them are there, and which ones stand out the most?

All these criteria will be judged on a score of 10 for a total score of 50.

So here is my breakdown of Twilight Zone: The Movie*.

*As Spielberg only directed “Kick the Can” that is the only segment being reviewed.

Acting – The acting in this segment is actually very good. Scatman Crothers is so charming and charismatic that you just buy how easily he can win over the other residents of the retirement home. And the elderly actors add youthfulness to reflect their younger selves, while the child actors likewise find the same idiosyncrasies of their elder counterparts to make the character feel cohesive at both ages. (9/10)

Story and Dialogue – The story is very simple, and it has some unfortunate tropes such as the only character who isn’t white having a mythical set of powers. Likewise the dialogue is a little dated and many of the references are far too old for a modern audience, let alone one of the 80s. All in all it’s fine, but it could be much better. (4/10)

Shooting and Editing – The shooting is very standard. Nothing really stands out, and yet nothing looks horrible either. The whole segment is fine, but again, it could be better. (5/10)

Design – There is a look for this one that seems like an old photograph, which is very reflective of the story being told. And the costumes seem unique to each character but cohesive to the whole. All in all, it works well, but again, nothing stands out. (8/10)

Iconic Moment – I loved the moment when the people first revert to their child forms. It’s such a fun chance to see who they were 70 years earlier. And the children find such great little moments to play around with the character. But it’s only a small moment in the grand scheme. (6/10)

Total Score: 32/50

Current Ranking:
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Jaws
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Duel
Twilight Zone: The Movie
The Sugarland Express
1941

This movie is one that I always feel conflicted about. I like the latter segments, especially “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” But the behind the scenes disaster and the lacking aspects of the earlier segments really don’t help it seem successful and while it’s not the worst movie out there, it just leaves this sort of… griminess every time I’ve watched it. Hopefully the next movie won’t be quite so tough in that same respect.

So until next time, as I always say, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated

Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Great American Hero

What makes a hero interesting? Is it their courage in the face of danger? Is it their raw determination, and willingness to survive at all costs? Is it their intelligence and wit, showing how they solve even the most complex of problems? Is it pure physical strength to push through the strongest of obstacles? Or is it all of these in tandem, but never pushing too far into the unrealistic parts of filmmaking so we still feel this person is someone we can relate to? What makes a hero is not so easy to define.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the most iconic action-adventure movies out there and much of that has to do with the choice to cast Harrison Ford as hero Indiana Jones. Movie heroes were continuing to be resilient every men, but somehow Jones stands out. This is because he’s not placed too far into either the hyper-capable superhuman such as James Bond, but he’s also not the constant underdog such as Rocky Balboa. He’s a highly capable action hero, who finds himself in situations beyond his scope, and that keeps him interesting.

Indiana Jones is also a great hero because he doesn’t take the situation too seriously nor to silly. He’s got this great acceptance of the absurdity of his situation and a tongue in cheek set of responses, which keep the story fun, but also, he’s bullheadedly serious about his pursuit of artifacts and his work as an archeologist. And because of that he allows the stakes of the movie to push him forward in a believable way. This balance keeps the character both an interesting character we can root for, and a bit of a goofball we can laugh with.

And it’s a constant balance. He brings in this badassery that shows just how capable and intelligent he is, and then suddenly finds himself in over his head and has to scramble in a way that is both brilliant and hilarious. It’s a really what keeps him as long standing as he has been and it really helps to make the character someone who we want to watch again and again as his story progresses.

And Spielberg’s willingness to let Ford play with the character is part of what makes this work. He chose to take the time to introduce the character as a capable adventurer and then allowed him to get thrown into these absurd situations which forced him to showcase some over the top reactions and tongue in cheek responses. And this combination of Ford and Spielberg has not only proven itself to be successful but long lasting. They knew how to work together and ultimately that proved to be the movie’s success.

Sometimes a movie is all about being a masterfully told story. But every once in a while it’s about letting the characters within that story stand out and become some of the most iconic characters in popular culture. It’s less about pushing the character through the story, and more about letting the character help define the story. This is what makes Indiana Jones stand out and proves, once again, that Spielberg is a masterful storyteller because he knows how to use his characters.

So, let’s break everything down.

All Spielberg movies will be judged based on the same five pieces of criteria.

Acting – Are the performances good and do they serve the story or are they distracting and awkward?
Story and Dialogue – Does the story being told make sense and is the use of dialogue allow it to succeed or does the story struggle and/or the dialogue drag it down
Shooting and Editing – How is the camera used, how are the shots arranged, what other elements are used to enhance the movie?
Design – How does the movie look? Does it help the movie or hurt the movie?
Iconic Moment – Spielberg has made several big iconic moments throughout cinema, what are they, how many of them are there, and which ones stand out the most?

All these criteria will be judged on a score of 10 for a total score of 50.

So here is my breakdown of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Acting – I mean I just gushed about Harrison Ford’s Jones for a whole blog so you know my feelings on that choice. But even beyond him, the supporting characters are all well defined and unique and the villains, while occasionally too similar to each other, have their uniquenesses and it ultimately makes them something we love to root against. (9/10)

Story and Dialogue – The story in this one is actually very simple. Indiana chases the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can find it. And that’s it. A lot of what happens is not too off that path. But the dialogue is so quippy that you just forgive the simplicity of the story because you’re so charmed by the way they talk through it. (8/10)

Shooting and Editing – Some of the most interesting and unique actions sequences have been placed within this movie, and the way that Spielberg uses angles to keep the tension present throughout the fights, chases, and escapes, is so interesting and powerfully compelling. He just uses his sharp camera work, and smart editing to showcase how talented the movie really is. (9/10)

Design – I mean Indiana’s looks is iconic in and of itself. But not only is there that, but this whole movie is full of memorable set pieces and props. The boulder in the beginning, the design of the Ark, the snake pit. All of them have such brilliantly given details that they just work, and the whole movie feels cohesive and entirely fitting. It’s hard not to see a worn fedora and bullwhip and instantly think of the character. (10/10)

Iconic Moment – I mean, how do you choose. The opening is iconic, the Ark being opened is iconic, the snake pit is iconic. There are just so many moments where you can watch and rewatch this movie and relive these moments anew. It’s really one of the most rewatchable movies out there and has some of the most thrilling moments in all of movie history. (10/10)

Total Score: 46/50

Current Ranking:
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Jaws
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Duel
The Sugarland Express
1941

And now we get to the tough stuff. Spielberg’s about to go on one of the most iconic runs in cinematic history and to rank all of these is going to be a bit tough. However, it will most certainly be fun, and I for one am looking forward to it.

So until next time, as I always say, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated

A Little Joy in March 2022

Over the course of 2020 and 2021, I watched at least one movie every day. I did this for me. I did this to challenge myself to start the year with a somewhat ambitious, but achievable goal. But in the process, I found that there were days where something positive happened to me even on the worst of moments.

So, I went into 2022 with the goal of continuing to spread joy. But also adding the additional goal of watching movies more consciously and purposefully. So here I am to tell you about some of the best things I watched each month in order to help give you something to look forward to, something to think about or just something to help brighten your day.

This is how I found a Little Joy in March.

I watched at least one movie every day in March.  I documented 31 of those movies.  22 of those documented I had never seen before.

These were the 3 I found the most joy in.

1. Blue Valentine

Blue Valentine is by no means an easy movie to watch. But the simple story and emotionally driven characters keep this movie compelling throughout its difficult story and exhausting subject matter. Both Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams shine as they explore some of the ugliest sides of a relationship and contrast their own performances across two different times and two different states of existence.

2. Full Metal Jacket

Stanley Kubrick’s Semi-satirical war movie is such a brutal reminder of just how flawed the American Military Machine can be. By breaking the movie into two parts, both equally brutal for wildly different reasons, the movie just hits you in the face with its horrifying portrayals and mostly irredeemable characters. By the end of the movie you just don’t even know who to root for and what makes that even more broken is just how much that seems to be true today.

3. Belfast

This was my favorite of the Best Picture nominees from the Oscars this year. It’s perspective on The Troubles and how they unfold within Belfast are simultaneously naïvely hopeful and brutally traumatizing. To watch the way in which a child’s life is quickly ripped out from under him through circumstances beyond his control speaks of a timeless and continuous reality that we need to work harder to prevent. And the whole piece is backed up by brilliant writing and direction from Sir Kenneth Branagh.

And that is how I found a Little Joy in March.

Let me know a moment you found some joy last month. And as always thanks for taking some time to get Ploominated!

Blog Series 5: The Spielberg Filmography

After watching 25 of the worst movies ever made, I thought I should reward it to myself with a much better watch along, And so I thought I’d choose a category that I know I will like most of the entries in, and that means revisiting some of the best movies I’ve seen from the past. And one director has made a lot of them.

We are going to watch every movie directed by the master himself – Stephen Spielberg.

There are currently 34 of these movies released with another one scheduled for later this year. So this list will be lasting for a large majority of 2022. And I think it’s going to be a really fun time to watch or rewatch and ultimately rank each of these to find out which movies is truly Spielberg’s best.

As I said there are 34(5) of these so here’s what’s coming up in the next weeks:

Duel
The SugarlandExpress
Jaws
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1941
Raiders of the Lost Ark
E.T. the Extra Terrestrial
Twilight Zone: The Movie (Kick the Can)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
The Color Purple
Empire of the Sun
Always
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Hook
Jurassic Park
Schindler’s List
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Amistad
Saving Private Ryan
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Minority Report
Catch Me If You Can
The Terminal
War of the Worlds
Munich
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Adventures of Tintin
War Horse
Lincoln
Bridge of Spies
The BFG
The Post
Ready Player One
West Side Story
The Fablemans (Not Yet Released)

There will a strict set of criteria with which these movies will be judged

Acting – Are the performances good and do they serve the story or are they distracting and awkward?
Story and Dialogue – Does the story being told make sense and is the use of dialogue allow it to succeed or does the story struggle and/or the dialogue drag it down
Shooting and Editing – How is the camera used, how are the shots arranged, what
Design – How does the movie look? Does it help the movie or hurt the movie
Iconic Moments – Spielberg has made several big iconic moments throughout cinema, what are they, how many of them are there, and which ones stand out the most.

All these criteria will be judged on a score of 10 for a total score of 50. And at the end we’ll see which Spielberg movie is the most iconic, original, and completely worth watching.

We’re gonna stick to Fridays for these so be ready next week when these come out. I hope you are as excited as. I am!

But until then, thanks for taking to the time to get Ploominated!