Cooler voice: Mufasa or Darth Vader?

May 27, 2020

GUESS THE QUOTE

"You give up your dream...
...you die."

Two movies that were supposed to be theatrical releases and consequently sacrificed to the streaming gods (Netflix and VOD) due to "the bullshit," came out this last weekend - The Lovebirds (Netflix via Paramount) and Scoob! (VOD). Neither were what you'd call "highly anticipated" (although the former maybe slightly so, if just to see a pairing of Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani). But if you were curious, give em a looksy.

Does It Hold Up? Week 10: Early Christian Slater (ECS)

This week I pulled movies from the early career of the guy who's early acting style was like a cross breed of Jack Nicholson's and James Dean's. He hit hard in the late 80's and early 90's, becoming a quintessential Hollywood "it" kid and kinda came to represent a certain punk attitude, albeit mainstream"ified." He may have lost his spot on the cultural mantel after a bit, but for a while, oof, he was a thing man. Scroll down or vote here.

Does It Hold Up? Week 9 Thoughts: Watership Down

I really think it holds up. And I still think it's an odd duck, er, rabbit? One of the people I Zoovied it with had never seen it and it was sort of a shrug for them. Which, I very much get. It's purpose isn't overtly clear and it's not quite a "a kids movie," nor an "adult" animation. When I watched it as a kid I thought it was weird, but now seeing it as an adult I feel a better description is "unsettling." Nearly every moment of the movie there's a look, a sound, a pause or a conflict that makes you feel unsure of what's to happen next. I wouldn't say I came away with a clear moral, but maybe that is part of the takeaway - you make your own place in the world (or, ya know, you get eaten by one of your thousand enemies).

Cutoff? Go here, click "most recent edition."

BEING JOHN MALKOVICH
(1999)

R / 1 hr 52 mins
Universal (via Gramercy) / RT: 93% (133 reviews)

When a movie about people paying to enter a hole into John Malkovich's head, which in turn allows them to become John Malkovich, doesn't sound all that weird, you know you've entered into a bizarre era of human existence. Ok, sure, it's still an absurd premise for a movie, but can you say it's that much more preposterous than the times we live in? Eeeeeehhhh......xactly.

As noted last week, this was the debut feature for Spike Jonze (and writer Charlie Kaufman), who had directed a bunch of rad music videos before this. He totally stuck the kickflip if you will, per critics at the time. But since we do live in odd times, will something off kilter like this still hit or are have we become numb to the wicked and the weird?

The Others: in case you preferred one of the alternate options, they were: Sex, Lies, and Videotape, B lood Simple & D uel.

This Week's Theme:
Early Christian Slater

TRUE ROMANCE
(1993)

True Romance and Heathers (see below) are certainly regarded by critics as the best of early Christian Slater (ECS) movies. Doesn't hurt that Romance was the first theatricla movie to be written by Quentin Tarantino (he didn't direct, was Tony Scott who had recently done Top Gun). Pains me to say it, but I've never seen it. Think it'll hold up? Fun fact: also stars Brad Pitt as well as Gary Oldman in what was clearly Johnny Depp's true inspiration for Jack Sparrow.

KUFFS
(1992)

The only movie in the list not generally considered a "good movie" by critics. And yet this almost feels like peak Slater"dom" to me. Yeah, it blatantly apes Ferris Bueller's Day Off in breaking the 4th wall, but it also seems to exist solely to highlight Slater's charm. It takes a classic 90's action comedy format, and lets Christian raise his eyebrows and wisecrack through the entire thing. I remember thinking it was funny was I was young, but will I still?

PUMP UP THE VOLUME
(1990)

Probably my personal favorite of the ECS years. It was kinda dark, a bit edgy, and so very of the era. Slater plays a high schooler, just moved from the east coast to Arizona, who ganks radio signal so he can pontificate, play punk music and generally just rile up the youths - which doesn't go over well with their parents, the school, or one of the oddest bad guys in all of movies, the FCC. I've thought for a while this should be remade with a modern take, somehow involving the socials. Anybody wanna write it with me? 🤓

Oh. Because you totally want to listen to it now, here's the Pump Up the Volume song.

Disclaimer: this movie isn't available anywhere, except a bootleg YouTube version. It's still watchable, but slightly annoying to do so.

HEATHERS
(1989)

You can't have an ECS list without Heathers; it's probably his most iconic role at this point. Maybe because his role in offing fellow kids (not that kind) with Winona Ryder, and ultimately wanting to blow up a high school might be even more controversial than it was upon release - in part because high school violence has become a dark version of "normal" and putting it up for satire might seem at the least offensive. But it's still considered a black comedy classic, but in this day and age, does it hold up?

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