Take 4: The Year in Review

Covered all sorts of movies and television shows this year, but some of you have been asking for a handy little guide to navigate through those movies that I feel were worthy enough to garner a rating of “Must See” or better. So, below, I’ve listed the Best of the Best. Do yourself a favor and check out at least a few of them.

El Mariachi: Classic that introduced me to the world of independent films. Plus, it kicked off a trilogy. Warning: Subtitles and lots of violence. One usually distracts you from the other.

Once Upon a Time in Mexico: The third in the “Mexican Gunslinger” trilogy. Definitely check it out if you liked El Mariachi. Have a hard time recommending Desperado, though (the second movie in the trilogy). Great storytelling and interweaving plotlines.

Network: Great film about the power that our nation’s media conglomerates wield. Many Oscar nominations. A classic.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl: Good ol’ fashioned swashbuckling adventure. And everyone could use some more buckled swashes in their lives.

Sunset Blvd.: Another classic. Pretty darn engaging for an older movie. Washed-up actress meets starving writer. Hilarity doesn’t ensue, but things quickly escalate.

All About Eve: Yet another classic. Great scriptwriting, and great to know that stalking existed in the early years of filmmaking.

Runaway Jury: Courtroom Drama + John Cusack = Riveting Movie

Napoleon Dynamite: GOSH! JUST WATCH IT! Unless you’re training to become a cage fighter…

Bowling for Columbine: Less of an anti-gun movie than you think it is…and more of an interesting look at American’s obsession with firepower. Very moving, too.

Spellbound: Maybe it’s my love of “elimination-style” reality television shows, but it’s also the fact that the stories of these kids is just so great. You’ll find yourself drawn in before you know it.

Incident at Loch Ness: The only “Buy. Watch. Repeat.” on the list. I got it for Christmas. Hilarious…if you go for understated humor.

Max: Found during my “John Cusack Quartet” review…very interesting film, if only because of the whole “young Adolf Hitler” aspect.

Better Off Dead: Cusack classic from the 80’s. If you haven’t seen it, shame on you.

Identity: Another good Cusack thriller. And knowing the “twist” doesn’t make it any less of a cool concept for a movie. It’s a great “well, that person died so they can’t be the killer” film.

The Station Agent: Tiny people rock. If not for any other reason, see this.

Rebel Without a Cause: Well, you HAVE to see at least one James Dean film in your life, don’t you? It should be this one.

See you next year!

Take 4: Live Fast, Die Young

My final review of the year comes at the request of Andrew up in Utah. "Have you seen any James Dean movies," he asked. I knew that James Dean had only starred in three feature films and realized I hadn't seen a single one. So, putting my viewing of Season Four of 24 on pause until the New Year, I threw his three movies in my list (along with a documentary to round out the fourth) and buckled down to exponentially expand my knowledge of James Dean and his work.

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East of Eden (1955)

In the Beginning: Caleb "Cal" Trask tracks down his mother, who he thought had died while he was young, and clashes with his father over...the cold-storage of produce. Lettuce, to be exact.

The Plot Thickens: After his father loses a ton of money in a freak lettuce thawing accident, Cal borrows money from his mother to invest in bean farming, in order to strike a hefty profit and cover his dad's losses. Always the multi-tasker, Cal also finds the time to take a liking to his brother's girlfriend.

We're Not in Kansas Anymore: We're in sunny California. Bouncing back and forth between the maritime community of Monterey and the farming community of Salinas.

Starring James Dean As...: Cal, the quiet loner turned agricultural tycoon. Couldn't really tell if Cal was supposed to be "slow," or if that was a little quirk in James Dean's acting. Will see how he comes off in the next few movies.

And I Quote...: Cal Trask: "Man has a choice and it's a choice that makes him a man."

Random Trivia: This is the only one of the "big three" James Dean films to be released before his death.

And What Did We Learn, Class?: 1) Beans stay fresher, longer. 2) Opening a brothel directly across the street from your competition is apparently "good business sense" in early 20th Century California. 3) The people of Salinas are very emotionally fragile. Walk on eggshells around them...especially when it comes to announcing the existance of long-lost family relations.

Curt's Take: "Not a Priority" - I hated to do this to one-third of James Dean's filmography...but I just couldn't get that into it. Sure, it's a classic...but even a classic needs to draw me in. Based on a John Steinbeck novel, I could also see me not enjoying reading this in 11th grade English. Luckily we had Of Mice and Men, instead.

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Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

In the Beginning: Jim Stark and his parents have just moved to a new neighborhood, and it's his first day of school. They kind of left the old neighborhood so that they could start things from scratch.

The Plot Thickens: Jim starts to roll with the wrong crowd, or, more accurately, roll against the wrong crowd. A game of automotive chicken goes horribly wrong, causing Jim to find his first day in a new city a little less than ideal.

We're Not in Kansas Anymore: Looks like we're in Los Angeles. There are a couple scenes at Griffith Park Observatory, and there is an abandoned mansion that looks eeriely like Norma Desmond's place in Sunset Blvd.

Starring James Dean As...: Jim Stark, title rebel. Much more likeable in this than in East of Eden. Plus, he doesn't have the Rain Man thing going on. Actually, he's probably the most mature character in the movie, even among the adults.

And I Quote...: Jim Stark: "You're tearing me apart!"

Random Trivia: For the knife fight between Jim and Buzz, the actors used real switchblades and protected themselves by wearing chainmail under their vests. Also, the empty pool in which the characters sit and discuss their lives in one scene is the same pool that was specially built for Sunset Blvd (I was right!).

And What Did We Learn, Class?: 1) Forget whatever you think is "cool" now. Highschoolers in the 50's had "cool" down to an artform. 2) Parents weren't perfect back then, either. 3) Just a note...jump BEFORE the car plummets over the cliff.

Curt's Take: "Must See" - This is really weird. i can't say there were great action scenes, hilarious moments or mind-numbing instances of terror. I don't know what it was...maybe the pacing...but I didn't really get bored while watching, and found myself glued through to the end. Throw that in with the fact it's a "classic," and you have a "Must See," so at the very least you can say you saw a James Dean movie.

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Giant (1956)

In the Beginning: The head of the Benedict family ranch faces pressure from oil tycoon and real estate developer Jett Rink to sell the family land. A son who doesn't want to take over the family business and daughters who want to move off the ranch don't make keeping the land a promising venture.

The Plot Thickens: The family, which at first was growing apart, comes together even stronger to face the egotistical Rink and the culture of racism against Hispanics that he is breeding in the area.

We're Not in Kansas Anymore: We're in Texas. The Lone Star State. Big money, big egos.

Starring James Dean As...: A surprise here...Jett Rink. Dean is playing someone practically twice his age (guessing Rink is supposed to be in his 40s), and actually does a decent job of it.

And I Quote...: Leslie Benedict: "Money isn't everything, Jett." Jett Rink: "Not when you've got it."

Random Trivia: Giant was the highest grossing film in Warner Bros. history until the release of Superman (1978).

And What Did We Learn, Class?: 1) James Dean is good at playing drunks. 2) Dennis Hopper and Sal Mineo both co-starred in two-thirds of James Dean's films (they were both in this and in Rebel). 3) A movie that is 3 hours and 21 minutes long can only seem like 2 hours and 15 minutes if it is done right.

Curt's Take: "Worth Considering" - Another movie I just kind of got sucked into...interesting that Dean wasn't as central of a character as he was in the other films. This one is really about how a family comes together to stand up for each other, and the sacrifices parents will make for their children. If you have only one James Dean movie to see, though...see Rebel Without a Cause. He's not as central in this one, and it's a bit long at points.

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James Dean: Forever Young (2005)

In the Beginning: James Dean, Indiana boy-next-door, bounces back and forth between Los Angeles and New York, trying to get his acting career off the ground.

The Plot Thickens: After filming three feature films, with his career just taking off, Dean dies tragically in a car crash along the Pacific Coast. But his legacy lives on today.

We're Not in Kansas Anymore: We pretty much stick to the big cities on the coast.

Starring James Dean As...: Himself. And he's not the "too cool" guy you may have come to expect from Rebel Without a Cause.

And I Quote...: Closing quote of the documentary: "Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean

Random Trivia: Dean was the first actor to be signed to a million-dollar movie contract.

And What Did We Learn, Class?: 1) James Dean was a focused and determined artist. 2) His television and stage career was very extensive. VERY extensive. More extensive than you likely thought. 3) The man liked to race.

Curt's Take: "Worth Considering" - I'm sure there are other Dean documentaries out there, and maybe one of them is better than this. However, it did seem very thorough. I was a bit disappointed at the end, though. They don't talk about the car crash at all, how his death affected others, the release of his final two films, etc. It just kind of...ends. So, to get the full story, I think you'll want to supplement this with something else.

Take 4: Crime Scene Investigation

It's been a while since the last Take 4 review. This is largely due to two things: being out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday and having to watch 23 episodes of the hour-long crime drama, CSI. It took a while. Anyway, check out the review below, which encompasses six DVDs. Next time, we get a blast from the past with three movies all featuring the same actor...and a documentary about his tragically-short life.

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CSI: Season Two (2001)

What's Going on Here?: The Las Vegas Crime Lab's crack team of five forensic experts solve a wide-range of cases on and off The Strip, analyzing the evidence that the bad guys inevitably leave behind.

How is This Season Different: It isn't much different. Greg, the DNA expert who works back in the office, starts to push harder to put taken out into the field. There are a couple callbacks to some cases from Season One. And the cliffhanger at the end of the last episode...is rather weak, and can hardly be called a cliffhanger.

Who to Look Out For: Out of the five, have to say I really dig Catherine Willows, played by Marge Helgenberger. She's really the character with the most depth...female criminologist, former stripper, single mom. All the other characters come off a little one-dimensional next to her.

And I Quote...: Gil Grissom: "There are three things people love to stare at: A rippling stream, a sunset, and a Zamboni going around and around."

Random Trivia: The extreme popularity of this TV series was credited for a large surge of applications for courses in forensic science. I know I considered going back to school for it, but apparently an advertising degree isn't good enough background to get into grad school for this.

And What Did We Learn, Class?: 1) Dead men DO tell tales. 2) If you have to commit a crime, avoid Las Vegas. And, apparently, Miami and New York. 3) Science geeks can be cool.

Curt's Take: "Worth Considering" - Took a while to get through all the episodes, but like the first season of the show, it's very episodic...by which I mean, you can pretty much jump in at any point. Any given episode stands alone, unlike some (better) shows like 24, Prison Break, Lost, and Alias. Still...a very well done show. Hopefully they build in more continuity in later seasons...and I, of course, will be letting everyone know.