I have to say that this week has been very lazy for me. I only watched one movie and haven't finished my current book. Therefore, I think I'll have a retro week. A while back we talked about stuff from the 90s. Here are three of my favs from that time period.
Film: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Okay, I need to say right at the beginning that I could care less about the stars of this film. For me, the film was all about the supporting actors: Morgan Freeman, Alan Rickman, and Christian Slater. This is the first film that I remember thinking, "That Morgan Freeman and Alan Rickman rock! I need to watch them more!" The 1990s were a time when I was really getting into following an actor/actress/director's career; it was when I sat up and noticed the craft rather than just the plot. While I am the first to admit that the story is weak, I remember this film fondly as the beginning of my study of film.
Television: Northern Exposure
I watched this show religiously every night at 10pm. For me, nothing says 90s television better than the group from Cicely, Alaska. So many shows have tried to mimic the brilliance of this cast and most have failed. Every eccentric character on the show had a place. Among my favorites are Adam Arkin as Adam, John Cullum as Holling, and John Corbett as Chris (ok, there may have been a bit of a crush here on Chris as well). The comedy is subtle and that's my favorite kind. My favorite eps involve Adam and Eve and the two-parter on how Cicely was founded. Granted, the show jumped the shark after Rob Marrow left, but the first several seasons make me forgive this final and atrocious season. Other than Buffy and Angel, this show is the only box set I want to own.
Book: Intensity
Dean Koontz published Intensity in 1995. I had read Koontz in the past and enjoyed him; I considered him to be "King-light." He was good for a lazy summer afternoon or the long drive to either NY or NJ. I was in college when I picked up Intensity and the title proved true. I read the book in one sitting. (Thankfully I started it on a Friday.) The story is about a young woman who witnesses the murder of a family with whom she is staying. She survives but realizes the murderer has a girl hostage in his RV. What follows is her attempt to save that girl without being discovered by the murderer. The whole action takes place within about 24 hours and never lets up. This may be one of the most suspenseful books I have ever read in my life! (And that is high praise coming from me.) In fact, as I look over at my bookshelf, the bright yellow cover calls to me. Maybe it's time to give this book another read. Whooo, I just got a shiver down my spine!
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Top Five Meryl Streep Roles
- Miranda Priestly - "The Devil Wears Prada"
- Susan Orlean - "Adaptation"
- Madeline Ashton - "Death Becomes Her"
- Sophie Zawistowski - "Sophie's Choice"
- Karen Blixen - "Out of Africa"
About Me
- Heather
- The self-proclaimed pop culture diva with apparently too much time on her hands.
23 comments:
Robin Hood POT is pretty terrible upon closer inspection. But yeah, I liked it at the time as well. It was out at the same time as T2, so my sister and I would pay for one and then sneak into the other for a free double feature! I saw it 4 or 5 times in the theatre that way.
Kevin Constner's accent is unbearable, and his acting ain't too great either! But Morgan Freeman and Alan Rickman redeem it. The soundtrack is very good too - an old-fasioned swashbuckler. And how can you not love the Sean Connery cameo?
I really only got into Northern Exposure when it was in reruns on A&E. But it's right up there among my favorites, along with China Beach and Buffy.
It is amazing how much stuff that was da' bomb in the 90's did not age well. For example, the phrase "da' bomb." I found myself laid up in bed this weekend far away from the DVD's so I found myself watching Bruce Willis action flicks. Namely, I saw The Last Boyscout and (like a good yinzer would) Striking Distance. When I was 13 The Last Boyscout was so suave (dare I say "Rico Suave") and sophisticated. This weekend they made me ashamed to be a man.
Was Robin Hood perhaps the beginning of the end for Costner? Its hard to remember a time when he wasn't a punchline to a joke that everyone has forgotten the beginning of.
China Beach was great. Though I was probably too young to get all of it.
I don't know. I mean, there is a reason why Robin Hood was such a big hit. True, there are terrible components like Costner. But the supporting characters/actors are highly entertaining (even the lesser known ones like the blind old man and witch) and I think the pace/storytelling of the movie is excellent. The script is actually pretty good too--some great lines I can think of off the top of my head. So the movie's really a mixed bag... but I don't think it can be just dismissed as terrible.
And man...I remember when "I Do It For You" was THE slow song. Wow. Summer/fall 1991.
Just taking a look at IMDB...Robin Hood was actually when Costner was hitting his high. It ws right after Untouchables/Bull Durham/Field of Dreams/Wolves and just before JFK. Even after RH, he had some good movies like Tin Cup and the Upside of Anger (recent). It's just there were some HUGE bombs in there: Waterworld, the Postman. Yikes! Waterworld is probably the only movie where I've actually fallen asleep in the theater!
"I do it for you" oooh you spoke of the unspeakable...the horror...oh the horror...argh!
Actually, I reached a Brian Adams related personal milestone this morining. I was on hold this morning to the tune of "Summer of '69" when I said, "oh crap they have me listening to Ryan Adams." So its official, in my mind at least, Brian Adams is now officially "that other guy who's name sounds like ..." Mark this day people, Feb. 11, 2008 The Ryan/Brian Planet Poles have reversed!
Dances with Wolves was the height of Kevin Cosnter's critical acclaim. Robin Hood was probably the height of his box office draw. Or maybe The Bodyguard (the horror!), although that wasn't all about him. Actually, as far as slow love songs from movies go, I prefer Whitney Houston's monster hit to Celine Dion's, maybe because Dolly Parton wrote it - but I digress. Bryan Adams had the rare male movie love song hit.
Did any of you see A Perfect World? That was after The Bodyguard but before Waterworld. It was directed by Clint Eastwood, and I'm partial to most of his movies. So I thought it was pretty good.
I don't really like Tin Cup - and of course Waterworld, The Postman are unwatchable. Wyatt Earp wasn't too great either, and I like Westerns generally. Why does he pick overly-long movies so much? I have Mr. Brooks in my netflix queue. I heard it was pretty good. AFAIC, Field of Dreams is his best.
I'm impatiently awaiting the release of China Beach on DVD! When will that day finally come? They don't even have it in reruns anymore. Marg Helgenberger is so freaking awesome in that show.
Ack! The Bodyguard. I've never had any desire to see that at all. And that song is just awful. I didn't even know that Celine Dion had done a remake!
Tin Cup is a little slow. But it was well-reviewed. So we can't count it in with Costner's mid-90s bombs. The soundtrack is also really good--it's a mix of country and blues, which is odd for me, but I really like it.
As far as I know, China Beach is one of those TV shows where the DVD release is held up by music rights. Wonder Years is famously another. I think they should just pay for the rights to the music and release these shows--even if each season set costs $80 or more. A few years ago, when Freaks and Geeks came out, the creators of the show didn't want to replace any of the music, so they paid for the rights to all of it and the DVDs were expensive. But it still sold really well. Of course, that was a show that only had one season. (sadly!)
Does anyone remember the story about the lady in England who broke into her upstairs neighbor's apartment and threw the stereo out of the window because her neighbor "wiilllll aaaaaalllllllwwwwwaaaaaayyyyysssss love yyyyyyyyyyyyooooooooooouuuuuuuuuooooooooouuuuuuuuu!"?
I am not even sure that Dances With Wolves ages all that well.
Wow, I am on good cold meds...
Anyhow the end of my last post should have mentioned that the woman who was accused of doing the stereo tossing accused the stereo owner of listening to that song on repeat for three weeks straight.
I have to say that three weeks is a lot longer than I would have waited.
Celine Dion didn't do a remake. I was comparing "I will Always Love You" to "My Heart Will Go On."
I think the latter is far worse.
Yeah, China Beach used a lot of 60's and 70's songs.
Oh, parts of Dances with Wolves age well and other don't. Again, overly long. Graham Greene is great in it though.
It certainly ages better than Robin Hood!
And that, my friends, is how you wrap up a thread.
I was going to comment on Robin Hood, Kevin Costner, etc. but I see Krista has effectively closed the thread. :-(
I will say, however, that I think Robin Hood would have aged better had another actor been Robin Hood. I can't think of who right now, but I think there would have been less cheesy-ness to it. Like Jennica said, the story itself is pretty strong.
Okay Heather,
This would be a HUGE stretch but how about Gary Oldman? I know how you feel about his Drak, but he did have a good run in the 90s.
You went and ruined my full-circle wrap-up!
How about Cary Elwes instead of KC? Wait a minute . . that seems familiar.
Actually, I think he could have pulled it off. He has that swashbucklyness - like Errol Flynn.
Gary Oldman and Cary Elwes would be good choices. (Actually, I was thinking Cary Elwes when I headed off to lunch.) Ralph Fiennes was just starting out but he would have had the brooding down. I'm not sure he's much of a swashbuckler though.
I cannot see Ralph as Robin Hood. Maybe a brooding, introspective Robin Hood. But his attempt at action in the Avengers did not go over so well.
Funny you mention Cary Elwes--I can't think of Robin Hood without the Mel Brooks version!
I don't know...I can't really see Gary Oldman in that part. (I looove Dracula for the cheese factor though! And he is pretty good. Probably the only redeeming factor of that movie. And hey, Cary Elwes was in that too!) Are we trying to think of another actor circa 1990 who could have played the part?
I'll have to think about this...I'd like to think of a hot British guy who could have done it. It irritates me when Americans are so frequently cast in British movies. It's not always bad casting--but why must it be done so much? Case in point: They couldn't find two English actresses for the Other Boleyn Girl? They had to cast BOTH Scarlett Johansen and Natalie Portman for the lead roles? (And isn't Eric Bana an Aussie?) As long as they do a good accent, it's not bad, but they don't ALL do good accents. (See: Winona Ryder!)
Heather, by the way--I thought of you last week--Julian Sands is in that new show Lipstick Jungle, playing a media bigwig. The show is not great, but he still looks pretty good!
Ah Julian Sands. "Warlock" was on tv over the weekend. I just had to stop and watch. Cheesy though the movie may be, he is hot.
Yes, I was trying to think of 90s British actors to play Robin Hood. I agree about the casting of Americans in British roles. Of course, people could say the opposite. (I'm thinking of both Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett. Of course, their accents are always brilliant.) That said, no movie is a better example for sticking with Brits than Keanu Reeves. I love him in "Matrix" and "Constantine" but hate him in any period piece.
Obviously, Hugh Grant is the answer - a bumbling, stuttering Robin Hood!
Joseph Fiennes would be better than Ralph, I think.
You know, I was just thinking of Joseph Fiennes. What has happened to him? He hit this huge career high in Shakespeare in Love--where he's not bad!--and then just faded. IMDB shows that he's been working but in really lesser-known stuff. But you're right, he has more vibrancy than Ralph.
Ha ha--Hugh Grant!
Yeah, if they can do a good accent, it's not bad. But it just seems to happen so frequently. And seriously--there isn't a British actress or two who could adequately play the Boleyn sisters? They HAD to use Americans?
I wouldn't have minded seeing a young Colin Firth try Robin Hood back in 1990. He WAS in stuff back then, he just wasn't famous until the mid-90s with P&P.
Hugh Grant...classic! But if Hugh Grant is cast as Robin Hood, why not a Rowan Atkinson cameo too?
I agree totally about hiring Americans with no accents to play Brits. That said, I have no idea who should have been Robin Hood.
Oh, and in a tie in to last week. Paul Dano was recognized in the NY Times Sunday Magazine as one of 2007's Breakthrough Performances.
Oh yeah, Colin Firth was in Valmont - what year was that anyway? I think before the remake - Dangerous Liasons.
He would have been a decent Robin Hood.
Don't be knocking Mr. Bean.
How about Jeremy Irons as Robin Hood? He would have been a bit too old but he could have done it.
Matt, I'll have to check out the article on Paul Dano.
I got dap for Mr. Bean, though Blackadder is the Rowan gold.
Check out Jeremy Irons in Brideshead Revisited, young and hot in 1981. You're right, he might have been a good Robin Hood--maybe a little earlier than '91, though. Has anyone ever watched Brideshead Revisited? I tried once, but God, it's slow.
You're right about Colin Firth. I forgot about Valmont! I actually like that movie better than DL. I think the casting is a bit better. And actually, it came out right after DL ('88/'89). Fun fact: Colin Firth hooked up with whichever Tilly sister was in Valmont, and they had a son together soon after. (it didn't last though)
For all interested parties, the trailer for the new Indiana Jones movie is now out. You can find it on Yahoo. I thought it definitely shows promise. You can only see Karen Allen very briefly, but she is in it. And William Hurt is credited as playing "Abner Ravenwood." I'm not a real expert on Raiders, but wasn't Marion's father mentioned as dead in that movie? If so, that's a promising plot point!
Post a Comment