Apocalypse Later

Shit. You're mad, aren't you? I don't blame you. I totally proved that all dreams are, in fact, lies. I didn't finish the AFI Top 100 before the end of 2012, so of course, neither did any of you. Well, you better not have. So that's it. Everyone go home. Party's over. I threw up in the punch bowl and someone's slow dancing with a coat rack. Or does that mean the REAL party is just getting started? Confused? I don't blame you. But you really need to learn to focus, you know that, don't you? Anyways, let's get it all sorted.

I'd be honored to throw up in this.

At the beginning of 2012, I decided I was going to write for one hour each day. I had this blog, became a Yelp Elite member, and carried a list of at least 10-15 ideas that could be written, some even filmed, and eventually sent off to various festivals and competitions. Alas, 2012 was a year of wayward commitment (to put it kindly). Distractions came and went, but they remained just that - distractions. I've been a big baby filled with excuses that are charged by self-pity, insecurity, fear, and laziness. Who am I kidding? I'm still that big baby, but I'm working at it. Time to suck it up and be happy because everything will be OK and that's all there is to it. Well, not all, but you get it.

Now what? Along with last year's projects, I will also be contributing to Girl Town, another blog started by a couple friends, that you should totally check out. Joining this blog forced me to get my shit together and create a writing schedule since I will be on a schedule for them. They aren't strict, but I have to have rules or I'll just drink tea from my bunny mug without pants while I watch Murder, She Wrote. I also figured out that various & sundry is going to be where I get personal and geeky. Obviously my AFI Top 100 journey fits in perfectly here.

Maybe this proclamation is not very important to you. In fact, you might be comatose by now. I can dig that. BUT it was important for me to get it on here so I can come to this blog almost every Sunday (hey, old habits like procrastination and laziness die hard) and know what type of content I'm going for. Stressing over that question has caused me to procrastinate far too much so THIS ENDS NOW. I wish I had a Gandalf staff and a windy New Zealand mountain top to shout that from. Although, a walking stick and a big fan would give it just as much drama.

Effective proclamation sans Gandalf staff or dramatic winds.

Anyways, join me Sunday where I will discuss my experience watching Apocalypse Now for the first time since I was eight. Yes, you read that correctly. Eight years old. Oh yeah, baby, I got some yarns to spin for ya. At some point, we'll get back on the AFI train, but we'll get to it when we get to it. We have schedules, but this is neither Nazi Germany, nor present day, non-Nazi Germany train station scheduling, so chill out.



flowers & sunshine & proclamations,
bunny

Soup's On!: Duck Soup

Before we get rolling onto the next installment of my AFI journey, let's start things off with some honesty: 1) This is NOT being posted one week after the last Butch Cassidy post 2) At this rate I am never going to make my resolution by the end of the year aka all dreams are lies. So I'm going to be way better about this if that is cool with you. Bon apetit!

Duck Soup (1933)
Director: Leo McCarey
Writers: Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, Arthur Sheekman, Nat Perrin
Main Actors: The Four Marx Brothers (Groucho, Harpo, Chico & Zeppo)
Synopsis: Rufus T. Firefly is named president of bankrupt Freedonia and declares war on neighboring Sylvania to win the love (and money) of Mrs. Teasdale.
AFI #60

Kneejerk Reaction: I giggled and guffawed the whole way through. I realized I probably saw this movie as a kid since my parents were huge Marx Brothers fans, only this time I was able to catch the satire. Although I'm certain my dad explained it all to two-year old me at the time which explains a lot about who I am. Anyways, the movie was clever, it was fun and nobody rattles off a fast, deadpan one-liner like Groucho.

High Points: The movie switches between Groucho & Zeppo, the president and his straight man secretary, and Chico & Harpo, the spies. It's a perfect balance between the steady stream of jokes and slapstick, with the running gags getting funnier every time. Whenever Chico and Harpo meet a new character, like the ambassador or the merchant, I die. When Groucho is looking in the "mirror"? Holy crap. This is comedy gold, people! Gold! 

Why I Think It's On the Top 100: The Marx Brothers had a huge impact on comedy and this film in particular is so smart in its criticism of government and people that it is not your run-of-the-mill comedy filled with cheap laughs. Well, there are cheap laughs, but they move from joke to joke so seamlessly that the movie is a masterpiece even without the social commentary.

Geek-Out Scale: I'd say you could be at about a 5 on the Geek-Out Scale (1 = From Justin to Kelly is your favorite movie and 10 = you watched Intolerance everyday for a week and then gave a Power Point to your nearest and dearest. For fun.) If you love comedy this is a great place to see where a lot of your contemporary favorites got inspired but you will also be in for a treat if you love The Three Stooges, Laurel & Hardy or Abbott and Costello. If you haven't seen any of them, then there really is no hope for you, is there? 

When Will I See You Again?: I have been putting this movie on every time I sit down to write this post and just had to pause it because I kept getting distracted and wanting to watch it instead of write. So..... soon? Also, I just realized I fit my description of a 10 on the Geek-Out Scale (although Duck Soup is MUCH easier to swallow than Intolerance, am I right?! "No one else cares about Intolerance," you say? "Sit down, geek," you say? But wait, you WILL care about Intolerance if you keep reading my AFI posts muhahaha!!)


All right, lassies and lads. Hope you enjoyed this snack about Duck Soup. Let me know if you watch it and what you think, what you want me to watch next, etc. Please feel free to keep track of my progress on the Top 100 here. And make sure to throw virtual tomatoes if I make you wait too long for the next one. I am going to be in Mexico next week so expect the next post the second week of October!



soupy sales & flowers & sunshine,
bunny 

Rootin' Tootin': Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

One of my New Year's resolutions I have botched time and time again is viewing every movie on the AFI Top 100. Just in case you're as big of a nerd as I am about this kind of stuff, let me clarify it is the original list, not the laughs or thrills, etc. Oh yeah, those exist, too. But I digress.

This year I have finally been making some real, dedicated headway on the AFI resolution and I figure someone out there might be interested to know my thoughts on the classics as I view them for the first time. I am a film fanatic, but I can simultaneously view a movie analytically and for the sheer joy of it. I can see what qualifies it as a classic while honestly admitting if it's one I will watch more than once. I'll even make sure to tell you just how geeked out you'll need to be to enjoy it. Along the way, feel free to give me questions to consider or suggest which movie I should watch next. But without further ado...


Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Director: George Roy Hill
Writer: William Goldman
Main Actors: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross
Synopsis: Two Western bank and train robbers head for Bolivia when the law gets too close.
AFI #73

Kneejerk Reaction: From beginning to end, I was entertained. I had seen the ending a million times in school and I still never tire of it. The script is impeccable; I dream of writing as well as William Goldman with his mix of understated wit and heartbreaking honesty about the human condition. Hill is a master when it comes to directing and this is one of his crown jewels. Beautiful scenery and shots.

High Points: This is a tough one, but I love the opening, with the silent short film about the infamous Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, when Butch and Etta play around on the bicycle, when Butch and Sundance are chased through the desert, Butch, Sundance & Etta's old timey photos of their adventures, the montage of them robbing in Bolivia and, of course, the end. Can we all agree I am terrible at picking high points? I basically loved the whole movie. Sheesh.

Why I Think It's On the Top 100: Hill and Goldman take a classic genre and add some humor and life while making social commentary that goes beyond 1969: aging, feeling disconnected from a changing world and unable to keep up anymore/not wanting to, the evolution of technology, film, storytelling and history, the complicated nature of human relationships, the microscopic line between "good" and "bad" and probably many more I haven't thought of yet. If you have seen this movie, is there anything you think I am missing?

Geek-Out Scale: I would say you need to be at about a 6 (10 being you could watch silent films for a day and be entertained). It isn't as long as some classics and as I said, the music, cast, writing and scenery are lovely. If you are a little wary, trust me and be open to it because I promise it is not the dry and boring classic that you might be imagining. It was made in 1969 which was an incredibly exciting time for filmmaking. The Production Code had just been lifted in 1968, so subject matters like sex and violence were no longer implied. Filmmakers could openly discuss and show these things and got really experimental with it. This one is not super gory or sexy, but they are not hiding anything like old school Westerns did. So if you are on the fence about classics, the 60s and 70s are a good place to start!

When Will I See You Again?: I'm ready to see this one again so I can fully absorb what I saw the first time. In fact, I might just buy this movie.


There you go. That's all I really needed to get off my brain. Hopefully that wasn't too painful. I promise I am not writing up my thoughts to be a pretentious asshole. If anything, these posts are more for me than anyone else. I love everything about movies and this is just a way for me to expel all the emotions and excitement I experience after I see a really good movie (even a so-so movie!). And who knows, maybe I can inspire some doubters out there to take a look at not only the classics, but every movie they watch. So please! Let me know what you think, if you've seen it, where I am wrong, where I am amazing and perfect. I love discussing and want this to be a place for that.

Stay tuned - the next breakdown will be posted soon! Wondering what movies I have seen so far? Click here and check my progress!





flowers & sunshine & those Saturday Night at the Movies feelings,
bunny

AFI TOP 100 - bunny checklist

I have challenged myself to watch all of the movies on the AFI Top 100. You have successfully reached the post where I will keep track of my progress. If you think I should update this frequently, turn to page 130. If you think I should drunkenly swim in my pool and anger my cop neighbor, turn to page 10. Update frequently? Then click on the link at the end of each screening post so you can come back and help me decide what to watch next. Also, please don't judge me - I know there are movies on here that the most basic movie lover has watched a million times and I have yet to see. Keep in mind, some I saw so long ago that I don't remember them or I have only seen parts, etc. Yes. Lay off. This is SUPPOSED to be fun. Don't ruin it for the rest of us. Jerk.

Color Guide:

WATCHED

NOT WATCHED

AFI Top 100

1	CITIZEN KANE	1941
2	THE GODFATHER	1972
3	CASABLANCA	1942
4	RAGING BULL	1980
5	SINGIN' IN THE RAIN	1952
6	GONE WITH THE WIND	1939
7	LAWRENCE OF ARABIA	1962
8	SCHINDLER'S LIST	1993
9	VERTIGO	1958
10	THE WIZARD OF OZ	1939
11	CITY LIGHTS	1931
12	THE SEARCHERS	1956
13	STAR WARS	1977
14	PSYCHO	1960
15	2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY	1968
16	SUNSET BLVD.	1950
17	THE GRADUATE	1967
18	THE GENERAL	1927
19	ON THE WATERFRONT	1954
20	IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE	1946
21	CHINATOWN	1974
22	SOME LIKE IT HOT	1959
23	THE GRAPES OF WRATH	1940
24	E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL	1982
25	TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD	1962
26	MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON	1939
27	HIGH NOON	1952
28	ALL ABOUT EVE	1950
29	DOUBLE INDEMNITY	1944
30	APOCALYPSE NOW	1979
31	THE MALTESE FALCON	1941
32	THE GODFATHER PART II	1974
33	ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST	1975
34	SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS	1937
35	ANNIE HALL	1977
36	THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI	1957
37	THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES	1946
38	THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE	1948
39	DR. STRANGELOVE	1964
40	THE SOUND OF MUSIC	1965
41	KING KONG	1933
42	BONNIE AND CLYDE	1967
43	MIDNIGHT COWBOY	1969
44	THE PHILADELPHIA STORY	1940
45	SHANE	1953
46	IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT	1934
47	A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE	1951
48	REAR WINDOW	1954
49	INTOLERANCE	1916
50	THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING	2001
51	WEST SIDE STORY	1961
52	TAXI DRIVER	1976
53	THE DEER HUNTER	1978
54	M*A*S*H	1970
55	NORTH BY NORTHWEST	1959
56	JAWS	1975
57	ROCKY	1976
58	THE GOLD RUSH	1925
59	NASHVILLE	1975
60	DUCK SOUP	1933
61	SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS	1941
62	AMERICAN GRAFFITI	1973
63	CABARET	1972
64	NETWORK	1976
65	THE AFRICAN QUEEN	1951
66	RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK	1981
67	WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?	1966
68	UNFORGIVEN	1992
69	TOOTSIE	1982
70	A CLOCKWORK ORANGE	1971
71	SAVING PRIVATE RYAN	1998
72	THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION	1994
73	BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID	1969
74	THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS	1991
75	IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT	1967
76	FORREST GUMP	1994
77	ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN	1976
78	MODERN TIMES	1936
79	THE WILD BUNCH	1969
80	THE APARTMENT	1960
81	SPARTACUS	1960
82	SUNRISE	1927
83	TITANIC	1997
84	EASY RIDER	1969
85	A NIGHT AT THE OPERA	1935
86	PLATOON	1986
87	12 ANGRY MEN	1957
88	BRINGING UP BABY	1938
89	THE SIXTH SENSE	1999
90	SWING TIME	1936
91	SOPHIE'S CHOICE	1982
92	GOODFELLAS	1990
93	THE FRENCH CONNECTION	1971
94	PULP FICTION	1994
95	THE LAST PICTURE SHOW	1971
96	DO THE RIGHT THING	1989
97	BLADE RUNNER	1982
98	YANKEE DOODLE DANDY	1942
99	TOY STORY	1995
100	BEN-HUR	1959

There are more lists broken down into genres and best of each genre, but I have only challenged myself to see all the ones listed on the AFI Top 100: 10th Anniversary list. Once I am done with the list, maybe I'll go back and watch the ones I had already watched before I challenged myself to see the rest, but let's cross that bridge (On the River Kwai?!) when we come to it. Enjoy!

flowers & sunshine, 

bunny