#183: Carlito's Way

Carlito's Way (1993)
Directed by Brian De Palma
Written by David Koepp
Based on the novel by Edwin Torres
Starring Al Pacino, Penelope Ann Miller, Sean Penn, John Leguizamo, Viggo Mortensen, Luis Guzman.

I'm not one to hate on sequels for the sake of hating a sequel. Most movies should be given a chance to be as good or better than its predecessor. Remakes are the same way. A good movie is a good movie.

But sometimes a movie is released that makes absolutely no sense at all. More than a decade after De Palma's crime masterpiece a prequel called Carlito's Way: Rise to Power was released straight to video relying on the drawing power of Puff Daddy.

Who in their right mind would greenlight that idea? Yeah the market is demanding Puffy star in a prequel to a movie barely anyone remembers, yeah, great business sense. It went right to video so it's in movie purgatory anyway so the mystery behind this movie's existence is even more baffling.

Honestly, Carlito's Way is a great film and it's a shame more people haven't heard of it or seen it. All the gangster wannabe's make Scarface their Pacino film of reference and it's terrible. Come on, have you even watched Scarface all the way through? It's painful. It's long and boring with a few over the top catchphrases near the end. Oh and don't forget the mountain of cocaine, that was pretty stellar. And Cuban Pacino doesn't hold a candle to Puerto-Rican Pacino.

Pacino had more to work with in general on Carlito's Way. No, a coked-out Oliver Stone wasn't penning the script but he had a much better supporting cast and a less bloated run-time. Dave Kleinfeld is the reason I don't think Sean Penn is a hack. Well, he's been good but he's done some trash. I Am Sam was a pandering emotional flick about a handicapped Starbucks employee (redunant?) with a lame soundtrack of mediocre Beatles covers.

And Mystic River was not that good, especially his performance. He had no nuance, it held the emotional water of a bad Panic at the Disco song (redundant again?). He was yelling and crying, that's it.

But he hit one out of the park as a sleazy coke-addled attorney. His look was the inspiration for Ken Rosenberg in GTA: Vice City. Coke-heads aren't just a waste of space after all!

I remember watching this for the first time as a teenager. Mom and dad used to rent a bunch of old rentals at Video Stop (now Movie Experts). It's because of this that I was exposed to Goodfellas and other violent movies that most parents wouldn't let their kids watch at the time. My folks understoond the concept of context. They explained to me clearly that just because it was a movie didn't mean I should behave like the monsters portrayed on screen.

"No shit, I'm not an idiot!"

In hindsight I could have used a little more tact when coming up with a response. But my parents, whether they realize it or not are largely responsible for my love of film because of watching $1.00 rentals on the weekends when I was 12 or 13. Because of Goodfellas and Carlito's Way, I watched the Coen Brothers and Kubrick. And even though I could distinguish good storytelling from bad, I was also impressed by Penelope Ann Miller's nude scene. What can I say, for a 13-year-old to see any kind of boobs it's exciting...and awkward in the presence of family.

This American Life...listen to it!

As my university career comes to an end I have been wondering exactly why I had chosen journalism as the major of my eight-year BA. After several false starts I enrolled at St. Thomas University in Fredericton in a pursuit to be a professional writer, or in a more exciting title, a professional storyteller.

While in recent months my desire to be a journalist has waned a bit, my desire to tell stories is as strong as it has ever been. My first year class with Michael Camp focused on great storytellers and the eras of strong journalism specifically. From the war years to the civil rights movement to Watergate, etc. Writers like Tom Wolfe, Ernie Pyle, Hunter S. Thompson inspired me and caused my general exuberance regarding writing.

The biggest problem is it seemed like we were studying history as opposed to current events, which are the core of journalism. My detachment is understandable considering my feeling that my colleagues and I were entering a world where we would be stuck reporting on procedural happenings like the courts and council meetings.

Until recently, this still seemed like the most likely way of achieving my goal and it wasn't very appealing. Philip Lee showed us a documentary from The Wire detailing the death of newspapers.

"Great," I thought. "I have chosen the hindenburg equivalent of a career."

Then a couple weeks later -- yesterday -- he showed us a brief clip from the television version of This American Life. My friend Veda Stelmanis had told me about the show and its host Ira Glass. She told me it was the best show or one of the best -- I really should avoid hyperbole as much as I use it.

The clip he showed was about inner city kids in North Philadelphia who owned and trained horses. They rode horses throughout Philadelphia. It was beautiful and deliberate. The clip wasn't put together with quick cuts, it was picturesque.

I went online. This American Life has radio podcasts available for free download and I have placed links at the bottom of this page. Check it out for humour, information and even just a way to kill an hour in a semi-productive way.

Also, in case you didn't notice, I have a pod-list of Definitely Not the Opera there as well from CBC. Another good way to kill some time through entertainment and information. Shows like this have rejuvenated my desire to tell stories, but not necessarily in a journalistic forum although it is no longer ruled out either.

Enjoy.

#184: Night on Earth

Night on Earth (1991)
Written and Directed by Jim Jarmusch
Starring Winona Ryder, Gena Rowlands, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Giancarlo Esposito, Rosie Perez, Isaach De Bankole, Roberto Benigni
Original music by Tom Waits

Jim Jarmusch is an odd duck. A very creative and sometimes off-putting odd duck. I can easily see why his films are not everyone's cup of tea. They don't have a strict narrative in cases like this and Coffee and Cigarettes or they move slowly focusing more on character instead of plot.

Jarmusch is certainly a virtuosic filmmaker. His work is hard to swallow and to this day he has not made a film designed for the popcorn munching crowd. Some could call him elitist or snooty, but his films are undeniably fascinating whether you like them or find them to be pretentious drivel.

Night on Earth was a great experience. Because I was a fan of his more recent work I ordered Night on Earth from the Criterion collection website last summer when I had a job and thought I would have disposable income for a while.

"Why not invest in my film collection?" I asked.

So I ponied up the cash and waited.

Working at the newspaper, I didn't exactly have fixed hours when I had to be working. If nothing is going on or nothing is scheduled we didn't have to be at the office non-stop to save face with management. At the time, the arts scene in Woodstock was one of my main beats. Like any arts scene, what was going on usually happened at night.

My afternoons were filled by reading at Fusion (the local coffee shop where a bunch of live music happens, usually on Saturdays) and watching movies. Night on Earth was a pleasant surprise. It's really five movies taking place in the same night in five different taxis across the globe.

Two in the USA -- LA and New York, so they might as well be different countries -- one in Paris, Rome and Helsinki. The beauty in the film is Jarmusch doesn't just put a jumble of comedic stories together. They're all slices of life but none are quite like the one preceding it.

The best of the five is the Helsinki short. It's tragic and moving without the melodrama that ruins many of the mainstream big budget tear-fests. It works so well because the characters are realistic and earnest and it bookends the lighter fare.

As we delve deeper into the night across the globe as the viewer the subject matter gets deeper and has more weight to it. There is a progression like any night or any week or any lifetime. This film lives and breathes with its characters.

The setting of the taxi cab is particularly effective because we take the role of passenger. I'm sure you've all been in a cab. And since you've been in a cab you've likely had a conversation with a cab driver. I bet it was at least interesting if not a bit disturbing.

In the spirit of the film I will share two quick cabbie stories...neither of which happened while I was in a cab but a cab driver was involved. Both involve my friend Garrett.

A few winters ago I was in Halifax. Garrett and I went to Bayer's Lake for a double feature. I think it was when The Ring came out or something, but that was October 2002, and I'm pretty sure this happened in February 2003. In any case we get out of Bayer's Lake and it's late, close to midnight. We think the buses are done but we see one coming around the corner.

We raced for that sucker and just barely got on and paid the fare. I think he paid the fare for both of us because I had no change on me. One of my worst habits is using my debit card for everything.

The bus took us to two stops and the driver turned around and said "end of the line." The bus had taken us farther away from the end destination of Seymour Street in the city so we were left with a choice, hoof it or cab it. I discovered I had left my gloves in the movie theatre but we decided to walk anyway. I had this irrational fear of cab drivers at the time, don't ask me why.

So we walked through Mount St. Vincent University. The air was deathly calm and the mid February night was chilly but there was no wind. On the bare tree branches surrounding the campus were hugs black clouds. Well, they weren't clouds. The branches were full of crows. I was a bit uneasy when I said "a murder of crows" so we hustled out of there.

After two hours of walking and some getting lost in some shady looking neighbourhoods -- Halifax can be a daunting place late at night -- we finally reached a familiar territory, Quinpool Road. Walking down a side street parallel to Oxford I saw a parked cab with a cabbie sitting in the front seat leaning back. As Garrett and I walked closer we saw a girl's head pop up from the cabbie's lap and she got out of the car and ran into the house it was parked in front of.

I smiled at the driver and gave him the thumbs up. He turned on the car and drove away. Nothing like catching a cabbie collecting payment orally.

The second story is from just over a month ago when I was in Halifax again, this time for my friend Bill's wedding. I agreed to help Garrett take some sound equipment to the hotel where the wedding was being held. Garrett was doing sound and taking care of the music but had no car, so I decided to help him avoid cabs for the day. Yeah, sure.

The street where the hotel is on is narrow. There was a parked cab in front of the hotel and I was coming from the opposite direction. To park legally I would either have to drive around the block and come in the opposite side or do an illegal u-turn in the narrow street. I elected for the u-turn.

I thought if I pulled the nose of my car in behind the cab and backed up we'd have time. I swung nose first in and then the cab started backing up. If I tried to swing out it would have caused a bit of damage to both of us. I honked at the last second and he bumped my fender. I backed out.

Then out out of the cab climbs this 6'6" monster of a man with a scowl to match. He looks at his bumper and looks at me and nods. I roll down my window and ask "we good?" He nodded again and got in his cab and drove away. I drove around the block and came in the opposite side.

In any case, watch Night on Earth and think about interesting encounters you've had with cab drivers. Share them with me if you like.

#185 & 186: The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Directed by James Cameron
Written by James Cameron with Gale Anne Hurd (T1) and William Wisher Jr (T2)
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Robert Patrick, Edward Furlong

Basically, I can't decide which Terminator film I prefer. They're completely different styles and one will be more suitable depending on what mood you are in.

Somehow I escaped high school without seeing either one. I remember being in Halifax my first year of university and a few of my friends were talking about Terminator 2. The specifics of the conversation are lost, but they focused their attention on me.

"What did you think" or "remember that, wasn't that awesome?"

I shuffled in my seat a bit, embarrassed that I had never seen either movie.

"Actually I haven't watched it."

No one said anything right away, they looked at each other and I didn't know if they were going to laugh, cry or hit me. Eventually, I think it was Bill who said "well damn, we have to watch it right now."

"Well shouldn't we watch the first one first?"

"You haven't seen that one either?"

I shook my head. What followed was basically me being tied to a chair not allowed to leave until I had seen both movies. It's probably why, despite the differences between the two movies, I consider them to be one. The memory of that night is so strong, not from specifics but from the interactions and the joking friendship that are connected to a night so simple.

All we did was watch a couple of movies and I was accosted at first because they couldn't believe I had gone a full 17 years of life without seeing these movies. From the dank and noir-like part one to the bright and action packed part two, the Terminator movies will always be close to my heart. And despite Titanic, James Cameron is one of the best filmmakers of all time.

All right... Titanic wasn't the worst movie but I still never want to see it again. But give me some Terminator (not the show or part 3) and we'll roll.

(note: a similar showdown happened when this same group of friends found out I had never seen RoboCop. Those movies must be the most watched R-rated movies by kids and somehow I missed out. Probably because I was busy watching gangster movies like The Godfather and Goodfellas. I was a warped child, I had many enthusiasms.)

Let's hit the road!

Okay, it's November. The days are shorter and the darkness is engulfing everything. It's no shock that by 9:00 pm it's pitch black out, but you can't see a thing at 5:30 anymore! Soon the snow will hit and we'll all be going stir crazy. There is only one surefire solution to the growing anxiety and stress of the season.

Escape!

My good buddy and pal Horatio Faust and I are planning a road trip in my trusty automobile, a Cabrio nobly named Rocinante. Where we will travel, we do not know, but it is not the destination that makes the voyage. You see the destination is only a section of the greater whole. It is a neccessity, but it should represent equal value with the rest of the trip.

When planning a road trip I am of the opinion that it should have a very loose itinerary. Set nothing in stone and leave pretty much everything up for debate and make it easy to change at the drop of a hat. If you plan on going to Toronto and you meet someone suggesting a side trip to New York instead, why say no to an impromptu adventure?

It's time that I put my desires to rest and act upon them. Reading On the Road, The Catcher in the Rye, Death in the Afternoon, Tropic of Cancer among other books has driven me nearly mad with curiosity and an inherent need to see more of the world than I have. The solution is to simply do it.

So Horatio and I will embark on a journey, hopefully to last a week. We do not know exactly where the road will take us but it will whisper the direction into our ears and our minds as the days go by. The road is life dear travelers, let us discover it together.

#187: Predator

Predator (1987)
Directed by John McTiernan
Written by John and Jim Thomas
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Elpida Carrillo, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura.

This begins the leg of Ahnuld flicks. Three in a row on the countdown to basically prove my everlasting love for Arnold Schwarzenegger and everything he has done in the realm of action movies.

If there are only three Arnie movies on here, it's probably fairly obvious what the next two will be, but what's important is you realize the magnitude of what this guy brought to cinema. He is a musclebound mongoloid, or at least he seemed to be, probably why politics ended up being his game later on. It pains me to not include Conan the Barbarian on this list because it is in the same league as Predator, but just not quite up to snuff.

Predator was the first Arnold movie I saw, well the first one that had any lasting impact. Kindergarten Cop was trash and I knew it as a child. True Lies was pretty good, but not great. Predator cut out the crap and sent a troupe of bad asses into the jungle to battle an unstoppable foe. Set it up with a bit of exposition and character development and then hit the audience with everything you've got.

Granted, Arnie wasn't required to do much in the way of acting, but when has he? The Predator is just a cool villain and a fun action flick that requires no thought to watch. Elitists should take a minute and reflect and just try to have a good time at the movies for once. It's all about balance.

The one-liners rule all. Jesse Ventura is actually better than Arnold in that department despite limited screen time.

"I ain't got time to bleed." and "Bunch of slack-jawed faggots in here! This stuff will make you a god-damned sexual Tyrannosaurus, just like me."

The effects aren't quite up to the level of today, but I loved the 80s because filmmakers were forced to use makeup and props and innovation to create their creatures. There is something soulless in CGI monsters. This version of the Predator is the best you'll find.

#188: Boyz N The Hood

Boyz N the Hood (1991)
Written and Directed by John Singleton
Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett, Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Regina King.


A few years ago, journalism became the focal point of my life. I consumed everything I could get my hands on to further my understanding of the world, give my point of view added perspective. I read about Vietnam, the Holocaust, Watergate and the Civil Rights Movement.

The thing about journalism for the most part is the story-teller is often distanced from the story itself. It's professionalism. It's objectivity. And in some cases it fails to tell a story properly, sometimes emotion and understanding are necessary for the story to have impact even if it shows a slight bias.

John Singleton essentially filmed a documentary but it was scripted and acted. Everything in Boyz N The Hood stems from what he witnessed in California. He was 23 when he directed it and he was telling the story from fresh eyes.

It's almost Shakespearean in a way watching Tre (Gooding) struggle against what his gangster friends are falling into -- their pre-determined spot in poverty and gang violence -- and what his father Furious (Fishburne) preaches to him about rising above it.

Yes it's about race, but -- and pardon the pun -- it's not just black and white. This is about the cycle of violence. It's a mature concept tackled professionally by a young first-time director. Furious speaks to the point that it had gone beyond racism and the cycle had been completed and inner city African American kids were slowly sliding into violent lives and their kids were too. These people fought other gangs, and those gangs were made up of people very similar in life cycles. On an individual basis a decision is needed in order to get out. This is Tre's dilemma; escape and abandon his friends or join him and eventually kill or be killed.

Boyz n the Hood is a phenomenal film. It's got strong performances, a good script and a clear and crisp message with force behind it. It's never convoluted, it just simply is what it is. Almost like a documentary.

#189: A Fish Called Wanda

A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
Directed by Charles Crichton
Written by John Cleese
Starring John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin

"Asshole!"

Otto is hilarious. Kevin Kline as sophisticated as he has been and as clean cut as he appears in some of his films, he shines brightest in the absurd, idiotic characters like Otto. He's not the only reason A Fish Called Wanda is a great movie, but without his iconic moron, it might not have made the grade.

The vignettes with Michael Palin as a stuttering buffoon provide nice breaks from the central plot and Cleese and Curtis provide their own share of laughs through their awkward romance, but it is Kline that holds it all together.

A Fish Called Wanda has elements of every style of comedy, whether it's dry, slapstick, witty, etc. I don't want to get hoity toity with my analysis, but it's a different kind of comedy than Caddyshack for instance.

I originally caught it on a Sunday afternoon in high school playing on A&E. Chuckled a few times and never thought much of it. The next time I saw it was without commercials but still on television. It was one day when I either didn't have class or I skipped them. Might have been inebriated in one way shape or form... but I digress.

It was a revelation. It was sharp, funny and entertaining. It was unable to achieve its full effect before due to censorship and commercials, two of the most purely evil inventions of the human race. In it's true form, A Fish Called Wanda is phenomenal. If you catch it on tv, be sure it's on a movie channel and not basic cable where a term like "asshole" will be dubbed into "jerk" by some guy who sounds nothing like Kevin Kline.

#190: A Simple Plan

A Simple Plan (1998)
Directed by Sam Raimi
Written by Scott B. Smith based on his novel
Starring Bill Paxton, Bridget Fonda, Billy Bob Thornton, Brent Briscoe, Gary Cole.



A couple years ago my criminology professor played A Simple Plan in class. To this day, her reasoning is unclear and no one really paid attention in class, which was a shame. It's Raimi's most mature and developed film he's ever made.

Similar in basic premise to the Coen's No Country For Old Men it asks what someone would do if he or she found a bunch of money in the woods with no one around. Sure, immediately you'd think it's so easy just to take it and no one would ever know, but then you wouldn't have much of a movie on your hands. Pretty much just a masturbatory fantasy of escaping responsibility.

This is a bleak film. And some people hate bleak, for much of the same reason why I love it. Movies aren't just about escaping to a magical happy world. A Simple Plan could happen. It takes place in a small town where everyone knows one another. Those who find the money have managed their lives without it for so long but when it enters the equation, it drives obsession and madness into the quiet life of the small town between three acquaintances.

It's a slow burn of a movie, with communication falling between the lines of dialogue. How Hank looks at his brother or wife conveys more of his intentions than what he says. It's a great performance by the underrated Paxton.

Raimi may be bogged down as the director of the Spider-Man movies now, but he has a style and an eye for detail that will be noticed again. He made a couple great superhero movies and one terrible one and is on the verge of starting a fourth. If only he would return to his bread and butter of horror or subtle thrillers. Go low budget Sammy!

Have you seen A Simple Plan? It seems to be a forgotten gem now. It came about to solid reviews but is rarely mentioned in the same breath as the other great films from the 90s. 1998 was a great year for cinema, and if you haven't seen this one yet, do yourself a favour.