ugh...why?

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013)

Noms: Makeup and Hairstyling

Why I watched it:

1) I've had the DVD from Netflix since before this year's ceremony and I only just got up the wherewithal to actually watch it

I can't believe the Academy made me watch this. I had never seen a Jackass movie before, and all my reservations were completely confirmed. The only reason I think I could even stomach the whole thing was that my roommates were watching and sharing in my horror.

I laughed a few times, mostly at the candid reactions of the people caught on camera. Johnny Knoxville as the Grandpa, the kid, and all the other actors did nothing for me. The scenes between them were painful. Not just for the acting/writing, but the production. Why during a scene that's supposed to be awkwardly silent would they be playing an upbeat song? The kid even asked if they could turn on the radio and was told no, yet there was a soundtrack. This negated the silence that was supposedly the point of the scene!

There were many moments when I turned to my roommate to say something like "I think I understand why I hate this movie..." My issue can basically be boiled down to the fact that they were making a movie to pull prankson unsuspecting people, but tried to give it an actual plot. It so obvious that everything Irving (the Grandpa) did was to purposefully punk people, but it was obvious that it was the actor behind the makeup driving the decisions not the character. Some of the pranks contradicted earlier pranks as plot points or character choices. I would probably have hated the movie less if the plot was mostly removed and it was all pranks. So many pranks were clearly leading to a confrontation, but seldom was that shown (the producers likely stepped in before the cops were called/a fight broke out), but no effort was made to explain the lack of them. Just one line saying "I'm glad we were able to get out of that by (insert ANY reason here)" would have made it work so much better for me. Did the fastfood worker go out to meet him? What was the outcome of the shoplifting and penguin arguments? It just cuts away before the interesting thing would happen.

I did have a favorite moment though. Near the end, when Billy (the kid) enters a children's beauty pageant. The talent section is AMAZING! That boy actually made a very pretty little girl, and quite a dancer. It was one of the few moments when both the prank and the reactions were hysterical. It almost made the whole thing worthwhile.

And I should say, grudgingly, that the makeup was pretty good on Johnny Knoxville. Especially in its ability to withstand scrutiny of being up close and personal with real people. Plus, all the crazy shit he does while wearing it and it doesn't come undone. Maybe that's why some of the scenes were cut short.

This movie made me appreciate how the movies I usually watch (read: good movies) are made.

"da fuh?": ummmmmm.....everything?

Surprise appearance: Apparently Catherine Keener played the dead wife - why?!

Next up: I have Tron: Legacy at home, but need to watch Tron first

Two-fer part 2

American History X (1998)

Nom: Actor (Edward Norton)

Why I watched it:

1) They had it at the blood clinic when I went to donate

2) I forgot to bring a movie of my own and the choice was between this and Savages

3) People have been telling me I need to see this one. Savages will have to wait.

I had some pretty visceral reactions to this one. So many shocking moments of brutality and hatred. I was warned going in by my phlebotamist, and she kept an eye on me throughout to see my reactions. She and a coworker even joined me in watching in the scene where they show Derek Vinyard's (Norton's) arrest after the most gruesome moment - the scene pictured above actually.

Norton's performance is so powerful and the shift he makes is so complete and convincing, it is amazing to watch. The non-linear story telling, enhanced by the use of black and white, really helps to get all aspects of the situation and spread the shock of Vinyard's crime. The look on his face in this scene is terrifying, but by the end I almost cried along with him.

The score. Fantastic! My favorite moment of scoring was in the celebration following the basketball game. It's already unsettling, but the score is triumphant and grandiose. The music echoes the inner life of the white supremacists: they could not be prouder of what they have just done. The score aids in the storytelling in such an interesting way, I found myself thinking throughout.

I feel a little weird saying it, but I loved this movie. It was hard to watch, but in a really great way. The aspects of race politics brought up are so important to keep talking about. I loved that it wasn't just the outright awful racism of the white supremacists, but also some of the structurally racist parts of modern society that perpetuate stereotypes. Lamont's story of why he is in prison for a six-year sentence for stealing a TV was a brief but powerful moment for me and Norton's character. It's one thing to see statistics on the numbers of black men who serve time in prison; it is very different when you realize the disparity in sentencing between races.

Suprise appearance: I saw "Stacy Keach" as one of the names in the credits, then when I saw him I realized that he was the asshole from Nebraska. He's even more despicable in this one. He's clearly good ad that. Also, I had to look up the name, but Ethan Suplee is a very familiar face from all sorts of movies (he's Derek's overweight friend). The moment he has with the jelly beans was both disgusting and incredibly sad.

Did I cry?: Weirdly enough, I almost did several times. Seeing that much hatred overwhelmed me and the tears started to well up.

Next up: Roommate and I are planning to watch Bad Grandpa tonight....oh boy....

(I tried to post both of today's movies as one post, but I could not get the formatting to work with the pictures :(....)

Two-fer

Venus (2006)

Noms: Actor (Peter O'Toole)

Why I watched it:

1) I'd never seen one of Peter O"Toole's Oscar nominated roles (shocker)

2) I noticed it while looking through the DVDs at the library

Honestly, as much as this movie was billed as a comedy, I found it predominantly upsetting and sad. Don't get me wrong, Peter O'Toole is amazing and plays his character with a lot of heart, but the content and his actions towards the titular Venus made me really uncomfortable. He's kind of a dirty old man. I understand that he becomes impotent in the course of the film and trying to find avenues to express his sexuality, but how he uses the young impressionable girl (who might not be of age....I'm not sure how old she's supposed to be - definitely really young though) is just bizarre to me, especially when there is his estranged (?) wife in the mix. Venus herself doesn't help matters by feeding into his desires. It squicked me out.

Also, my sadness was partially brought on from the knowledge that this was Peter O'Toole's final nomination that made him the most nominated actor to never win in a competitive category (he was awarded for Lifetime Achievement). He is so wonderful on screen - I've loved seeing him in everything I've seen thus far and look forward to the next one (maybe Becket as mentioned re: Richard Burton). Parts of movie are a reflection on what it means to be an aging actor: playing a "corpse", losing notoriety, and health getting in the way of performance. It was hard for me not to map the experiences of the character onto the actor himself due to his recent passing last year. 

As melancholic as it made me, the relationships of the older characters alone would have been enjoyable enough for me to watch. I wanted to know more about Maurice's (O'Toole's) friends and his relationship with his wife.

Surprise appearances: Richard Griffiths (RIP) was one of Maurice's best friends and Vanessa Redgrave played his wife. Both were such a pleasant surprise. I LOVE Vanessa Redgrave in everything she does. She belongs to the elite group of older British ladies that make any movie they're in immediately better: the others being Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, and Helen Mirren.

"da fuh?" Did not expect to see Maurice getting a colonoscopy

Confession: I was so not involved in the Venus part of the story that I was fighting sleep while watching. After rewinding a couple of moments I missed, I went to bed and continued it the next morning.