View Brock's second student film, starring me, here. Through the last two films, I've discovered I have a mannerism. It shall die.
I'll host this one for about a week, then I'll put up Brock's class project Pantomiming, starring real actors.
6. Willy Wonka
You know him as the crazy man in the top hat. Rogue candy-maker, Willy Wonka, was a notable children’s literary figure before he was ever a film character. But it was with this movie in 1971 that the character earned widespread recognition. Willy Wonka from that point on was a memorable character to nearly anyone to place his or her glance on his visage. Many people have suggested that it was his colorful attire that prompted this recognition, and still others suggest that it was the bizarre nature of the movie itself that cemented him in viewer’s minds. But recently, most attribute his iconic nature to Gene Wilder’s uncanny performance.
If you’re looking for dark undertones, look no further. Willy Wonka seemed drenched in them. When he wasn’t coyly stringing his pint-sized contestant winners along, he was grimly alluding to moral hubris and inbred greed. He was a child’s character that took a few moments to address the unreality of his film in a very creepy manner. These dramatic underpinnings coupled with the character’s natural mannerisms have engrained him in most everyone’s mind. Not everyone may recognize all of the characters on this list, but I’d wager that everyone would know who Willy Wonka is. And that’s the true success and iconic status of the character. Poor Depp - here is to hoping he fairs well. He’s taking on an icon himself.
5. James Bond
James Bond almost didn’t make the cut. This is mostly because of the atrociously bad presence his films have had on the industry lately. Sure, they make a plethora of money, but they’re just terrible films. But, I had to give the character sway, especially since I considered his truest incarnation to be in the form of Sean Connery.
Actually, when you consider the James Bond films of that era, they weren’t anything spectacular either. Much more important films were being made at the time, and James Bond was merely a stopgap to an audience that refused to take in anything culturally obscure or dramatically different. And yet, no matter how much more important the other films may have been at the time, you can’t deny the fact that the public at large doesn’t really remember any of them. They do remember James Bond.
He’s changed a little bit with each different actor to take the helm, but he was best defined and represented when Sean Connery played him. Dapper, wry, coolheaded, and an unfortunate womanizer, almost everything about his translation of the character is memorable. And he is iconic as well. Whereas my earliest choices on the list were choices that may not seem iconic to everyone save for myself, here is a character that is iconic to everyone and secretly detested by myself. Well, I don’t dislike Bond actually, and if I have to give way to popcorn cinema (where most of the iconic characters come from anyway), then I’ll gladly give way to James Bond. As he was played by Roger Moore? Forgettable. Timothy Dalton? Regrettable. Pierce Brosnan? Bombastic. Sean Connery? Iconic.
8. Leeloo
I considered replacing this character with a “better performer” when I first put together my list. I mean, come on, let’s face it; Milla Jovovich isn’t an actress. She may appear in numerous movies and grace the covers of film periodicals the world over, but by no means can she be counted among the host of serious actresses that populate the silver screen. However, I decided against replacing her character. In fact, I think she earned her nomination on my list fair and square. The role she played in The 5th Element certainly has all the trappings of an iconic film character: a memorable disposition, popularity among those who viewed the film, and a hint of the cinematically visceral. Spending most of the film performing ridiculously unbelievable stunts, or shamelessly uttering globs of slurred, broken English, one can’t help but be enamored by her caricature. Milla Jovovich may be a laughable actress, but herein lays a character that seems cast explicitly for her unabashedness.
The 5th Element teemed with overblown experiences. From the scene chewing of veteran actor Gary Oldman, to the bombastic drawl of Chris Tucker, this is a film that proudly courts itself an overreaching result of a bad drama class. In such a hostile environment, Jovovich seems timid. Her audacity is far outshined by everyone else “acting” in front of the camera, and for much of the film, her character remains engrained in our minds by the subtle shyness she manages to convey. Yet, in a gaudy ballet that materializes in the second half of the film, her tepidness gives way to a theatrically laughable brawl in which she takes on a gang of alien cronies. Now, when I say laughable, don’t assume that I’m waxing judgmental here. The sheer ridiculousness of the scene, replete with kung-fu trickery and Three Stooges sight-gags, can’t help but be made all the more real by Jovovich’s unsightly acting. It’s here that her character reaches iconic status. When the under-acting of the first half of her character manages to set the scene on fire with celluloid salability, then you can be assured of her iconic place on this list.
7. Gigolo Joe
People who worked closely with Stanley Kubrick before his death often spoke of Gigolo Joe as being a particularly harsh character…that is he was harsh before Spielberg got a hold of him. Stanley Kubrick originally had a much more volatile persona in mind for Gigolo Joe. Wither this meant a character who was embittered by the shackles of humanity, or one who had advanced beyond trivial matters and transcended a world of petty pursuits is beyond you or I. Kubrick never got the chance to realize the character. He left that to the man who had directed films like E.T.
Such ruminations can’t help but be considered in a narrative like this however. Especially since Gigolo Joe turned out to be so much more then the sum of Artificial Intelligence itself. Viewers gobbled him up.
I credit this success to a particularly inspired performance by Jude Law (but I suspect the foundation to be laid by the master himself).
Whatever the case, Gigolo Joe was a character that worked on a number of levels. He boasted the audacity of any Kubrick character, yet the compatibility of every Spielberg character. His glassy porcelain skin and glossy hair translated well on the screen, and his persona was heightened by his hapless, unapologetic excitement.
Take a few scenes into consideration and I think you will agree. Note for one, the widening of his mouth as he rumbles through the unsightly neon tunnel (in the shape of a widened mouth) while on the quest to reach the city. Or take notice of his final remark as he is magnified away by the authorities at the end of the film; “I was. I am!”
Speaking purely for kicks here, Jude Law mastered the giddy wide-eyed enthusiasm of Gigolo Joe and gave viewers a longing for the darker version Kubrick kept to himself. And even though he is a recent character, he is still the best and the most iconic (in my opinion) to come out of a recent Spielberg film.
I woke up Saturday morning with a scratchy throat and a tingly nose. Shrugging it off, I told myself that there was no way I was getting sick; it just couldn’t happen. Then I spent Sunday afternoon feeling sapped of all energy. My eyes were drooping and congestion was mounting. By Tuesday evening there was little doubt in my mind that I was sick.
Still, I have to commend myself for managing to remain well for so very long. Usually, I’m treated to a healthy dose of colds and viruses throughout most of the winter season. This year I got off fairly easy. And wouldn’t you know it, I’m already starting to feel better! I think I might be completely recovered by Friday.
Am I the only one sickened by the latest batch of Old Navy commercials? Tell me I'm not the only one who would proudly deck that kid who says "what a deal" at the end of every spot.
post highlighting Modest Mouse's commercialism #4,879 ---> Speaking of commercialism, maybe you’ve heard of the favorable turnout for Modest Mouse in the latest batch of “year-end” lists? Yes, Modest Mouse, a band that once represented the very core of the indie mentality has now garnered reputable nods from industry standards like Spin Magazine and others.
Spin magazine (who crowned Coldplay as the Best Band of 2003) has chosen to bestow the title of Best Band upon Modest Mouse for 2004. And the blogs are aglow with discussion. Neither Gabe nor myself are as receptive of Modest Mouse’s latest album, Good News for People Who Love Bad News, as the media is, but I’ve come to regard it as one of the better things to happen to commercial rock. Especially with the recent bombardment of alleged saviors, commercial music needs saving by reluctant heroes now more then ever. And who better then indie-rock’s champions supreme?
I think this mentality was best cemented in my mind when I was wandering through the bookstore the other day and I came across the Spin magazine boldly proclaiming MM as their newfound heroes. The magazine interview was nothing special, but it did offer a particularly nice insight from Isaac Brock. With a leering eye towards recent sensation Usher, Brock (not me, him) boldly stated “you can just tell that guy’s gonna pump records out as fast as he can”. It was this statement that softened my glance towards him and Modest Mouse a little bit.
Others have put it more eloquently then I, but the sentiment remains the same; in a world of blatant lip-syncing and shameless commercialism, can you find a band like Modest Mouse, who would willingly play a dirge like “Satin in a Coffin” on David Letterman, at fault?
In short, I forgive you Modest Mouse, I forgive you.
It's the most wonderful time of the year! Not to be confused with Christmas. I do love the winter season, and miss scenes like the one above.
You've been chosen as an extra in the movie adaptation to the sequel of your life. - Pavement. Ever feel like that? Josh - no offense taken, ever. But the brief discussion of Pavement has got me listening to them lately, and that line is one of my favorites.
I had to at least pop-in here. I haven't posted much and Brock's been getting on me to post. Get off my back, Brock! Just kidding, bro. Hopefully I can join in on the "end of the year" lists. We'll see.
It’s been relatively quiet around here for the last few days. I have a number of things that I would like to delve into, but I haven’t really gotten around to any of them due to a lack of drive. Yes, you heard me - a lack of drive. I think when a person hits the ground running, and doesn’t stop running for a very long time, they collapse when they get a chance at lethargy. Being able to enjoy some time away from school has been nice, and I’ve really enjoyed catching up on unseen movies.
It was mentioned to you that I wasn’t terribly satisfied with the music industry this year, but I did plan on listing some of my favorite reissues. It seems that Pitchfork beat me to it. I think I’ll still lay down a few of my own thoughts though. There are a number of reissues that Pitchfork failed to cover in their list, and I’d be pleased to link you to my thoughts.
In other news, the screenwriting is coming along well. I haven’t begun any actual writing yet, but I have been doing a tremendous amount of research on the subject of opium. It’s dark subject matter to delve into, but I suspect my research will serve me well.
I did take some time out of my busy schedule (ha!) to register for next semester: I’ll be taking cinematography and screenwriting II. We’ll see how that goes when I jump back into the student life a few weeks from now.
In the meantime, I’m already brainstorming over my favorite movies for the past year. As mentioned, it has been a great year for movies. I really couldn’t pinpoint an exact time when there wasn’t something in the theater that I wanted to see. Now I’ll get down to the grit of the matter and compose my own “Eyes Like Static Awards for Cinematic Relevance”. (Inside joke abound.)
I know that the Oscars and other prestigious award shows are going to neglect some fine work from 2004 and play the game of politics when they hand out their statues. So I’m going to mimic their categories in my own selections and try to pick some winners that they might not even consider worthy of being a nominee.
That means I’ll cover…
Anything else that pops into my head is fair game as well. These selections of mine won’t be spoken of until the “new year” however. I still have a few films to see before I can make a fair decision.
Finally, even though I’ve been lethargic for the last few days, I did manage to put together a mix to commemorate the end of the year. On the way to the screening a couple of weeks ago, Gabe and I listened to a mix he compiled that went by the name of “the Sad Mix”. And it was a somber mix all right. He put stuff from Cat Power, Frou Frou and The Beatles on his mix, composing one dour tape. Yes, even the Beatles were unhappy. Anyway, he inspired me to make my own mix. I tried to take it from the opposite tempo however:
Paperface – Weezer
Sierra – Cursive
The Final Push to the Sum – Grandaddy
I’ve Got It All (Most) – Modest Mouse
Havalina – Pixies
Electrify – The Beastie Boys
I’d Rather Dance With You – Kings of Convenience (Gabe introduced me to this one)
The Way We Get By – Spoon
Needle in the Hay – Elliot Smith
Rocky Raccoon – The Beatles
Macaque – Failure
Art – The Firebird Band
Please Die – Nowhere Man and A Whiskey Girl
Judy is a Punk – The Ramones
4. – Fatigo (The song from Gabe and Josh’s The Glove Box)
Alabaster – Rocky Votolato
I’d Rather Be Wine Drunk – The City On Film
A little bit more upbeat I suppose…save for a few tracks.
