Office Space

May 14th, 2011 Posted in Movies
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I’m I.T. professional and many of my colleagues have given me a hard time through the years for never watching the 1999 movie “Office Space”. I finally gave in to see what all the fuss was about and I was blown away by how much I loved it. Not only was it funny, thanks to Mike Judge (who did Beavis & Butthead, The Family Guy, etc.) but it captured the true essence of working in corporate America. Yes, it was over the top and the characters were cartoonish at times (it was born in a comic strip called Milton, after all) but that’s what makes Office Space such a cult classic.

Ron Livingston was wonderful in the lead and so was Jennifer Anniston in a superbly laid back role. Gary Cole was amazing as the annoying boss from Hell…and Stephen Root was hilarious as Milton. The rest of the casting was also incredible as every single one of them was perfectly selected. David Herman as the other Michael Bolton (the nerd who loves hip hop music) and the break dancing Samir played by Ajay Naidu. I also thought Peter’s mullet-wearing neighbor was fantastic (Diedrich Bader).

Over a decade later and the film’s popularity continues to grow thanks to video/DVD rentals and Netflix. Many of the lines from the movie has slipped into every day vernacular. They had a 10th anniversary special for the cast of Office Space where they shared memories of their experiences working on the movie. Here are some clips.

Here is the trailer

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Essential Michelangelo Antonioni

May 9th, 2011 Posted in Movies
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My favorite Italian director is Fellini but I have to admit that I also love Michelangelo Antonioni and his unique voice in cinema. I know that his work is not everybody’s cup of tea but that’s what makes him so incredible and thus unforgettable. There is so much emotion and beauty in his films despite many complaints regarding flaws in plot structure or characterization that you still can’t help falling in love with his films. Even when you’re annoyed by his patented abrupt and seemingly negative endings you still appreciate the experience in total. His films require more than one viewing and you have to let them settle in for a while before judging them. Time has been very kind to the maestro for his best works are aging like fine wine. Here are the films that I consider Essential Michelengelo Antonioni. 

 

L’Avventura (1960) is considered to be part of an existential trilogy of love and isolation followed by La Notte (1961) and L’Ecclisse (1962). Many include Red Desert (1964) as part of this series of isolation in the modern age of Man. Yes, the unanswered questions will irk you at first but you will come to appreciate it all.

La Notte (1961) Marcello Mastroianni  and Jeanne Moreau are a couple on the verge of breakup. They visit a dying friend and then deal with the realization that they might not be in love with each other anymore.

 

L’Eclisse (1962) Monica Vitti and Alain Delon starred in this third film of the trilogy. The chemistry between this two beautiful stars was powerful. Alain was french but starred in many Italian classics including Vischonto’s Rocco and His Brothers. The ending might leave you scratching your head but trust me, this movie is a priceless gem.

Red Desert (1964) Antonioni’s first film in color is a brilliant masterpiece. He used all of his artistic skills as a painter and made celluloid his canvas with the gorgeous Monica Vitti as his Mona Lisa. They were lovers during this incredible period of filmmaking.

Blow Up (1966) This is Michelangelo’s best work in most people’s mind. It came to symbolize the generation with its hip cool story about a photographer and all of the beautiful models that surrounded him. A gorgeous young Vanessa Redgrave shined brightly in this one.

Michelangelo made some other quality films before and after these films that I’ve selected such as 1955’s Le Amiche (The Girlfriends) and The Passenger in 1975 starring Jack Nicholson but I think the five that I picked out should be considered merely a starting point into the amazing body of work from one of the greatest filmmakers of all-time.

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Tales from the Script

April 29th, 2011 Posted in Movies
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I loved this documentary about screenwriting. You will learn a ton of things you never knew before about the craft of writing for the big screen. There are tons of behind the scenes stuff that keep you thoroughly enthralled, if you’re a big film buff as I am anyway. If you’re a screenwriter (as I am) then you’ll truly love this entertaining and informative film.

It’s currently streaming on NetFlix right now!

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Reinventing the Human Voice

April 21st, 2011 Posted in Movies
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Here’s an excellent example of how technology is helping famous film critic Roger Ebert find his voice again. It’s a fascinating look at the progress he’s made along with the technologies he’s used including one which involved slicing together a database of words he’s spoken in the past to create an audible library of phrases. Ultimately, though, his favorite solution is the computer voice from his MacBook.

Someday, technology will be able to recreate our own voice and produce smooth, human-like phrases generated from messages written on a mobile device or merely thought. We’ve been interested in artificial intelligence for the longest time, but we’ve got to invest more time in developing a more human digital voice.

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e-Dreams

March 5th, 2011 Posted in Movies, Startups, Technology
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Here’s an excellent documentary called “E-Dreams” (2001) which covers the amazing rise and monumental collapse of Kozmo.com which was one of the most successful startups in history. Watch how the founders turned a good idea into gold then watch them try to deal with the unexpected massive success and ultimately the historic downfall which was one of the biggest casualties of the dotcom bubble burst.

This is a must-see for anyone who’s interested in launching their own startup but it’s also just a very good documentary. If you loved “The Social Network” then you’ll appreciate this one too.

Here’s the entire movie e-Dreams on YouTube in 10 parts.

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Sideways

December 30th, 2010 Posted in Movies
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I decided to watch Sideways (2004) again because it had been a few years since the last time I saw it. Man, I sure was happy I did because it was even better than I remembered it was. I think it’s one of the rare instances when a movie deserves all of the critical and commercial success it attains. It’s loaded with everything you could ask for in a film…humor, wit, pathos, drama, knowledge, entertainment, and on and on.

For me, the best scene in the movie was when Maya (played exquisitely by Oscar nominated Virginia Madsen) asks Miles (The glorious Paul Giamatti, also Oscar nominated) why he was so into Pinot. It’s not just about wine and grapes. This scene is about so much more. You can see it in their eyes. He was talking about himself, about love and life itself. This is one of the best acted and best written scenes ever. It sums up the movie’s main theme that we are like wine, not only do we get better with time as we age as the cliché goes, but more importantly we (like wine) also peak and then begin our decline.

Here’s the scene… Salute!

 

Here is the entire scene

Maya: You know, can I ask you a personal question, Miles?
Miles Raymond: Sure.
Maya: Why are you so in to Pinot?
Miles Raymond: [laughs softly]
Maya: I mean, it’s like a thing with you.
Miles Raymond: [continues laughing softly]
Miles Raymond: Uh, I don’t know, I don’t know. Um, it’s a hard grape to grow, as you know. Right? It’s uh, it’s thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It’s, you know, it’s not a survivor like Cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and uh, thrive even when it’s neglected. No, Pinot needs constant care and attention. You know? And in fact it can only grow in these really specific, little, tucked away corners of the world. And, and only the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really. Only somebody who really takes the time to understand Pinot’s potential can then coax it into its fullest expression. Then, I mean, oh its flavors, they’re just the most haunting and brilliant and thrilling and subtle and… ancient on the planet.

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Wonderful Stuff

December 14th, 2010 Posted in Movies
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Cover of "It's a Wonderful Life [Blu-ray]...

Cover of It’s a Wonderful Life [Blu-ray]

I love just about everything related to It’s a Wonderful Life, the 1946 Frank Capra classic starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. I also have a rare collection of buildings and figures from the movie that I put on display every year at Christmas time. I have ornaments based on the movie as well, a cookbook, and large action figures of George Bailey, Mary and Clarence the Angel.

I also enjoy the many tributes to the classic and even the spoofs. Here’s a new one from SNL last night called “This You Call a Wonderful life” which is a Hanukkah version.

Here’s an excellent alternative ending as envisioned by the cast of Saturday Night Live with Dana Carvey as Geoge Bailey!

 

Here’s the entire movie in colorized HD

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Mr. Wonderful

December 5th, 2010 Posted in Movies
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I recently watched Mr. Wonderful (1993) again after many years and thoroughly enjoyed it more than ever before. I think this is an extremely underrated movie by Anthony Minghella who went on to win the Oscar for the English Patient a few years later. I absolutely loved this movie starring Matt Dillon and Annabella Sciorra plus a fantastic supporting cast of likable, realistic characters. That’s the key to an excellent movie, the strength of the entire cast. You can have solid leads and a good story but if the supporting players are weak then the experience falls flat. That’s not the case with this totally believable and enjoyable tale. Mary-Louise Parker is perfect as Matt’s understanding girlfriend as she senses something’s wrong in paradise. All of Matt’s friends are just as delightful and so real. Yes, I might be biased because I related so much with these people since I grew up in the italian section of Newark, NJ. It felt like home. So comfortable. I highly recommend it.

Here’s the trailer that explains what the movie is about.

Here’s a good scene when Matt Dillon has to endure watching his ex-wife sing with another man.
Excellent job of acting by Dillon as you can see how much he still feels for her.

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Favorite Documentaries

November 27th, 2010 Posted in Movies
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I’ve always enjoyed a good documentary but more so in recent years because they seem to have gotten much better in quality and style. The directors seem to make their subject matter so much more entertaining and their films more informative. In any event, here are just some of my favorite documentaries that I really found fascinating. You can find most of them on Netflix and many of them are streaming online so you can actually watch them right now if you want.

Here’s a spreadsheet that I’ve embedded with the links to Netflix for either watching instantly or ordering. I will add more titles with time so bookmark this page and check back often.

What are some of your favorite documentaries?

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Memorable Movie Endings

April 18th, 2010 Posted in Movies
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I created a playlist on YouTube where I keep adding my favorite movie endings. Sometimes the finale of a film is the best part or the lasting memory you’ll have of a movie. Think about the classics and you’ll see that the first thing you’ll remember is the ending sequence. Gone with the Wind? Frankly My Dear scene… for example.

I will keep adding more to this list so bookmark it and check back often. I also created an easy to remember URL for it: http://bit.ly/movie-endings (See list below)

Movie List (I will continue to add more with time)

It’s a Wonderful Life
The Family Man
The Shawshank Redemption
Dead Poet’s Society
When Harry Met Sally
Gladiator
The Graduate
My Favorite Year
The Lake House
The Breakfast Club
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Gone with the Wind
and Justice for All
300
Fearless
Tootsie
Saving Private Ryan
Planet of the Apes
The Last of the Mohicans
Phenomenon
Forces of Nature
Greencard
Runaway Bride

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