The Movie Journal

  Do the Right Thing (1989) I was shaken by the ending of Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing . It took me so long to finally watch the movie which is shameful given today’s climate and recent events. My first Lee film was 1988’s School Daze . While I could see the talent, I was not impressed quite frankly. His next film did the trick. Lee was in complete control of the story. He knew how he wanted his story to progress but held his cards close to the chest. The first half, while you can sense some simmering tensions, was about getting to know a group of people and their sense of community. It was about people living their everyday lives. A slow-build with some fine comedy moments sprinkled in Lee’s script. Then, he laid down the hammer as racial violence comes into play. It is hard to believe the movie came out in 1989. Some sequences are eerily reminiscent of what is happening in today’s world. It goes to show how far (or not) we came as a society. I find it hilarious how Lee came u...

  Smallville: Season 1, Episode 16 "Stray" April 16, 2002 “Stray” is such a heartwarming episode. For the first time, Clark has a sibling…only if for a little while. Still, Clark and the kid, Ryan James have a meaningful connection. They both are struggling with finding their place in the world as adoptive children. Clark has it good with Martha and Jonathan, but poor Ryan has abusive adoptive parents. The two have great chemistry with one another. Enough so where Clark can entrust the boy with his secret. The boy has secret powers himself as he is able to read minds. Everyone that is but Clark’s. Which makes Ryan realizes how different Clark is. In addition to this story, Lex continues to provide excellent work especially now that Lionel is around for the episode. In this episode, Ryan James has evil stepparents who make him use his power of reading minds to commit robberies. Ryan escaped from them and ran straight into Martha Kent’s car. She takes him to the hospital wher...

  Smallville: Season 1, Episode 15 "Nicodemus" March 19, 2002 “Stray” is such a heartwarming episode. For the first time, Clark has a sibling…only if for a little while. Still, Clark and the kid, Ryan James have a meaningful connection. They both are struggling with finding their place in the world as adoptive children. Clark has it good with Martha and Jonathan, but poor Ryan has abusive adoptive parents. The two have great chemistry with one another. Enough so where Clark can entrust the boy with his secret. The boy has secret powers himself as he is able to read minds. Everyone that is but Clark’s. Which makes Ryan realizes how different Clark is. In addition to this story, Lex continues to provide excellent work especially now that Lionel is around for the episode. In this episode, Ryan James has evil stepparents who make him use his power of reading minds to commit robberies. Ryan escaped from them and ran straight into Martha Kent’s car. She takes him to the hospital ...

  It's a Wonderful Life (1946) One of the best things to happen with It’s A Wonderful Life is to fall out of copyright protection and enter the public domain. That meant any television studio could take the movie and play it essentially for free. It also was a bad thing because of the colorization process which took the film’s magic away and was something director Frank Capra and star James Stewart opposed vehemently. At least I never lose that magic because I refuse to watch the adventures of George Bailey in color. But because the film was in public domain for nearly two decades, a forgotten film became popular. Popular enough where it became an annual Christmas tradition for many families. It was surprising to learn the film received mixed to negative reviews upon release. Today’s general consensus has the picture as a sentimental, sweet-hearted film that delivers an important lesson or two…a sentiment I can certainly agree with. Think A Christmas Carol but in reverse. Even a gr...

  Batman (1989) Much in the veins of Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark , Tim Burton’s Batman is influential in terms of how movies are produced and operated today. I personally think it is the film which made comic book films popular despite the rousing success of Superman: The Movie . This is also the first Batman movie I have ever seen. The film’s visuals and production design gave the movie a distinct look, one that is reminiscent of a noir movie. If only the lead female was a femme fatale rather than a damsel in distress. The dark atmosphere and tone are what I associate with when I think about Batman, a shadow of the night. The film works not only with its tone, but Jack Nicholson’s spectacular turn as The Joker and Michael Keaton’s surprising work with the Dark Knight. Tim Burton, who was not originally a comic book fan, really captured the tone and spirit of what I always imagined Batman to be. By the 1970’s, the popularity of Batman was waning. Bob Kane created Batman duri...

  Ghostbusters II (1989) Ghostbusters II is the much-maligned follow-up to the 1984 classic that took the world by slime…ahem storm. Contemporary audiences (which obviously includes myself) is kinder on the sequel. While not as a good as the first film, the sequel remains a fun, charming picture. The humor is not as prevalent which I admit was an initial turnoff. But the darker set pieces and the amazing cast elevated the film. It is not without its problems. I already mentioned the lack of humor, but I was not the biggest fan of the villain, Vigo the Carpathian. He comes across as a weaker version of Dracula. That said, his character is enhanced by this cool-looking ectoplasmic slime that feeds off the negativity of New Yorkers (jeez, this slime would elevate any villain these days), so I did like that. I also felt the film lacked the originality and surprise of the original Ghostbusters . The sequel is filmed in a familiar way even down to a mid-film montage sequence set over a ...

  Dead Poets Society (1989) Have you ever had a high school English class where you were bored to death as your teacher droned on and on about Walt Whitman? I did which made me appreciate Dead Poets Society even more. This movie is about the love of teaching and how the great teachers resonate with their students and get them to fall in love with subjects they despise. What John Keating was to these students was like how my geometry teacher was with me. More than a decade after graduation, we still communicate over our shared interests. Admittedly a bit one-sided, the film nonetheless has a place in my heart. Robin Williams delivers a committed performance. The young cast is impressive (looking at you, Ethan Hawke.) The drama delivers the emotions (even if you can accuse the film of manipulation). By the end, I was choking up with emotion. I did not care that I saw the ending from miles away. The “O Captain, O Captain” scene tugs me every time I see it. When Robin Williams passed i...

  Smallville: Season 1, Episode 14 "Zero" March 12, 2021 “Zero” is a fun and somewhat unique episode. It is a Lex-centered episode where Lex has to confront his deadly past. How this unique? The same event, the shooting of a girl at a nightclub, is told from three different angles. Which angle will the audience believe? Lex, played superbly by Michael Rosenbaum, is the center stage. But I also liked the secondary plotline where Ma and Pa Kent are trying to keep Clark’s secret hush from the prying eyes of Chloe. There are also some cool visuals. The dead animals at Pa Kent’s farm is a striking image. The Smallville Theater is being turned into a coffee shop called the Talon and reopening is nigh. Lex is doing what he can to help Lana reopen. A man from Lex’s past, Jude Royce, comes into the shop to stalk Lex because he accuses him of the murder of a girl at Metropolis’s Club Zero. There is a chance Lex may be responsible for this murder. Chloe, for a school project, delves i...

  Smallville: Season 1, Episode 13 "Kinetic"  February 26, 2002 “Kinetic” is a good episode, but nothing overly great. The episode puts more focus on Whitney which is good in theory. But his teaming with kryptonite-struck villains made for a somewhat weak subplot as they were not very strong villains. The storyline with Chloe and Lex is really good. Lana also has something to do with Lex for the episode. Some viewers were turned off, but it is important down the line. The main focus is on Whitney which gave us good moments but not too many I am afraid. In this episode, Whitney becomes depressed after losing his football scholarship. Without truly knowing what he is involved with, he joins a group of former high school jocks with tattoos created from kryptonite-laced paint which gives them the power to walk through walls…and commit robberies. Clark has his hands full trying to stop the group. They decide to rob Lex and seriously injure Chloe in the process. Lana discovers th...

  A Man Escaped (1956) Robert Bresson’s A Man Escaped is about as minimalist as a film you can get…yet it is a complete triumph. Despite the lack of special effects or big-name actors, this prison break drama ranks up there with The Shawshank Redemption as one of the best films of its kind. The film’s story comes from the autobiography written by Andre Devigny, who was imprisoned by the Nazis at Montluc but escaped the day he was supposed to be executed. Despite minimal set design, no special effects, or showing acting, Bresson created a film that earns its gripping tension. By the end, my sweaty palms proved how tense I was. This is the type of filmmaker Bresson is. He tells his story as is. No craziness is necessary. Yet he somehow knows how to piece the film together to make it work, to make you involved with his characters or story. This movie is known as one of Bresson’s best works. It really makes me want to take a deep dive into his filmography. Bresson strived for authent...

  Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) To put it simply, I loved Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade . After the darker Temple of Doom , Steven Spielberg wanted to bring back the lightheartedness that made Raiders of the Lost Ark such an endearing classic. He succeeded and nearly even topped the first film in sheer joy and adventure. Might as well call the two adventures even in my book. The film has amazing set pieces (the rat scene in Venice among others). What I really liked the most? The introduction of Dr. Henry Jones, Indiana’s father, played beautifully by Sean Connery. Through most of the film, Harrison Ford and Connery have such a strong rapport together and their arcs intersected in the best possible way. Indiana Jones beating up Nazi thugs in Raiders was a treat. Why not have him do it again, so Nazis are our main villains once again. For a brief moment, Indiana comes face-to-face with Adolf Hitler in such a chilling sequence at a book-burning rally. Finally, I loved...

  Field of Dreams (1989) “If you build it, he will come.” Those famous words resonated with me for a long time after watching the movie for the first time as a child. I have always been a huge baseball fan, but it is important to know that this is truly not about baseball but about people and their past, present, and future. For me, it was a religious experience. What was the religion? Baseball! The baseball diamond is the house of worship. Phil Alden Robinson’s Field of Dreams is the preacher. This is not a flick for cynics, realists, or anyone with anti-sentimental bias. It is a film that requires you to be sentimental in order to experience what many people have over the course of the years. James Earl Jones’s speech is one of the best cinematic speeches ever. There is no topping it. As a picture that revolves around baseball, this is my favorite. This and The Natural are ones that gave me an otherworldly feeling, although one is slightly more heavy-handed than the other. In...

  Heathers (1989) Leading up to the cult classic that is 1989’s Heathers , teen movies were an optimistic bunch of films (mainly from the mind of John Hughes). Most of these movies were natural, charismatic, funny, yet positive. Perhaps, too much so? Screenwriter Daniel Waters and director Michael Lehmann changed things up with this movie. They created a scathing satire with hints of bleakness and darkness throughout while retaining the natural teenage feelings of older movies and keeping the comedy intact. It inspired many teen movies that we know and love in the 90’s/00’s. When people saw the movie when it was originally theatrically released, the shock value was sky high (to the limited amount of people who saw the film). Even today, some scenes give you that “what the heck” vibe and I was so down for that. While not every joke/moment works, I did appreciate the film’s tone and biting message. The funeral scenes are dark yet hilarious. They were my favorite scenes of the movie. ...

  Smallville: Season 1, Episode 12 "Leech" February 12, 2002 “Leech” has to be my favorite episode yet of this blossoming series. The producers played a switch-a-roo and turned Clark human…only if for an episode. On the flip side, we get to see him play basketball, grow closer to Lana, and work up a sweat/lose energy when building a fence. The episode still excels with its special effects, but it is a nice change of pace to have someone else take on these effects other than Clark. Michael Rosenbaum continues to murder it as Lex. He is still dealing with Victoria Hardwick. She is playing checkers…while Lex is playing chess. The end result? Lex figuratively blowing her to smithereens. He got the last laugh. While the teenage drama is all very interesting and relatable, it is Lex Luthor which elevates the series into a must-watch. In this episode, Clark and a classmate Eric Summer transfer powers when struck by lightning with Summer holding a meteor rock. With Eric having Clar...

  Smallville: Season 1, Episode 11 "Hug" February 05, 2002 I think in this Smallville episode, “Hug,” all of our characters need a hug or two. Many things happen here. An evil tycoon able to manipulate people just with a mere handshake, Chloe literally pining for Clark (which is a nice pace change because it is always about Lana and Clark), Lex using a submachine gun and shooting bullets at Clark, and Clark coming to the realization that he is bulletproof (despite Pete’s foreshadowing words). The episode would not have work nearly as well without the great visual effects (once again, above average for a 2002 television episode). The episode is well-directed and the one that shows the extent of Clark’s and Lex’s friendship…and its future. In this episode, Bob Rickman is a businessman who is not so friendly. His intention is to build a plant with high levels of pollution in Smallville. But he needs the Kent farm to build the plant the way he wants. He is famous around these p...

  Some Like It Hot (1959) Billy Wilder’s 1959 comedy Some Like It Hot is honestly something else. While not my favorite movie in the long career spanning decades for Wilder, this is still an outrageous comedy featuring three very fine performances and a subject that went against social taboos at the time. This is a screwball comedy that is often compared to films created by the Marx Brothers. While I see the comparisons as easy as the light of day, Wilder’s film resonates more thematically. As for the three leads, Marilyn Monroe has never been sexier, Tony Curtis has never been cooler, and this is Jack Lemmon at the height of his career. The film did not speak to me like other Wilder’s films ( The Apartment is a great one) because not all the jokes work, and the pacing can be slow at times. Still, there is no denying the presence it has in the canon of the best, influential movies. And the ending? Loved it! When Osgood quotes, “Well, nobody’s perfect” to Lemmon’s bewildered face to...

  Lean on Me (1989) Morgan Freeman was a very busy man in 1989. He starred in acclaimed films such as Driving Miss Daisy and Glory. Before those films came a smaller, perhaps just as impactful film called Lean on Me . As someone who spent time teaching students at several inner-city schools, do I ever have thoughts. As a movie itself, it is incredibly entertaining and Freeman’s dedicated performance hooks you from the beginning. As an educator/hero type of movie, it does threaten to go overboard into absurdity from time to time. The look of the film makes you believe you are watching a film about prison riots…yet this is how life can be at the schools, even by today’s higher standards. I have seen enough kids get overwhelmed by drugs and violence. The education system fails our children especially in schools that house a majority population of minorities. It is really sad but sometimes it takes one person to think out of the box to instill the necessary changes. In the case of Pate...