Summertime: Independence Day (1996)

Director: Roland Emmerich
Composer: David Arnold (damn his manipulative score!)

Notable Cast:
Captain Steven Hiller- Will Smith
President Whitmore- Bill Pullman
Jasmine- Vivica A. Fox
David- Jeff Goldblum
David's father- Judd Hirsch
Jimmy- Harry Connick, Jr.
Russell Casse- Randy Quaid
Defense Secretary- James Rebhorn (died in 2014)
President's daughter- Mae Whitman
Marty- Harvey Fierstein

Notable Awards and Nominations:
OSCAR- Best Visual Effects
nomination- OSCAR- Best Sound
Grammy- Best Instrumental Composition written for TV/Movie- David Arnold

Write-up:

Opening Remarks
It's hard to believe this movie turns 20 next year... makes me feel old :P
I remember when it first came out and what a huge blockbuster it was. I saw it on DVD a couple times, but don't think I really appreciated it until I got older and was able to understand more of the dialogue. Back then, the only thing I really got out of it was the epic presidential speech, the special effects and Will Smith being hilarious.

Oh those days when Will Smith was awesome...

I never thought this was the best movie in the world, but I wasn't aware it was considering "bad" in a lot of circles :P It's not super believable and thrives on special effects more than the things that really matter to a movie- a strong storyline and characters able to support it.

Unlike "Jaws," I don't mind so much seeing this year after year... but I do mind watching it when we have company over and they spend a good chunk of the movie talking about how this president is so much better than ours... that Obama never would have taken the offensive against the aliens, wouldn't have gotten directly involved with the final assault because he has no military experience, etc, etc.
I get that he isn't well liked among my family and their friends, but I don't need the political commentary every goddam time we watch this movie.

Although in truth, I only had to endure that commentary once or twice in the years we'd watched the movie.
I have my grievances with the Defense Secretary character, but beyond that, I just want to enjoy the movie- not relate it to real life and how our country has gone to hell over the past several years.
On that particular note, it's absolutely ridiculous how politically correct we've gotten lately so we don't offend every American.

Plot, Characters and Additional Commentary

Basic set-up: aliens are coming to Earth to annihilate the human race.

We have multiple storylines unfolding at once and like any good soap opera, all these characters come together in one way or another and contribute to the destruction of the aliens or helping out their fellow man.

The movie actually starts on July 2nd (54 minutes) and takes place between it, July 3rd (48 minutes) and July 4th (40 minutes).
Within the first day, Washington D.C., L.A. and New York are decimated.

Will Smith plays a pilot with aspirations to become an astronaut, but for whatever reason, NASA keeps rejecting him (can't imagine why... maybe he's too much of a maverick for their tastes?). He's on vacation, but upon this alien invasion, he gets called into work, leaving behind his stripper girlfriend (who he has yet to commit to) and her 5? year old son.
Not many people would find Jasmine's demeanor believable, but I commend her for it. In a later scene, she comes forward about her profession and says "it's good money... and my baby's worth it." There's such a stigma surrounding strippers and adult entertainers, so I personally find it refreshing that she owns up to it for these reasons.
[But maybe that's just me being biased because I'm currently writing about some characters who adult entertain for varying reasons].

Like I said before, these were the good old days when Will Smith was cool. I never watched "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and I got rid of his album after finding out I only liked 2 songs on it (the rest of was rap... excuse me for not knowing that in advance! We didn't have Internet back then).
But between "Independence Day" and "Men In Black," he was a huge star and one of the funniest actors on the planet... then he got serious with a bunch of dramatic films, dropped a few bombs (the latest being "After Earth," which nearly ruined his son, Jaden's, career... unfortunately not enough to ensure they stopped making "Karate Kid" movies... I still haven't gotten over the fact they did that remake, which out of love for the original, I am refusing to see EVER).

And the latest word is that Will Smith won't even be in the supposed sequel they've been planning for this movie... in that case, it's going to suck big time...
I enjoy a lot about Jeff Goldblum's performance in this movie, but that isn't enough to keep me engaged in this movie. Will Smith is responsible for so many laughs (many are real Laugh Out Loud moments) that keeps us going through the tragedy of it... and just might have made it bearable for a lot of people who find fault in the believability, the excessive special effects and the overbearing score.

Speaking of that score, it is freaking manipulative. When people die or we see destruction everywhere, it is so loud and overbearing that you are coerced into feeling depressed or devastated or (in the case of one death) cry your eyes out.

The Defense Secretary is played by the late James Rebhorn... not one of his finer moments. He annoyed me a bit in "My Cousin Vinny" because he was the expert witness that almost got the defendants thrown in jail for something they didn't do, but when Marisa Tomei's character gave her testimony, he conceded to her points and agreed he might have made a mistake.
He has no silver lining in this movie... except for admitting that Area 51 really exists. If not for that, the aliens would've won. Otherwise, though, he's practically gutless, insisting on taking the easy way out rather than reassuring that the American public is taken care of. He also happened to be the one person against trying out David (Jeff Goldblum)'s idea that gave us the ultimate victory.

Maybe it's because the only Jeff Goldblum movies I've seen were this one and the Jurassic Park movies... but I'm in the minority of the movie-viewing public. I really do like him a lot. Sure, his character is a little lame about his whole "I want to save the Earth" thing and he gets drunk when the military launches an unsuccessful nuclear strike (if I were to get that drunk during an alien invasion, it'd be over more important things... not that I'm belittling nuclear attacks... they still scare the crap out of me)

I seriously do enjoy him in these movies... not so much the Jurassic Park sequel where everything kinda suffers... but in these other two. And nobody could have played this particular character better than him.

The president Bill Pullman plays isn't exactly in the best part of his presidency when this crisis happens. The flurry of negative press is delivered by his press secretary at such a rushed pace that I cannot remember any of it.
But it's times like these that really define a presidency- how you react under pressure amidst circumstances such as this.

Randy Quaid plays a drunken inept crop duster who once, get this, got abducted and probed by aliens. Most people would look at that biography and laugh their asses off because it falls in line too perfectly with this movie... but it's great that he gets to get involved and winds up playing a heroic role in our overall victory.
It comes a little too late, but his stepkids get to remember him as a hero and less for his lack of parenting skills.
I do find it a little ridiculous that his daughter's one bit of characterization is that she doesn't want to die a virgin and keeps making eyes at the young guys she comes across.
Lisa Jakub had much more going for her in "Mrs. Doubtfire."

He doesn't have much screentime, but Harvey Fierstein (also from "Mrs. Doubtfire") is there as well. Again, one of my favorite voices EVER among actors :P
Watching the movie this time around was the first time I really watched him in this movie, rather than just listening to him... I then recollected how he had a boyfriend/partner in "Mrs. Doubtfire" and looked him up. For whatever reason, it took me this long to kinda realize that he's gay :shrug: that would explain all the hand movements and the whine in his voice when he was stressing about calling his mom about the invasion.
...yeah, my gay-dar has never been the sharpest, but so what? And apparently, according to some IMDB messageboards, he really is a nice guy in real life. Not that I ever had any doubts about that.

As far as aliens go, they may not look like much when they're in suspended animation... but in action, they're pretty terrifying. Also infuriating when it comes to the impenetrable shields on their ships. If the aliens in our own world are that much more advanced than us... we're pretty much screwed.

Even more so now that Will Smith won't be in the sequel. He was the only pilot skilled enough to outmaneuver an alien and the only person brave enough to talk smack to their faces.
The entire time he's out on the salt flats either confronting the alien or dragging its ass across the desert... best part of the entire movie :P


"And what the hell is that smell?!" [totally improvised- more to the salt flats than the alien itself- then he proceeds to kick its ass even more]

Final Comment

Gotta love the parody of this in the 2nd Austin Powers movie when they demonstrate the power of the "laser" on the White House.

"That was just footage from the movie 'Independence Day' but the real laser would be a lot like that... yeah."

But it terrifies the president [this is back in 1969] so much he gives in and pays the ransom... but almost blows up the moon:

The President: Jiminy Jumpin' Jesus, I can't believe we're gonna pay that madman. I got nukes out the ying-yang. Just let me launch one, for God's sake.
Commander Gilmour: Sir. Are you suggesting that we blow up the moon?
The President: Would you miss it?
[looks around the table]
The President: Would you miss it?

Summertime: Jaws (1975)

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writing: Robert Benchley (book), Robert Benchley & Carl Gottlieb (Screenplay)
Composer: John Williams

Cast:
Chief Brody- Roy Schneider (RIP 2008)
Quint- Robert Shaw (RIP 1978)
Hooper- Richard Dreyfuss
Ellen Brody- Lorraine Gray
Mayor Vaughn- Murray Hamilton (died in 1986)
Krissie- Susan Backlinie

Notable Award & Nominations:
OSCAR- Best Sound
OSCAR- Best Film Editing
OSCAR- Best Original Score- John Williams
nomination- OSCAR- Best Picture [winner: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"]
Golden Globe- Best Original Score- John Williams
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Film- Drama
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Screenplay
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Director- Steven Spielberg
Grammy- Best Original Score for Film/TV special- John Williams

Write-up:

Spoilers and Some Strong Language Ahead

Opening Remarks

For almost as long as we've had our shorehouse, we've had a tradition: every July 4th weekend, we watch two movies. "Jaws" and "Independence Day."

The first time I saw "Jaws," it was probably on VHS. That's how long ago it was. I have no memory of it the first time, so it must have been a long time ago.
I do have a vague recollection of being on the ride in Universal Studios back in 1997. I realize now that it's all fake, but it was terrifying.

It's a wonder to me [and I may have jinxed myself by saying this] that neither that nor the film (which I'd gotten to know better over the past 4-5 years) have given me nightmares. I haven't been terrified to go in the ocean because of this movie.

But considering all the attacks that have happened recently... I probably won't be going into an ocean anytime soon.
These past several times we've visited the shore, we spent our time on the boardwalk.

Plot, Characters and Commentary

I'm kinda surprised that this was actually nominated for Best Picture (I'm still stunned "The Exorcist" was nominated a few years prior... scary as fuck), but at the same time, I'm not too surprised. Steven Spielberg is one of the most reputable directors in the business. And for a good reason. This happens to be his first really BIG film after lots of TV episodes, short films and made-for-TV movies.

When it comes to Oscars, most of the movies awarded the highest honor (then again, the nomination is an honor in itself) are ones that are well shot, acted and produced and they had a major impact on the film-going community. "Jaws" had the impact in that people were literally afraid to go in the water for months, even years, after seeing it.
But like the actual winner, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," it's very dramatic, has memorable characters and, per my perspective, drags in places. [My gripe with "Cuckoo's Nest" was that the ending was very anti-climatic and, well, kinda depressing].

Rightfully so, "Jaws" is considered one of the scariest movies of all time. The shark itself being one of the scariest villians and John Williams' "two notes on a piano" score still chill-inducing to this day.

The first half hour of the movie has shark attacks that result in three deaths (four if you include the dog that didn't fetch the stick the hundredth time).
Nowadays, it's kinda cliché. The unsuspecting female being the first to die in a horror movie. One year we were watching and my dad paused the movie while I was in the bathroom to make sure I saw this opening scene, even though I had seen it a few times before. It's still fucking terrifying to watch... even while acknowledging the fact the dialogue leading up to this scene is terrible :P she and this one guy head to the beach after a bonfire party. He's wasted while she jumps into the water and becomes sharkbait. ["Sharkbait, bru-ha-ha!"]. At least he had the decency to stick around and answer questions from the police when they were called to see her body [whatever is left of it].

I'd never seen sharks up close in the wild, but I do have a marine bio degree and some knowledge... and I'm pretty sure that sharks don't attack the way this one attacked Krissie.
Instead of just trying to pull her under, it would have at least taken a bit out of her first. If not for the score and her screaming/drowning in post-production, this might have been comical...

How the second victim died... that was more realistic. He was on the type of raft that leads to deadly confusion- great whites mistaking them for seals. And the shark bit him first before taking him underwater... it's all of 3 seconds and it still scares me.
I've had plenty experience snorkeling, so I don't have a fear of drowning in that sense. But if confronted with that type of situation... yeah, drowning in that fashion is one of the worst ways to die that I can think of.

Much of the first half of the film is about upping the hysteria that's gripping Amity Island (in real life, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts). Supposedly, it's an island whose livelihood lives and dies by a fruitful summer vacation season. So of course, the Mayor wants the beaches to be open on 4th of July weekend. Chief Brody gets called to see Krissie's body and rushes to have the beaches closed, only to be thwarted by the Mayor, who has him believing his inexperience (this being his first summer in Amity) is making him jump to conclusions too quickly.
In their own way, politicians like him are terrifying... terrifying because their priorities are out of whack and, therefore, tend to be complete idiots. I understand it from a business point of view, of course... but why the hell do people have to be in the water in order for him to turn a profit?! Everyone seemed just as happy to sunbathe on the beaches.

The part that still has me incensed... the mother of victim #2 slaps Chief Body after finding out about Krissie... SLAP THE MAYOR, HE WANTED THE BEACHES OPEN!.. and he was right there and like a puss, he just let Brody take it.
I'm surprised that the people of Amity didn't run him out of town after July 4th. Clearly, he cares more about turning a profit than the humanity of his cash cow vacationers.

Somehow, the only people with any sense in Amity are our three main characters. Chief Brody wants to do the right thing, but lacks the authority to really do anything about it.
When Hooper arrives on the island, I always breathe a huge sigh of relief because he's the only one who knows what he's talking about when it comes to sharks. Not that the mayor will listen to him... but it is a relief for the audience to have someone who knows "the enemy" as well as he does.
We also have our residential rouge, Quint. Your "Captain Ahab" archetype... except his version asks for a bounty of $10,000 to capture the shark. But seriously, you have a shark that's THIS deadly and you have a guy crazy enough to go after it... pay him whatever the hell he wants. He'll likely have more success than anyone else.

The second half of the movie, of course, is spent at sea with our three core characters going after the shark.
I understand there's a lot of trial and error involved and we need lulls to add to the tension and development of the characters and so on... but the movie always loses me from Quint's storytelling scene up until Hooper goes into the shark cage.
The guys have had a little too much to drink and are comparing scars and so on. Quint then tells his "seaman's tale" as a member of the "USS Indianapolis." Apparently, it's a massive naval disaster of their history and Robert Shaw ad-libbed his own telling of it. I realize a lot of people died in this tragedy, but I always wind up tuning this scene out. It drags WAY too long and I just find it boring as hell. Even as the ship slowly builds with water (how it stayed afloat as long as it did in all that water, I have no idea), I just can't wait for this thing to be over.

The ending has tragedy in it, of course... not everyone can make it back alive... and it is a little unrealistic (The Mythbusters disproved the possibility of it)... but it's just a relief to get rid of this shark... it's annoying how smart this thing is and how damn hard it is to kill.
The one plus out of these last 20-30 minutes- they actually use a real shark in the shark cage scene. Not that "Bruce" is NEARLY as bad as those CGI sharks we get in any Syfy original film.

Final CommentsThis years marks this movie's 40th anniversary. Funny enough, this entry is a timely one. Between that and all the recent attacks... so far, nobody has died and hopefully it'll stay that way.

And as of this moment, Richard Dreyfuss is the only member of the trio that's still alive... Loved him in this movie [Hooper's my favorite of the trio] and even more so in "Mr. Holland's Opus"... easily one of the best "inspirational teacher" films ever. Certainly one of my personal favorites of many in that genre :P

Overall, "Jaws" is terrifying and is really well-made with some memorable characters and a really impressive score [one of John Williams' many gems].

But personally, it's not one of my favorite movies and that's not just because I'd seen it too many times over the past 4-5 years.

In general, I don't like to see movies for the sake of being terrified... although I did have a good jump-scare in one scene [I didn't expect the shark to appear at that point, lol]. There are some good quotes and points of comic relief, but this movie thrives more drama and tension and for a few ticks over 2 hours, it's hard to stay invested. Not to mention come back for multiple viewings...

Psycho (1960)

Type: Suspense/Thriller

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Composer: Bernard Hermann

Cast:
Norman Bates- Anthony Perkins
Marion Crane- Janet Leigh
Lila Crane- Vera Miles
Sam- John Gavin
Detective Arbogast- Martin Balsam

Introduction to the Genre

Every now and then, I want to be able to post reviews of movies I'm seeing for the first time. Particularly the ones that caught my attention in a big way and want to remember why they made such an impact.

For starters, this genre is generally out of my comfort zone. I'm certainly not big on horror movies. I survived two "Nightmare of Elm Street" films (the first and 3rd) without losing any sleep over them, but it'd be so long that I have no memory of them. The same can be said about the original "Saw," where the twists and turns kept me on my toes and the ending was pretty huge. A great psychological thriller... but again, my memory about it is terrible.

In the case of "Psycho," I really wanted to get down on "paper" my feelings while they're still fresh.
My only other encounter with Hitchcock was "Rear Window"... I felt that the movie dragged a little too much for me to get fully invested, but it was interesting to see nonetheless. Especially since it's one of those movies that have been spoofed so many times. Most recently on "Castle," where they staged such a situation for his birthday.

Everyone of course knows "Psycho" for the iconic shower scene and the infamous quote "a boy's best friend is his mother." The only other piece of knowledge I had going in was approximately half of the twist ending.

Bates Motel

I don't know what exactly attracted to me this series.

Maybe it was the fact they said it would be a mini-series of 10 episodes...

Maybe it was the fact it starred Freddie Highmore, who I'd gotten to know from movies like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Finding Neverland"... he's one of those young actors I like following from one movie to the next to see what they're going to do.
I was impressed with him in "The Art of Getting By" where he plays a high school student with a lot of potential but doesn't apply himself under the guise "we're all going to die someday, so why bother trying?" A really good indie film I'd absolutely recommend.

Ultimately, I'd say it's a little of both things plus something else: occasionally, I like testing myself (in TV and movies) to experience things that scare me. I figured a TV series prequel of "Psycho" would help desensitize me and the fact it was to be 10 episodes meant I wouldn't have to make a huge commitment.
Of course, it wasn't quite that simple. It's simply 10 episodes PER SEASON. I flipped out when it heard there'd be more... but now that we're going into season three now, I'm half afraid the ending will come too quickly.

First of all, the series is amazing. It's very edgy. The characters are written so well. Sure, I wanted Norma Bates to die within a couple episodes because she was driving me crazy :P but you start to get attached to these characters. Everyone has a little crazy in them. Let's get that cleared up.
Granted, she'd been put through the ringer so many times that you can understand why she's wound up so tight. Growing up in an abusive household. Her first husband being abusive. Episode one of "Bates Motel" has a rape scene where she's attacked by the previous motel owner and he becomes the first casualty of the series. She's been very unlucky in love, having been with a bunch of losers. But she also turned down a perfectly nice guy after a couple dates because he committed the smallest transgression.
Norman, on the other hand, is played very well by Freddie Highmore. He's very sensitive, but has explosive outbursts. There are plenty moments where you want him to get away with murder and others where you wish he didn't.

Going into season three, I think we have a body count of 5...
Granted, a couple were self-defense. But Norman also got away with one murder that may have begun his descent into madness from which there's no returning.

Psycho: Beginning the Suspense
As well as beginning the spoilers
I had planned to see the movie as soon as "Bates Motel" ended... but I also had a few other conditions in mind. They were ultimately upheld.
The biggest one: I had to see "Psycho" [the original, NOT the Vince Vaughn remake, you can't remake genius] when it was still daylight. Just in case nightmares followed me around for a day or two... so far :knock on wood: that hasn't happened. And I haven't been scared away from showering. [I'll keep locking the door for the next couple times, just in case].
Somehow, TCM picked the perfect time to broadcast the movie. It was last Saturday. "Bates Motel" would be started its third season on Monday... and as crazily coincidental as you can get, the series feels like it is mere moments away from eclipsing on the beginning of the film.

The movie begins with our main character, setting up her back story. Marion Crane is in a relationship with this guy, Sam. Neither of which can afford to get married. Her with her dead-end secretary position and him still having to pay his ex-wife alimony.

An opportunity to pay off Sam's debts lands on her lap and, not surprisingly, she takes it.
A client had given her $40,000, meant for a house he was purchasing as a wedding present, to deposit in the bank. She instead takes the money and runs away.

The opening credits is easily a standout in the movie's production. Introducing us to the eerie score while printing the names of the participants across the screen after series of bars resembling bars on a jail cell.
Ben Mankiewicz of TCM made a note before the beginning of the movie that Hitchcock was so impressed with Bernard Hermann's score that he put his name just before his at the end of the credits... back then, I believe the director was put last for emphasis, so putting the composer before him spoke highly of his contribution.

The score returns as Marion makes her slow getaway. She's in her car, leaving the city. There's a moment where her boss is crossing the street and they lock eyes. Normally, you'd think nothing of it because it's very brief. But the score suggests otherwise.Her paranoia continues when she wakes up the next morning. It was raining heavily and she pulled off onto the shoulder to rest. She's woken up by a cop, who asks for her license and suggests she stop in a motel next time. He spends the next few minutes tailing her. Although he's given no indication that he's onto her, the score counteracts that.

Eventually, Marion Crane does find herself at the Bates Motel. Norman Bates warmly welcomes, even invites her up to the house for dinner. This request is denied by his mother, so he brings her a tray of food to eat in the office, which happens to be decorated by stuffed birds.

Of course, we all know Hitchcock had a thing about birds... he freaking made a movie about them attacking people... but that was a good connection "Bates Motel" made. Norman's taxidermy hobby first took shape when a stray dog he'd been taking care of got run over by a car. [Ironically, in last night's episode of "Bates Motel," he talked about stuffing a crow... in the movie, he explained how birds looked just as appealing stuffed as they did alive, unlike other animals that are more terrifying]

From the moment Norman was introduced in "Psycho," I already felt like I knew him. Freddie Highmore's performance in the series was VERY close to what Anthony Perkins brought to the film. All the kindness and sensitivity was there as was the difficult relationship with his mother. Marion suggested he try to break away, which he is reluctant to agree to, and soon comes to the conclusion that she needs to face up to what she did.

Unfortunately, that does not come to pass... as any movie fan would know.
Even though I'd seen it multiple times in spoofs and movie countdowns, the shower scene was still chilling. It was very graphic for its time. In the flashes, I saw some nudity that had been obscured in post-production and so on. And just her expression afterwards, the way her body came to rest on the ground... phew... I don't know enough to really say this, but I will anyway... that's classic movie horror at its best.

[Another "Bates Motel" connection they made the other night- Norman was out back spying on a hotel guest who was getting into a shower... and based on the final moment of the episode, she might have become another victim]

After that, it was very predictable how Norman would dispose of the evidence. He'd clean everything up. He'd put the body (and all of Marion's things) in the car's trunk and sink her car into the lake. [That is kinda what he and Norma did with the former motel owner in episode one].

Psycho: Maintaining the Suspense

MORE SPOILERS

 I'd only encourage people who don't care

or

those who'd seen this movie

to continue forward

Janet Leigh dies 45 minutes into the movie... Norman Bates didn't make his first appearance until the 30 minute mark... so I found myself wondering: how are they going to kill the rest of the movie's two hour runtime?

The answer: cleverly

Marion Crane's one act of fraudulence is what led to the solution of the Bates Motel mystery. It's one thing for her to disappear and her sister and Sam to wonder what became of her. It's another for her to commit a crime that demands investigation. Said investigation would not have been accomplished, certainly not effectively, if she hadn't done wrong.

The one lead they had that she left town was the locking of eyes with her boss upon her exodus from Phoenix. Upon leaving town, she only encountered a small number of people. The cop (who we never saw again... I was half expecting that to amount to something) and the used car dealer that she traded her car for another.
But I suppose the next best lead they'd have is search all of the motels in the vicinity. Despite the fact the Bates Motel had been off the grid for 10 years (thanks to a bypass... something that's still coming into being in the series, and I believe will be the activating incident that'll seal the fate of Norma and Norman Bates), the detective finds his way there.

Upon meeting Norman, Detective Arbogast has his suspicions... the mannerisms and nervousness, but also the comments about his mother and not being able to maintain any means of a story to explain himself. The detective places one call, giving his location as well as his suspicions, impressing he's going to do further investigation.
Marion's sister Lila and Sam talk to the local sheriff, who explains that Mrs. Bates and her love died 10 years ago.

As for our detective, he makes the mistake of going into the house. [By the way, "Bates Motel" has all of its details down perfectly. It felt like being in the same house... except in a different color palette].
He goes up the stairs, looking for Mrs. Bates. The camera first focuses on his face as he's making his ascent up the staircase. A few moments later, we switch to another view. We see the landing on the staircase from above. A figure suddenly appears not a moment after the detective reaches the final step and we have murder victim #2.

The shower scene is impressive in its own right, but I admired this murder scene so much that I was literally going "Wow" and oohing and aahing about it.
Not so much that it was a surprise (it was so predictable), I was just really impressed by the way it was shot. The view from above. The figure seemingly out of nowhere with the eerie music right along with it. Just wow...

We also get a scene with Norman and his mother fighting again and him taking her down the staircase into the basement while she's cursing him out [without actually cursing or struggling for that matter]

Eventually, Sam and Lila do make it up to the Bates Motel to do their own investigation. Expecting more clichés to come, I was telling them "don't separate, it's not going to end well."
That is, of course, what they do. But Sam is keeping Norman occupied while Lila is searching the house. Like I said, I knew 50% of the twist ending, so I kinda knew that she wouldn't be in serious danger if Sam was with Norman. He does, however, get wise, knock Sam out and storm back to the house.

Lila stumbles across Mrs. Bates in the basement... what's left of her... I knew this part, so that wasn't a jump-scare type moment.

What WAS almost jump-scare worthy was seeing the real killer...
I already kinda knew that it was Norman, but seeing him go full psycho on screen (yeah, that pun was intended, so sue me)... phew, I felt like I really needed a few extra minutes to mentally recover from that... I'll bet that would have been REALLY scary back in the time where the movie was released, in a dark theater, where the audience has no idea what's coming...

I thought about Marion Crane in the shower... I don't know what would have been scary: the fact someone brandishing a knife was attacking her in a shower... or seeing a nice man you just met disguised as his mother with a psycho-killer expression in eyes attacking you...

:shudder:
but I digress... once the shock wore off, I was perfectly fine a few minutes after the movie ended and I found other distractions. I wouldn't say I was screaming like a raving lunatic. It was more of an educated scream that I was able to really appreciate from physical and psychological standpoint

Psycho: A 15 Minute Crash Course in Psychoanalysis

Again, another question quickly answered for me: now that we knew who our killer was and prevented him from committing murder for the third (and perhaps 4th time) on-screen, how do you spend the final minutes of this movie?

Nowadays, a lot of movies are so rushed from point A to point B that we never really get a chance to explore the events that unfold. And if so, that chance usually comes after the credits roll.
After Norman is hauled off to a psych ward, we actually spend the final minutes of the movie explaining his circumstances and how they manifested. And it was fascinating... creepy, but very fascinating.

I knew from "Bates Motel" that Norman Bates and his mother didn't have the ideal mother-son relationship. They had only each other and their integral character flaw is that they will go to any lengths to maintain homeostasis- maintaining the only life they know how to live.

Norma would disapprove of Norman's relationships, believing none were ever good enough for him. [I doubt that'll be the case with his friend, Emma... but right now, it looks like her medical condition will be her undoing]
Meanwhile, Norman was very distrustful of any man that his mother got involved with. Some were for good reason. Others were not- they were simply getting between them in his view.

The doctor further explained that Norman crossed that mental barrier and may have taken on the personality of his mother permanently... one person asked if Norman dressing as his mother made him a transvestite... back in those days, I guess jumping to that conclusion made some sense. But that wasn't the case.

What was a murder-suicide wound up being a double murder... in a jealous rage, Norman poisoned his mother and her lover.
Both had their mental issues, of course, but this act of murder lead to his condition as it stands. In order to protect himself from the truth of his mother's murder, he kept her body maintained with formaldehyde [fitting, considering his hobby is taxidermy], occasionally dressing as her and maintaining conversations for the two of them.

[still gives me the creeps...}

The final shot of the film was creepy and slightly confusing until I read up on it afterwards.
We hear mental conversations between Norma and Norman Bates while the camera slowly zooms in his face... Anthony Perkins at his creepiest (well, second, to the big reveal 15 minutes earlier)... and the picture fades into the car being towed out of the lake.

I was so entranced by that point that the ending felt very sudden and a little jarring... didn't quite make sense that that'd be the final shot.
But according to the trivia, the view is of the images of Mrs. Bates and Norman overlapping one another and the chain towing the car is "connected" to their chest... to show that they're all connected.

Additional Comments

First of all, there is no way this movie would have succeeded if it was in color. The score probably wouldn't have been as jarring or influential on the mind of the movie viewer if there were other things to distract. Plus, given that this was in 1960, it probably would have been too gory to have made it past the censors.

It's fascinating to read how Hitchcock insisted no one be admitted to theaters after the movie begins. It's one thing about Janet Leigh's murder and not wanting to anger people who arrive late who don't see her. It's also something that helps maintain the illusion. Not to mention... it'd take away from the shock factor if someone arrived in the theater too late (for them and disturbing the people already there).

Almost as genius as the trailer where Hitchcock nonchalantly comes short of giving away the entire plot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps8H3rg5GfM

One of the FAQ's on IMDB asked about the point of the psychoanalysis scene...
I freaking gasped when I read that because I felt the clarification was needed and it was extremely informative. Maybe I just wanted to hear Norman's mental state explained clearly so I could better appreciate it... as well as register these warning signs for when "Bates Motel" progresses to that point.

The overall pacing of this film was done so well. My only real criticism would be the use of the cop. To not only have him give Marion the 3rd degree when they first meet, but to follow her AND watch her exchange her car at the used dealership... and not do anything beyond that... I realize that's supposed to give insight into Marion's mindset, but I felt it ran too long.

Otherwise, every moment in this movie was really used to the full advantage of advancing the plot or developing the characters. Anthony Perkins was amazing throughout this. Janet Leigh did a great death scene.

Just the overall making and look of this film, I really appreciated and enjoyed. And was very impressed by.

Not to say I've lost complete faith in today's movies. There's a lot of repetition and clichés. But I still find things to appreciate: whether it's a good script, a great performance (either by one of my favorite actors or someone new to me and/or movie-going audiences) or whatever.

There are just moments like these where I like taking the time to give credit where it's due, particularly when it's something out of my comfort zone or simply from an earlier time when the silver screen meant something more... I don't know... special.

25. Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Code-name: 1890's bromance

Director: Guy Ritchie

Type: book-to-movie, mystery, thriller, drama, action/adventure

Music: Hans Zimmer
(I had, unknowingly, been a fan of Hans Zimmer for years and this movie is why he's become one of my favorite movie composers, second only to John Williams).

Cast:
Sherlock Holmes- Robert Downey Jr.
Dr. Watson- Jude Law
Lord Blackwood- Mark Strong
Irene Adler- Rachel McAdams
Mary Morstan- Kelly Reilly 
Mrs. Hudson- Geraldine James
Inspector Lestrade- Eddie Marsan
Clarkey- William Huston
[Honorable Mention]
Dredger- Robert Maillet

Notable Awards and Nominations:

Golden Globe-

Best Actor (comedy/musical)-

Robert Downey Jr.

...yeah, it's kind of a big deal 8-)

nomination-OSCAR- Best Art Direction (lost to "Avatar")
nomination-OSCAR- Best Original Score- Hans Zimmer (lost to "Up")

...btw, where was his freaking Oscar nomination for this? :-P

nomination- Grammy- Best Original Score- Hans Zimmer

Write-up:

First Impressions [both of Sherlock and this movie]

I knew nothing about Sherlock Holmes before this movie. The closest I got to it was when we read "The Speckled Band" in 7th grade.

It was announced a few months after Robert impressed me in "Tropic Thunder" that he'd play the title role in this new adaptation. This was a couple years before I became the crazy super fan I am now, so my intentions were just to see another great performance.
I want to say that I saw the movie before he won the Golden Globe. The timing of both things were pretty close. The same weekend I saw it and "Avatar" (the 2nd time, this time in 3D) was the weekend he won...

Anyway, my reaction was mixed. I gave "Sherlock Holmes" a B+
and my first review went something like this:

Overall, I’d say my rating is generous. Of course, I am very generous to my current favorite actor. There was one part towards the end before the climax where I think I was starting to fall asleep. It’s the sort of movie where your paying attention is rewarded at the end where everything is explained. But at times, it's very hard to pick out individual words and phrases from Downey’s British accent. One scene aside (featuring McAdams in men’s clothing and mulitple explosions in slow motion), there are some moments that only RDJ’s charisma make special"

Aside from running a little too long, my first impression wasn't great because I didn't know what to expect coming into it. I expected the typical pensive Sherlock Holmes we're all accustomed to seeing or, in my case, just knowing of. Instead, this was an action/adventure with emphasis on action. It took me a while to get used to the fact that this was a more active version of this character.

As it turns out, this was actually the closest adaptation there's been to the source material.
Aside from the dead-on accent, the comedic aspect and, obviously, Robert's overall performance, the coolest thing about it for me the first time was the final act. When Sherlock reveals to Lord Blackwood how he solved the case and discredited him as a practitioner of dark magic.

My dad's mentioned a few times with a couple movies he'd seen in-flight how it helps to pay attention because it comes together in the end. This was my first experience with this personally and naturally that helped me fall slowly in love with the film.
Unless you're British or have a good ear for accents, on those grounds alone, I'd recommend seeing this movie more than once. Not just catching the dialogue, but also all the tiny details that come together in Blackwood's grand scheme.

Plot
We open up in the middle of the action. Sherlock and Watson are pursing a killer responsible for the deaths of four girls and if not for them, would have killed a fifth in yet another ritualistic sacrifice. Lord Blackwood is apprehended and taken to jail to await his execution.

Three months later, he's to be hanged and Sherlock's biggest concern, aside from lack of cases, is losing Watson to marriage. In this portion, there's a lot of great character development between the two roommates, which helps if you're unfamiliar with the stories. Mostly in the form of witty banter and one-liners from Sherlock.

We get back to the main plot where Lord Blackwood tells Sherlock about the next part of his plan, just moments before he is hanged.
Then reentering his life for, according to dialogue, the third time is Irene Adler. She asks Sherlock to find someone for her and he purses her (in disguise of course) to find more. Particularly a little about her employer.

He does find her missing "ginger midget" (his words), but in the coffin of Lord Blackwood. Scotland Yard had been called to the graveyard initially on reports that he had risen from the grave. And so the game is afoot...

Watson tries his best to break ties with Holmes, but gets roped into one last case with him where they try to discern Lord Blackwood's plan. This is done with some assistance, as well as some hindrance, from Irene Adler.

The Actors and The Acting

Oddly enough, I have a very hard time imagining where I had seen Jude Law before Sherlock Holmes. I'm starting to think that the only place I'd seen him was in entertainment news and as People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive.
After this movie and seeing the amazing chemistry he has with Robert, I'd wanted to see more of him. Plus, he's a good looking guy, so that goes without saying. Sadly, the only other positive venture I got out of it was "The Holiday." I stuck with him and defended him throughout "Closer" until the final moments. And "The Talented Mr. Ripley"... let's say he did deserve what he got.

Between "Mean Girls" and "The Vow," I'd seen so much of Rachel McAdams lately that the illusion I always had of her as Irene Adler was temporarily shattered. She is so into this role and so good at it that I usually see her as the character, not as one of my favorite actresses.

Everyone else, I'm getting to know for the first time. I'd seen Eddie Marsan once or twice since out of pure coincidence. Mark Strong, the only other time I'd seen him was a cameo he had on a Jaguar SuperBowl commercial with Tom Hiddelston and Ben Kingsley (note: all three had worked with RDJ... the only other common link is that they're Brits who play helluva good villains).

Just recently, I've started watching Kelly Reilly's new show "Black Box" and the results have been great so far. There could be an Emmy in it for her ;) assuming it avoids cancellation

As far as the acting goes, this is definitely among Robert's finest performances. The Golden Globe was well deserved. He always has this magnetism on screen. When he's at his best, I feel like he becomes his character and I forget he's playing a role.
Having said all that, I have other roles I prefer him in per my personal tastes. Sometimes it's more about the emotional intangibles than grade A execution. Also, as much as I think he pulls off a great accent here (thanks to his dialect coach Andrew Jack, whom he worked with on "Chaplin"), I find his normal speaking voice much more attractive.

Credits to the Director and Producers

Except for Mel Brooks back in the day, I didn't really pay attention to directors until I watched Robert Inside The Actor's Studio. He spoke so highly of the directors and writers he'd worked with that I couldn't help but want to learn more.

Guy Ritchie is a very hands-on director. Behind the scenes, you'd see him up close with the actors going over the choreography with them step by step.

After Sherlock Holmes, I checked into "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch"... just to see the types of movies he'd been known for doing beforehand.
So far, for me, the results have been mixed. I think I needed subtitles for LS2SB because I could not understand 80% of the dialogue. I don't remember much else except there were no big names in it and the last half hour was actually good. As for "Snatch," I could understand it better but not by much. It starred Brad Pitt and he was rather good in it. It had some comedic moments, but the pacing was slow on numerous occasions.
But I'm not giving up. It might just take multiple viewings for me to wrap my head around this man's style. One thing's for sure: Sherlock Holmes speaks on a grander scale with a much sharper picture, probably thanks to having more resources from WB studios. And kick-ass producers like Joel Silver ("Lethal Weapon" and "Weird Science" to name a few), Susan Downey (yes, Robert's amazing wife 8-) ), and Lionel Wigram (all of David Yates' directed Harry Potter films).

[Just found this out: WB approached Guy Ritchie to direct this movie. Rather fittingly, Guy grew up on the stories and had wanted to bring them to the big screen.
WB wanted him to make it more like the films he'd done in the past and he wanted to do it on a broader, more accessible picture and the result was a compromise of that... fascinating stuff...]

All the Details
Overall, this movie is very cerebral. The dialogue is fast-paced, often with a lot of technical details, so you have to be on your toes. Or better yet, relax the first couple times and you'll absorb the details via osmosis :-P

If you have extra time, I'd recommend just searching the many interviews on YouTube Robert and Jude gave promoting this film. I have four of them saved under my YouTube favorites, but I'd probably seen this one the most out of all of them. They talk about how they go along almost instantly, their chemistry, how the characters relate to one another. Lots of juicy details.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAIHw55aeWM
In another interview, director Guy Ritchie said how he liked the idea of an American playing Sherlock. Then Jude coming on board came down to Robert saying "only Jude would do" and this epic bromance is born.

I've seen so much footage from interviews to Guy Ritchie's Maximum Movie Mode on the Blu-ray extras that I've learned so much about this movie, what happens in it, how certain scenes were shot, where some of the inspiration came from (actual dialogue in the actual stories!)... whether that makes me an obsessed fan girl or movie nerd is your choice.
I just found it all very fascinating, which makes the overall experience even more fun.

Seeing the movie more, going past the obvious things that keep me coming back, I came to love how detail-oriented it is. Every article in each setting belongs there and has some merit and bearing on the overall story. Some more obvious than others.
One thing Guy Ritchie pointed out in Maximum Movie Mode is a post in Baker Street Sherlock likely used to practice his martial arts on.

Like I said, this is a very physical film. Once I got used to that new element, I couldn't help but marvel at the fight scenes. Guy Ritchie worked with a lot of slow motion, especially in key fights where we see the slowed down version and it's sped up to normal speed after all the explanations.
The only scene where I felt this didn't work was during the slaughterhouse explosions... it was just overdone for me. Then again, the following scene where the police find Sherlock, wouldn't have worked if it was all filmed in normal speed.

Of course while doing their research, the guys read all of the stories. Robert went the extra mile by spending time with Leslie Clinger, a tax lawyer who lives in Malibu who happens to be an expert in all things Sherlock Holmes.

Researching The Brand

Part of it is because I'm a sucker for useless trivia and part of it is also living up to the fact this man researches his roles so well that he knows them backwards and forwards. I wanted in on that action. Actually, I think some of that has filtered into the novel I'd been working on for the past several months, wanting to know my characters as well as he does.

Sometime in early 2011, I bought myself the first volume (of two) of Sherlock Holmes and started reading the stories. I finished it within a month and shortly after got the second volume.
Makes me go back to one interview he did with Jimmy Kimmel. Robert asked the audience who read the books and Jimmy discounts the cheering saying they're all liars.
It'd been a year or two after the movie came out, but yeah, I READ THE STORIES, JIMMY KIMMEL!

Did I make that loud enough? :-P

I don't remember which ones, but there were only a handful of stories I didn't get into. One of them was the "Sign of Four," which I found overlong and boring.

With the first story, "A Study in Scarlet," I was impressed by chapter 2 where Holmes goes through his process, talking about how he only keeps the most important knowledge at his disposal (not caring that the Earth revolves around the sun, stuff like that), and at the crime scene where he measured a man's height by the stride of his footprints.

Extraordinary stuff...
it's also great reading Watson's engaging narrative and getting to know him, not as the bumbling old man people had come to know in previous adaptations, but as an ex-military man who battled in Afghanistan. It's pretty obvious how much they care about one another even if some of that involves tough love.

Naturally, I decided to check into as much Sherlock Holmes related stuff because I found the mythology fascinating and of course, part of me wanted to compare and say how much better the Guy Ritchie version is. (And how Robert would always be my favorite Sherlock).

From the scholarly standpoint, I think the CBS series "Elementary" captures the feel of the books better. How eccentric Sherlock was. And I also loved Lucy Liu as "Joan" Watson. On the premise alone, I was intrigued by a female Watson and she's an interesting character. They also take an interesting angle with her relationship with him, showing how she doesn't have much a life going on outside of him and as of recently, she decided that needs to change.
However, I can't stand by all of the reimaginings  presented in "Elementary." Case-in-point: how they made Irene Adler and Moriarty THE SAME PERSON. People who saw Sherlock 2 had their complaints that Jared Harris wasn't a sinister enough Moriarty (I'll cover that in a bit). I just felt cheated that they combined two of the most iconic characters from the series. And I rather liked Natalie Dormer as Irene Adler until they screwed things up.
Recently, they also caused a ruckus with Sherlock's brother Mycroft. He'd been featured in a few stories, written as someone even more brilliant than Sherlock, but too lazy to apply his powers of observation in anything constructive. In "Elementary," they wrote him as the estranged brother who had a fling with Watson, was a secret agent and ultimately had to fake his death to get away from the bad guys... yeah, nothing like the books or any other version.

I'd been meaning to see the highly acclaimed series Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch, but the timing was never right. Unless it's available on Hulu, I was always watching something else at the same time. But whatever flickers I did see of it, I did like, but I need to see more to be sure.

I also saw one adaptation of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" where Sherlock was played by Peter Cushing. It was a well-written adaptation for sure. I especially impressed that they had a more active Watson than people were accustomed to seeing.

Sequels

Yes, I have an "s" at the end of that and it's not just blind optimism.

I saw an article on IMDB from one of the producers who said a third Sherlock Holmes is in development. The problem is that everyone got busy... to which I say, "You try being Iron-Man and Sherlock Holmes and in Avengers at the same time" :-P

But it would put my heart at ease to see the moment where Sherlock and Watson have their epic reunion scene... seeing as Sherlock 2 ended with Sherlock believed to be dead by everyone but the audience ;)
I also want to give everyone involved a chance to redeem themselves for "A Game of Shadows."

To put it lightly, I felt like they went too big too fast.
The third act penultimate "explanation" of how he solved the puzzle of Moriarty was extremely rushed and muddled. Instead of laying out the evidence piece by piece in the background like in the previous film, they were barely glanced over to begin with. We're just expected to believe Mary had been playing detective with Mycroft and Sherlock followed Moriarty's whereabouts under more disguises... sorry, I ain't buyin'.
Jared Harris as Moriarty was intimidating at first, but seeing it a couple more times, I think his actions were more intimidating than his on-screen presence. Upon further examination, the final chess scene when he does his own "Holmes-a-vision" bit to counteract Sherlock's fight scene scenario comes off rather goofy.

What did work in its favor was casting Noomi Rapace as the new female co-lead (my first experience with her and I thought she was great). Watson's wedding to Mary was very touching. Every scene at 221b Baker Street felt like home. The train scene had all the elements of a great Sherlock Holmes action scene and is one of the better executed bits of dramatics in the film.
The funniest part with his promotion of Sherlock 2 was talking about this cross-dressing scene and how awkward it became remembering how it was HIS idea :-P

Of course, I have to address the awesomeness that is Robert hosting Maximum Movie Mode on the Blu-Ray. He joked throughout that this was something only of interest to people who are sick or cooped up on a rainy day.
I do not need those excuses to deal with DVD commentary. I do it because I want to know more about movies from the directors, producers and actors that work on them.
As he always is, Robert was intelligent and knowledgeable when he needed to be and comedic in the times in between. Personally, I have to disagree with his belief everyone decided that they loved seeing him get his ass handed to him in movies after getting a taste of it in a certain indie flick he did in 2005... I prefer seeing him able to handle himself ;)

Coming Soon


[here's hoping my next couple entries come out this good]


Next week will be a movie that has a little something for everyone. Action, adventure, romance, comedy (lots of great comedy), loveable sidekicks and much more. It's probably the most quotable movie on this list where I could easily mute it and know it word for word. And it's another movie, for whatever reason, I fought my mom on seeing for years and when I did, I couldn't not find out how it ended.

33. The DaVinci Code (2006)

Code-name: SangRael
("It means... royal blood"... it's also derived from the French for "Holy Grail")

Director: Ron Howard
Composer: Hans Zimmer [which was nominated for a Golden Globe]
Type: book-to-movie adaptation, drama, thriller, historical fiction

Cast:
Robert Langdon- Tom Hanks
Sophie Neveu- Audrey Tautou
Lee Teabing- Ian McKellan
Captain Bezu Fache- Jean Reno
Silas- Paul Bettany
Opus Dei Bishop Manuel Aringarosa- Alfred Molina
Remy, Teabing's butler- Jean-Yves Berteloot

Write-up:

As far as religion goes, I'm as casual a Christian as you can get. We were friends with a church-going family and because the patriarch was a reverend, we went a couple times. It never took for me... just a whole lot of reading Bible verses and singing hymns, everyone in the room seeming like they knew them by heart...

But on my own time, I have read my Bible on occasion. One December, I read the first four books of the New Testament and wrote down my favorite verses. And every now and then, I pray to myself, especially when it's over something I'm stressed or worried about.

So... as far as reinterpreting what you thought you knew about the Holy Book, "The DaVinci Code" caught a lot of people's attention. Practically my dad. I think it was one of those many books he bought at an airport, alongside several Tom Clancy, John Grisham and Jack Reacher novels over the years.
I remember him raving about it and even convinced my mom and I read it and the prequel, "Angels and Demons."

With "Angels & Demons," I found it kinda boring compared to "The DaVinci Code," but I loved the movie adaptation. The only negative was that Ewan McGregor wound up being the villain... buzz-kill.

After reading the book, my dad and I saw this in theaters. For a moment, I thought I might have the ticket stub, but I was mistaken. It was May of 2006 and it was a thrilling experience from start to finish.
The only other comments I have to add as far as impressions go; I totally missed the big reveal about Sophie in the book... do not remember that coming up at all. And there was one part of the Prior of Scion scene that I looked forward to seeing play out in the movie, but it never did :( still kinda disappointed about that, but I'll go into more detail later.

Once my SPOILER ALERT warning is posted...

Ok, here we go... for the record, reading the book does help, but unlike with my YA sci-fi/fantasy books that I adhere to like my life depends on them (as if my entries don't already give that away, lol), I'm not demanding it as a prerequisite.
I only read it once in 2005 during my senior year of high school, so I don't remember much, but it was fast-paced and intriguing all at the same time.

Premise

The story begins with a dramatic murder that takes place in the Louvre afterhours. Before the victim dies, he scribbles down a message and turns himself into a replication of Leonardo DaVinci's "Vitruvian Man".

At the same time, Harvard symbology professor, Robert Langdon is giving a lecture about how symbols have been used over the years in different contexts. Like how some symbols thought to represent evil were once used for good. Posiden's trident being mistaken for Devil's pitchfork and a swastika once being a symbol of peace.
During a book singing for his "Sacred Feminine," he's called down to the murder scene by Detective Bezu Fache... unaware this was to force a confession, opposed to using his expertise to determine the real killer.

While there, Langdon also meets detective Sophie Neveau, who shows him the complete murder scene (Fache wiped some of the evidence for his own agenda) and tells him how the victim, Jacques Sauniere was her grandfather.

The message read:
Oh draconian devil, oh lame saint
P.S. Find Robert Langdon
and a set of numbers, when pieced together, make up the Fibonacci sequence
[1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21]
Sophie also reveals "P.S." stands for "Princess Sophie" and believes they needed to meet for some important reason.

Besides symbology, Langdon's specialty is puzzles and anagrams, and he determines that the "draconian devil" bit translated to "Leonardo DaVinci The Mona Lisa".
A few clues later, they find a key with a fleur de lis (the crest of the Priory of Scion) and their quest begins.

At first, we think it's about finding Jacques Sauniere's killer, but it winds up being about Sophie and who she really is.

Casting

For whatever reason (my mom thinks it has to do with his previous work on "Bosom Buddies" and "Forrest Gump"), my dad does not like Tom Hanks, so he was skeptical about his casting as the lead for this film.
He's not still his favorite actor, but he thought he did a respectable job in these movies.
Then again, the detective work and treasure hunting were probably the biggest things he took away from it.
All around, Tom Hanks is just one of those actors that are really nice guys and have a good range they can work. He does comedies and dramas both really well and he isn't a bad voice actor either.

Other people considered for the same role were Bill Paxton (who dropped out), Russell Crowe (who'd worked with Ron Howard on the Oscar-winning "A Beautiful Mind"), Ralph Fiennes, Hugh Jackman and George Clooney.
I can kinda see (and hear) George Clooney doing this role, but otherwise, I don't think anyone else could have done it better. Tom Hanks has kinda solidified in my mind as this impressive character.

Speaking of "A Beautiful Man," Paul Bettany was cast as the murderer, Silas. I find it a little comical that he does full posterior negativity in this movie... between this and "A Knight's Tale" (where I saw him and Heath Ledger for the first time), you'd think it was a thing for him. How he's unable to keep his clothes on.
But unlike "A Knight's Tale," where Jeffrey Chaucer had a gambling problem and kept losing his clothes, Silas goes full nude (always from behind) for a brutal purpose specific to his faith.

Oh, how they ran all those news pieces afterwards about how Opus Dei isn't as brutal a sect as it's portrayed on this film. They're die-hard Christians in more ways than one. For this specific point, like Silas, some of them wear a cilice (a barbed leg brace that they periodically tighten) and whip themselves. The point is to suffer as Jesus suffered.
Too hardcore for my tastes and luckily for this film, we only have to endure one instance of self-flagellation. Gotta give it up to Paul Bettany, he really does go all out for his acting.

The only other actor I knew going into this was Ian McKellan... from being a "Lord of the Rings" fan, obviously. Of course, for Langdon's British colleague who happens (for the sake of this plot) to be a "Grail scholar," you needed an actor of great respect and esteem. For this specific role, he is such a delight to watch. So into his expertise about The Holy Grail.
As fate would have it (or not, depending on which point you are in the story), four murders were committed within the past several hours. All of them happened to be the current highest ranking officials of the Priory... who keep the truth about the Holy Grail. Jacques Sauniere was the GrandMaster of them all.

As for everyone else, I believe I saw Jean Reno in a "National Treasure" film... a great actor I should see more of because he has a great presence on screen. (Interestingly, Dan Brown said he wrote for Detective Fache with him in mind... gotta love it how stuff works out that way).
Alfred Molina, I know well as Dr. Ock from "Spiderman 2," probably my favorite of the trilogy.

Audrey Tautou, I haven't seen in any other movie. I know she was the lead in "Amelie" and she also played Coco Chanel in a biopic, but for the most part, she's a French actress who sticks to a lot of French films.
Supposedly, Ron Howard fought hard to convince her to do this part, so he must have been a huge fan.

Funny how the movies he directs are so serious and so well made and Ron Howard's career started with making us laugh on "Happy Days." I'd only just started the series last year.

Twists and Turns

The book (and movie) have lots of twists. You kinda need to keep on your toes and if you're religious in any way, it helps to keep an open mind.

My dad got into it because it involves figuring out puzzles, but also because it's history reinterpreted. He had to point out on the first couple pages, how it said the story's based on true events. Alongside him, I can't help but be convinced the events in this story might have some truth to them.

The key leads them to a Swiss Bank account, which leads them to a box decorated with the image of a rose. Inside the box is a cryptex. With the right five letter code, you can release the papyrus inside. Get it wrong or force it open and you unleash a bottle of vinegar inside that erases the messages.
And of course, while all this is going on, Landgon and Sophie are fugitives from law and have to keep pace to avoid Fache, notorious for his unwillingness to give up. Lots of great chase scenes, one of which Langdon and Sophie in a Smart car :-P one of the best scenes in the movie.

The dialogue runs fast so it helps to pay attention because every now and then, you find nuggets of hilarity.
One comes in a conversation with Teabing where they talk about the symbols for spear (^) and chalice (v) stand for male and female. And Teabing says something like "[in the military] the more penises you have, the higher your rank".

Probably my favorite scene in the book is the conversation he and Langdon have, talking about the Holy Grail and stuff. But I remembered it reading differently. I think in the book, he and Langdon were in agreement, adding onto each other's thoughts. In the movie, it comes off more as arguing.

So... the big truth that could possibly destroy the Church if revealed... and supposedly the murders happened to prevent the members of the Priory from doing so...
The Holy Grail isn't the famous chalice, but a chalice in other right. Chalice meaning female because it is the shape of the womb. And it points to one woman in particular, Jesus's companion, Mary Magdalene. (Yeah, whenever The Bible namedropped her, the word "prostitute" was common... apparently to discredit this). Not only was she in DaVinci's The Last Supper, but word is that she was carrying the "royal bloodline" at the time of the Crucifixion.

A very controversial notion because somehow Jesus having a bloodline makes him seem... well, human, opposed to miracle-working son of God.
That and the fact she was the one that was supposed to carry on the Church instead of Saint Peter.
Oh yeah, according to old school Christians, it's like "oh God forbid a woman be in charge of the church"...

Don't worry, I'm not one of those feminists that go crazy about inequality of women and such. But it's one of those reasons why I'm not really big on organized religion.
I haven't read enough of the Bible to see any passages about the supposed "evils" of homosexuality, but that's another one of those things.
I got really worked up a couple years ago when I became acquainted with the "pray the gay away" program... within a couple months of each other, I heard two stories about people (one is one of my best friends) who went through the program and they contemplated suicide because it didn't help them.

The biggest mystery that had to be solved was about Sophie. She was raised by her grandfather, on a lot of puzzles and cryptexes, but left home when she was a teenager. This is hinted at throughout the movie, as is a time in Langdon's childhood when he almost drowned in a well... the reason why he's so claustrophobic

The clue hiding under the rose on the box led them to Westminister Abbey to visit the tomb of another Priory of Scion member, Sir Isaac Newton. Something about an orb that ought to be on a tomb... and that's the answer to the cryptex.

During the course of this, we find out who the true villain of the story is and why Silas was sent on this murderous rampage. And Detective Fache does come to realize he was wrong about Langdon and arrives in time to arrest the right man.

The final clue leads Langdon and Sophie to where the tomb of Mary Magdalene might be.
And the truth about Sophie comes out at Rosslyn Church.

Supposedly Sophie was the only member of her family to survive a car accident and Sauniere wasn't her biological grandfather.
The only part of that spectacular scene that I really missed in the movie was the other reveal that Sophie's brother was alive. The man that greets them at the Church was supposed to be him, but they decided, apparently, that the movie was long enough where the detail was unimportant. :-?

The Score

Although I wouldn't commit his name to memory until seeing a movie further down this list, I'd been unknowingly impressed by Hans Zimmer for years.
His score for "The DaVinci Code" has a lot of range to go with the various pacing of the different scenes. But for me personally, the piece that plays in the last minutes of the movie has as much lasting power as my favorite themes... like "Star Wars" and "Jurassic Park"...

The scene is where Langdon has an epiphany about Mary Magdalene. Her sarcophagus wasn't at the church, but might still lay under the rose....or in this case, the Rose-line" that runs through Paris, marking the original Prime Meridian.
With the final riddle being read by him in a voice over, he takes a nightly stroll back to the beginning of our story... at the Louvre. He kneels before it with the camera zooming under the surface to the casket. And the final shot is of him before the screen goes black.

I get chills every time I think about it. The man's got serious musical talent. So you can be sure he'll come up more as my countdown continues.

Next Week

It's a special moment when an actor or actress makes such a strong impression on me that I follow through other movies on their resumes.
While my next movie isn't the first time I saw this actress, it made sure that me and so many other people (including the Hollywood Foreign Press with a nomination) would not be forgetting her anytime soon.

And it's one of many examples of why theatrical trailers are something I swear by...
Behind franchises (based on books and/or the sci-fi/fantasy genre) and actors I go out of my way to research, they're the biggest reason I go to movies. And 9 times out of 10, the end result is worth the $7. 8-)