The Film Thugs Movie Show

The Criterion Collection, the last vestige of truly collectible DVD and Blu-Ray movies in existence. These are well produced, fancy pants editions of important and interesting films for the discerning film lover.

We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...

A Brief History of Time

Spine Number: 703

Director: Fred Newmeyer and Sam Taylor... but let's be honest, this is a Harold Lloyd movie.

Genre: Comedy

 

The world of silent film comedy is reigned by Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. And with good reason. They are wildly popular, incredible influential, and their work has been shown all over the place for years.

However, there is a "third genuis," who easily stands as an equal in terms of popularity and influence. And while this genuis may not be as well known today as Chaplin or Keaton, he was possibly more popular than both at the time. While the other two lost control over their films and found their later years in trying to recapture their fame, this man had amassed a fortune that afforded him what is considered the largest and most opulent of the old Hollywood mansions, and had moved on from his his time in front of the camera to a comfortable retirement, that included founding The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Basically, Harold Lloyd was that rare success story that ended with ... and he lived happily ever after.

His films were wildly popular. However, for all his thrilling, stunt intensive work, his most popular film was smaller and more personal, but still a solid comedy.

The Freshman is an interesting film. It still follows the Lloyd formula of an everyman struggling to find success and love, it relied more on character and emotion than on thrills. Don't get me wrong, there are still some very funny physical moments, but the heart of the movie is in the character and his struggle to fit in, and in the audience relating to his struggles and humiliations.

It's just a damned fine movie. So, check it out and join us as we discuss this often overlooked comedy classic.

Next time...

We revisit the lamps of madness and the sacred geometry that is... John Cassavetes with,

Spine number 721: Love Streams

 Also, check this out.

The Life Masters is now it's own show with its own site and own dedicated feed. That's right, we have two completely different shows! 

Right now check it out at www.thelifemasters.podbean.com.

You can also drink in our brilliance on Youtube for both The Film Thugs and The Life Masters.

http://fantasymovieleague.com/

Looks like Summer Movie League has officially become Fantasy Movie League.

It looks quite fun. Here's how it works.

You have an 8 screen theater.

Every week you pick movies and have a budget/salary cap you have to stay under.

Then you compete against other theaters in your league.

It's fantasy football for movie people.

Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.

And remember, you can be a part of the show any time you wild like. How's that? All you have to do is call or e-mail us. If you live in the US, or any place that makes calling the US easy, just dial 512-666-RANT and leave us a voicemail. We will read the Google Voice transcript and play your message. It's both funny AND informative.

If you live outside the US you can call us on Skype at The_Film_Thugs. You can leave a message, or someone might actually answer.

E-mail us at thefilmthugs@gmail.com and we will read/play whatever you send us, or you can e-mail thugquestions@gmail.com to be part of  an upcoming "Ask the Film Thugs" show, where we answer questions on any subject without having heard them first.

Also, we are on twitter @thefilmthugs and on Facebook and Vine.

Also, be sure to check back often for our new endeavor The Life Masters, where we answer questions to other advice columnists.

Thanks for listening, and until next week...

The Criterion Collection, the last vestige of truly collectible DVD and Blu-Ray movies in existence. These are well produced, fancy pants editions of important and interesting films for the discerning film lover.

We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...

A Brief History of Time

Spine Number: 700

Director: Wes Anderson

Genre: Comedy

 

For the fifth and almost final time we go back to the world of Wes Anderson.  "Fantastic Mr. Fox," is a pretty substantial departure for Wes. It's his first animated film and his first screenplay that isn't wholly original. However, every other stylistic element is there. The quirk is kept in line by the fantastic dialogue, which is delivered by the incredibly well developed characters. That's what's great about Wes. The characters and dialogue are always spot on and they always act in service to the story. The story doesn't always land, but it almost always works out to be something worth watching.

 

This is an adaptation much in the same way "Where The Wild Things Are," is an adaptation. You have the name, and some of the characters, but there is a greater depth and the story is far more complex and inventive. 

"Fantastic Mr. Fox," is a fun movie that comes close to being too darling, but never really crosses that line. It's a good time, and we kind of talk about it for a while. But you know us, this show is about whatever our scattered minds come up with at the moment. So enjoy it, it's a good ride.

 

 

Next week,  

 Spine number 703: The Freshman

 Also, check this out.

The Life Masters is now it's own show with its own site and own dedicated feed. That's right, we have two completely different shows! 

Right now check it out at www.thelifemasters.podbean.com.

You can also drink in our brilliance on Youtube for both The Film Thugs and The Life Masters.

http://fantasymovieleague.com/

Looks like Summer Movie League has officially become Fantasy Movie League.

It looks quite fun. Here's how it works.

You have an 8 screen theater.

Every week you pick movies and have a budget/salary cap you have to stay under.

Then you compete against other theaters in your league.

It's fantasy football for movie people.

Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.

And remember, you can be a part of the show any time you wild like. How's that? All you have to do is call or e-mail us. If you live in the US, or any place that makes calling the US easy, just dial 512-666-RANT and leave us a voicemail. We will read the Google Voice transcript and play your message. It's both funny AND informative.

If you live outside the US you can call us on Skype at The_Film_Thugs. You can leave a message, or someone might actually answer.

E-mail us at thefilmthugs@gmail.com and we will read/play whatever you send us, or you can e-mail thugquestions@gmail.com to be part of  an upcoming "Ask the Film Thugs" show, where we answer questions on any subject without having heard them first.

Also, we are on twitter @thefilmthugs and on Facebook and Vine.

Also, be sure to check back often for our new endeavor The Life Masters, where we answer questions to other advice columnists.

Thanks for listening, and until next week...

We are taking a break from our Criterion Year to take a look at an... interesting Christmas film.

 

Let's not split hairs here... this is one of the worst films ever made. Honestly, this thinkg barely qualifies as a movie. Yes, it is moving image and sound, and there is a story after a fashion. But more than anything, this is an unparallelled display of unchecked ego. Kirk Cameron, one of the biggest figures in the evangelical Christian scene, and one of the smallest figures in the critical thought scene, presents a poorly written, poorly acted, and just all around mess of a "movie."

 

So, in the spirit of the season, we do one of our progressive commentaries. We watch a little, talk a little, then watch a little more. If you haven't seen this, you should do yourself a favor and bask in the illogical condescention and absolute denegration of faith that is "Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas." Take a deep dive into the shallow end.

 

 

 The Criterion Collection, the last vestige of truly collectible DVD and Blu-Ray movies in existence. These are well produced, fancy pants editions of important and interesting films for the discerning film lover.

We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...

Hoop Dreams

Spine Number: 289

Director: Steve James, Frederick Marx, and Peter Gilbert

Genre: Documentary

The Academy Awards has dropped the ball several times. The Searchers, widely regarded as the greatest western of all time receiving zero nominations. The Seven Samurai not being nominated for Best Foreign Language Film. Diablo Cody having more Oscars than Alfred Hitchcock. There are so many more that we actually did an entire show dedicated to Oscar's missteps. However, of all those missteps, only one was seen as egregious enough to call the entire nomination process into question.

That film was Hoop Dreams.

Check any list of the greatest documentaries of all time and you will see this film at or near the top. What was originally intended to be a 30 minute television short filmed for PBS turned into a 171 minute documentary culled from over 250 hours of footage shot over a five year period.

The story is simple. Two African American kids from poor neighborhoods in Chicago are offered the chance to play basketball for a prestigious suburban prep school. These kids, taking 90 minute train and bus rides to this new school, are offered a chance to develop as basketball players at the school that produced their idol, Isiah Thomas. From there, the story is unpredictable, because life is unpredictable.

This is a film that Roger Ebert referred to as, "one of the best films about American life I have ever seen," and "one of the great movie going experiences of my life," and went on to be named The  Greatest Documentary of All Time by the International Documentary Associations, all while, as stated above, changing the way the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences picks films for their documentary award.... It is literally impossible to overstate the importance of this film.

But Hoop Dreams is that rare film that achieves more than that. It is more than just a film. This is a personal look at a life that most of us will never know. This is a film about passion, desire, growing up, and giving every part of your being to chasing a dream. This is a movie about America. So, if you haven't seen it... first off, why the hell haven't you seen Hoop Dreams? Second, GO SEE HOOP DREAMS!

Then, come back and listen to us talk about this amazing movie and how sports are such a huge part of our lives.

Next Week:

Spine number 300: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zussou

Also, check this out.

The Life Masters is now it's own show with its own site and own dedicated feed. That's right, we have two completely different shows!

Right now check it out at www.thelifemasters.podbean.com.

You can also drink in our brilliance on Youtube for both The Film Thugs and The Life Masters.

http://fantasymovieleague.com/

Looks like Summer Movie League has officially become Fantasy Movie League.

It looks quite fun. Here's how it works.

You have an 8 screen theater.

Every week you pick movies and have a budget/salary cap you have to stay under.

Then you compete against other theaters in your league.

It's fantasy football for movie people.

Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.

And remember, you can be a part of the show any time you wild like. How's that? All you have to do is call or e-mail us. If you live in the US, or any place that makes calling the US easy, just dial 512-666-RANT and leave us a voicemail. We will read the Google Voice transcript and play your message. It's both funny AND informative.

If you live outside the US you can call us on Skype at The_Film_Thugs. You can leave a message, or someone might actually answer.

E-mail us at thefilmthugs@gmail.com and we will read/play whatever you send us, or you can e-mail thugquestions@gmail.com to be part of  an upcoming "Ask the Film Thugs" show, where we answer questions on any subject without having heard them first.

Also, we are on twitter @thefilmthugs and on Facebook and Vine.

You can also click on one of our sponsor links below and THEY will pay us. That's right. You won't have to pay a PENNY extra, and Amazon/Onnit/Teefury will give us a little taste.

Also, be sure to check back often for our new endeavor The Life Masters, where we answer questions to other advice columnists.

Thanks for listening, and until next week...

The Criterion Collection, the last vestige of truly collectible DVD and Blu-Ray movies in existence. These are well produced, fancy pants editions of important and interesting films for the discerning film lover.

We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...

Ikiru

Spine Number: 221

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Genre: Drama

When you say Akira Kurosawa to most people, if they've hear of him at all, it's because of Seven Samurai. Which is understandable. I mean... it's an unquestioned masterpiece. Beyond that, people normally still think of Samurai movies. This week, we take a break from that and look at, what was at the time, a contemporary piece.

Ikiru, translated "To Live," is the story of a mid level government bureaucrat who is faced with his own mortality. It asks, essentially, "how does a man who has refused to live face death?"

It's impossible to overstate how beautiful this movie is. From the typically brilliant cinematography to the simple and elegant story to the amazing performances... this is everything we have come to expect from Kurosawa, but with less violence and a much more evident heart.

So, enjoy our take on a truly remarkable and life affirming film.

Next Week:

Spine number 249: The Battle of Algiers

Also, check this out.

The Life Masters is now it's own show with its own site and own dedicated feed. That's right, we have two completely different shows!

Right now check it out at www.thelifemasters.podbean.com.

You can also drink in our brilliance on Youtube for both The Film Thugs and The Life Masters.

http://fantasymovieleague.com/

Looks like Summer Movie League has officially become Fantasy Movie League.

It looks quite fun. Here's how it works.

You have an 8 screen theater.

Every week you pick movies and have a budget/salary cap you have to stay under.

Then you compete against other theaters in your league.

It's fantasy football for movie people.

Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.

And remember, you can be a part of the show any time you wild like. How's that? All you have to do is call or e-mail us. If you live in the US, or any place that makes calling the US easy, just dial 512-666-RANT and leave us a voicemail. We will read the Google Voice transcript and play your message. It's both funny AND informative.

If you live outside the US you can call us on Skype at The_Film_Thugs. You can leave a message, or someone might actually answer.

E-mail us at thefilmthugs@gmail.com and we will read/play whatever you send us, or you can e-mail thugquestions@gmail.com to be part of  an upcoming "Ask the Film Thugs" show, where we answer questions on any subject without having heard them first.

Also, we are on twitter @thefilmthugs and on Facebook and Vine.

You can also click on one of our sponsor links below and THEY will pay us. That's right. You won't have to pay a PENNY extra, and Amazon/Onnit/Teefury will give us a little taste.

Also, be sure to check back often for our new endeavor The Life Masters, where we answer questions to other advice columnists.

Thanks for listening, and until next week...

Jim out.