list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Rain Man on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Rain_Man/28031/default.aspx Title: Rain Man
Year: 1988
Director: Barry Levinson
Plot: Self-centered, avaricious Californian Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) is informed that his long-estranged father has died. Expecting at least a portion of the elder Babbitt's $3 million estate, Charlie learns that all he's inherited is his dad's prize roses and a 1949 Buick Roadmaster. Discovering that the $3 million is being held in trust for an unidentified party, Charlie heads to his home town of Cincinnati to ascertain who that party is. It turns out that the beneficiary is Raymond Babbitt (Dustin Hoffman), the autistic-savant older brother that Charlie never knew he had. Able to memorize reams of trivia and add, subtract, multiply, and divide without a second's hesitation, Raymond is otherwise incapable of functioning as a normal human being. Aghast that Raymond is to receive his father's entire legacy, Charlie tries to cut a deal with Raymond's guardian. When this fails, Charlie "borrows" Raymond from the institution where he lives, hoping to use his brother as leverage to claim half the fortune. During their subsequent cross-country odyssey, Charlie is forced to accommodate Raymond's various autistic idiosyncracies, not the least of which is his insistence on adhering to a rigid daily schedule: he must, for example, watch People's Court and Jeopardy every day at the same time, no matter what. On hitting Las Vegas, Charlie hopes to harness Raymond's finely-honed mathematical skills to win big at the gaming tables; but this exploitation of his brother's affliction compels Charlie to reassess his own values, or lack thereof. A longtime pet project of star Dustin Hoffman, Rain Man was turned down by several high-profile directors before Barry Levinson took on the challenge of bringing Ronald Bass' screenplay to fruition (Levinson also appears in the film as a psychiatrist). All three men won Oscars, and the movie won Best Picture. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 67
Number of Lists: 56
Number of blog posts: 6
Number of discussion threads: 1
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:02:21 GMTRain Man1988Barry LevinsonSelf-centered, avaricious Californian Charlie Babbitt (<a href="/players/P____86295/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Tom Cruise</a>) is informed that his long-estranged father has died. Expecting at least a portion of the elder Babbitt's $3 million estate, Charlie learns that all he's inherited is his dad's prize roses and a 1949 Buick Roadmaster. Discovering that the $3 million is being held in trust for an unidentified party, Charlie heads to his home town of Cincinnati to ascertain who that party is. It turns out that the beneficiary is Raymond Babbitt (<a href="/players/P____94585/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Dustin Hoffman</a>), the autistic-savant older brother that Charlie never knew he had. Able to memorize reams of trivia and add, subtract, multiply, and divide without a second's hesitation, Raymond is otherwise incapable of functioning as a normal human being. Aghast that Raymond is to receive his father's entire legacy, Charlie tries to cut a deal with Raymond's guardian. When this fails, Charlie "borrows" Raymond from the institution where he lives, hoping to use his brother as leverage to claim half the fortune. During their subsequent cross-country odyssey, Charlie is forced to accommodate Raymond's various autistic idiosyncracies, not the least of which is his insistence on adhering to a rigid daily schedule: he must, for example, watch <a href=/films/332511/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>People's Court</a> and <a href=/films/62322/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Jeopardy</a> every day at the same time, no matter what. On hitting Las Vegas, Charlie hopes to harness Raymond's finely-honed mathematical skills to win big at the gaming tables; but this exploitation of his brother's affliction compels Charlie to reassess his own values, or lack thereof. A longtime pet project of star <a href="/players/P____94585/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Dustin Hoffman</a>, Rain Man was turned down by several high-profile directors before <a href="/players/P____99530/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Barry Levinson</a> took on the challenge of bringing Ronald Bass' screenplay to fruition (Levinson also appears in the film as a psychiatrist). All three men won Oscars, and the movie won Best Picture. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide67Tag Target (>10)56613http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t81312gkg66.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Rain_Man/28031/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/jakestevens/archive/2009/12/1/44453.aspx Post By: JakeStevens
Post To: JakeStevens Blog
Post Date: 12/1/2009 3:40:47 AM
Body: I must admit to never having been a Tom Cruise fan. His early years (and indeed, some latter year material) branded him in my mind as the cocksure, egocentric embodiment of the 80's (with films like 'Top Gun', 'Risky Business', 'Cocktail', hell, even 'A Few Good Men'). But taking a closer look at his filmography, I realized I have enjoyed far more of his work than I loathed. Not only that, he's worked with some of the best directors in the business (Ridley Scott, Martin Scorsese, & Stanley Kubrick to name a few) and, as evidenced here, some of the best actors & actresses in the business. Dustin Hoffman reigns in yet another fascinating performance as Cruise's autistic-savant older brother, Raymond Babbitt. The depth he brings to this character is only matched by Leonardo DiCaprio in 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' in 1993 & Sean Penn in 'I Am Sam' some 14 years later. Often times, you forget you are watching an actor 'perform' & believe you are witnessing a character 'be'. And therein lies the heart of this film; the acting. It certainly starts off as seemingly-typical Cruise movie, a fast-talking yuppie gets in over his head, but ends with a surprising maturation of his character; a coming-of-age tale that often times seems improvised by the leads. That's not to say the technical side is lacking. Even if you've never been on a road trip across America, you will appreciate the carefully selected cinematography of John Seale as he lingers on roadside diners and dusty interstate signs that connect our nation. I personally cannot wait to see this on Blu Ray, where I'm sure these particular scenes will pop out of my screen. All in all, a good watch for anyone more interested in craft than a summer blockbuster, which is to say, only for the patient and those who can relate to learning to love in trying circumstances.
]]>Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:40:47 GMTJakeStevensJakeStevens Blog12/1/2009 3:40:47 AMI must admit to never having been a Tom Cruise fan. His early years (and indeed, some latter year material) branded him in my mind as the cocksure, egocentric embodiment of the 80's (with films like 'Top Gun', 'Risky Business', 'Cocktail', hell, even 'A Few Good Men'). But taking a closer look at his filmography, I realized I have enjoyed far more of his work than I loathed. Not only that, he's worked with some of the best directors in the business (Ridley Scott, Martin Scorsese, &amp; Stanley Kubrick to name a few) and, as evidenced here, some of the best actors &amp; actresses in the business. Dustin Hoffman reigns in yet another fascinating performance as Cruise's autistic-savant older brother, Raymond Babbitt. The depth he brings to this character is only matched by Leonardo DiCaprio in 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' in 1993 &amp; Sean Penn in 'I Am Sam' some 14 years later. Often times, you forget you are watching an actor 'perform' &amp; believe you are witnessing a character 'be'. And therein lies the heart of this film; the acting. It certainly starts off as seemingly-typical Cruise movie, a fast-talking yuppie gets in over his head, but ends with a surprising maturation of his character; a coming-of-age tale that often times seems improvised by the leads. That's not to say the technical side is lacking. Even if you've never been on a road trip across America, you will appreciate the carefully selected cinematography of John Seale as he lingers on roadside diners and dusty interstate signs that connect our nation. I personally cannot wait to see this on Blu Ray, where I'm sure these particular scenes will pop out of my screen. All in all, a good watch for anyone more interested in craft than a summer blockbuster, which is to say, only for the patient and those who can relate to learning to love in trying circumstances. http://www.spout.com/blogs/the_mow/archive/2009/4/29/41852.aspx Post By: The_MOW
Post To: The_MOW Blog
Post Date: 4/29/2009 9:18:36 AM
Body: "Charlie Babbitt" (Tom Cruise) is a self-trained hustler who knows how to work people. He soon learns that his father, who threw him out of the house as a teen, has died. He gets upset when he learns that his father left him a classic convertable, and his brother $3-million. A brother he does not remember. He finds his brother, who is autistic skilled in figuring out complicated mathmatical problems in his head as fast as a calculator, in an institution. Enraged that he was left a car, and his mentally disabled brother was left a large sum of money, which is something he doesn't understand, he kidnaps his brother and takes him on the road. On the road, "Charlie" learns much about his brother, and, more importantly, about himself. Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman are great in this movie. Both do a great job in their roles, especially Hoffman, who was originally signed to play Cruise's role. There are other excellent performances, but none stand out like the Cruise and Hoffman, who won the Academy Award for this role. There aren't many visually outstanding scenes in this movie. There are, however, many scenes that really standout due to the performances. One performance that was poor was done by Valeria Golino, who plays Cruise's girlfriend. Fortunately, she is not in the movie that much. If you want to see a movie with great performances from the main actors, and don't really care about the scenery, then "Rain Man" is a good choice.
]]>Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:18:36 GMTThe_MOWThe_MOW Blog4/29/2009 9:18:36 AM"Charlie Babbitt" (Tom Cruise) is a self-trained hustler who knows how to work people. He soon learns that his father, who threw him out of the house as a teen, has died. He gets upset when he learns that his father left him a classic convertable, and his brother $3-million. A brother he does not remember. He finds his brother, who is autistic skilled in figuring out complicated mathmatical problems in his head as fast as a calculator, in an institution. Enraged that he was left a car, and his mentally disabled brother was left a large sum of money, which is something he doesn't understand, he kidnaps his brother and takes him on the road. On the road, "Charlie" learns much about his brother, and, more importantly, about himself. Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman are great in this movie. Both do a great job in their roles, especially Hoffman, who was originally signed to play Cruise's role. There are other excellent performances, but none stand out like the Cruise and Hoffman, who won the Academy Award for this role. There aren't many visually outstanding scenes in this movie. There are, however, many scenes that really standout due to the performances. One performance that was poor was done by Valeria Golino, who plays Cruise's girlfriend. Fortunately, she is not in the movie that much. If you want to see a movie with great performances from the main actors, and don't really care about the scenery, then "Rain Man" is a good choice. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/11/38235.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/11/2008 11:01:42 AM
Body: The fanboys are so serious about The Dark Knight being the best film of 2008 that if the Academy snubs the comic-book adaptation for a Best Picture nomination, they’re liable to storm the Kodak Theatre on February 22 in protest. But why should anyone be worried that it won’t get the nomination? It wouldn’t be much of a coup for the year’s top-grossing blockbuster to be named one of the five Best Picture candidates. In fact, since the very first Academy Awards, the top award has often been handed out to films that were #1 at the box office in their respective year. And the last time it happened was as recent as 2003, with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Thanks to popular and talented filmmakers like D.W. Griffith, Walt Disney, David Lean and Steven Spielberg, it’s hardly uncommon for films to make money and earn critical respect. But this isn’t an opportunity to spotlight overrated top-grossing Best Pictures like Titanic, Rain Man and Rocky, which were decidedly not their year’s best films. Rather, this is a chance to ease the minds of fanboys just in case The Dark Knight doesn’t get the nod. Some of these blockbusters were indeed nominated for Best Picture, and a few even won the award, but some of them were both their year’s biggest moneymaker (in the U.S.) and best film (from the U.S.) without gaining proper Academy recognition. 1937: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Domestic Gross: $66,596,803 It’s certainly not the best feature-length animated film from Disney. That would be the box office disappointment Pinocchio, which came out a few years later and revealed the true breadth of Uncle Walt’s magic. But this was the first, and it’s enchanting enough that it towers over even the best live-action films of its year, including The Awful Truth, The Life of Emile Zola and The Good Earth. 1946: The Best Years of Our Lives Domestic Gross: $11,300,000 If a film like this came out today, it would probably be ignored at the box office, just as most movies responding to the Iraq War and its effects have been box office poison. Yet The Best Years of Our Lives was a huge hit with moviegoers, and it was named Best Picture, too. If you haven’t seen it, you might think that its success had to do with the idea that movies were far more patriotic in tone then. But in reality, this film is more critical of post-wartime America and more supportive and revealing of veteran’s struggles than much of what Hollywood attempts now. 1957: The Bridge on the River Kwai Domestic Gross: $17,195,000 If you only knew the successes of Snow White and this film, you might think the best way to both box office and Oscar gold is to feature a song involving whistling. Unlike “Whistle While You Work,” however, the catchy tune in this film was a hit from decades earlier, and certain circumstances allowed it to add subtext, one of many elements that makes David Lean’s POW epic so rich and wonderful. Of course, it’s that widescreen mise-en-scene that really makes this film just barely edge out 12 Angry Men and Sweet Smell of Success to be considered the year’s finest Hollywood release. 1962: Lawrence of Arabia Domestic Gross: $20,310,000 Nothing against Christopher Nolan and his interest in making truly big-screen-appropriate blockbusters, but even if he does want to completely shoot his next movie for the IMAX format, he’ll never be as fit for 70mm as David Lean was. We all remember that famous shot of the rider in the distance who eventually approaches the foreground, but despite what’s written above for the River Kwai’s entry on this list, Lean wasn’t just good for widescreen spectacle. He could actually direct action pretty well, too, for starters. If only he’d lived long enough to have been forced to deliver his own superhero flick. 1965: Doctor Zhivago Domestic Gross: $60,954,000 Enough with the David Lean, right? This isn’t even that great a film, but the mid-60s weren’t a particularly good time in terms of Hollywood output. If you prefer, some sources place The Sound of Music as the year’s box office champ (its listed domestic take includes rerelease income), and there’s plenty who think that Best Picture-winner was the best film of 1965 instead (hi, Mom). 1972: The Godfather Domestic Gross: $86,691,000 It won the box office, it won the Academy Awards and it still has the utmost respect of film critics and fans today. Few people could honestly say there was a better film in 1972. Even the silly voters who allowed Bob Fosse to win Best Director for Cabaret that year probably wish they could go back and change their minds. 1980: The Empire Strikes Back Domestic Gross: $209,398,025 Argue all you want that 1977 deserves to be on this list, too, but both Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Annie Hall are better films. Besides, anytime critics include the first Star Wars as one of the best films of all time, they actually depreciate the quality of its sequel. Putting that film in the same league with The Empire Strikes Back is like putting the 1966 Batman movie on equal standing with The Dark Knight. Okay, that’s overdoing it. Maybe like putting Batman Begins on the same level, then. 1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark Domestic Gross: $209,562,121 It’s terrible to have to include two George Lucas productions on this list, mainly because by 1999 he was putting out films that were their year’s top earners and top turkeys. Plus, thanks to the latest Indiana Jones movie, it’s a little tough to watch Raiders without thinking of how the protagonist will one day fly through the air in a nuked fridge. But it’s still a damn good action-adventure flick, arguably the greatest of all time. 1985: Back to the Future Domestic Gross: $210,609,762 Robert Zemeckis gets more credit for the double success of Forrest Gump because that film won Best Picture in addition to topping the box office in 1994. Yet it’s this top-grossing film that deserves more esteem. It may not have been nominated for Best Picture, but it captured the mid-80s’ hunger for science fiction and nostalgia perfectly, turning it into one of the most memorable films of the decade, and of all time. With all respect to Sydney Pollack and John Huston, does anyone even think of Out of Africa or Prizzi’s Honor much today? 1995: Toy Story Domestic Gross: $191,796,233 Compared to WALL-E, this film seems technically crude. It’s perhaps analogous to, in 1995, comparing Toy Story to Snow White. That’s how far it seems the wizards at Pixar have come in 13 years. But just as Disney’s first animated feature enchants us still to this day, Toy Story, far from being dated, has aged better than most of Hollywood’s films from the same year. If ever there was a year for a Pixar movie to be nominated for Best Picture, 1995 was the year. It was better than Braveheart, let alone Babe, then, and it’s better than those films now. That said, it would be just as interesting to see Braveheart 3-D next year along with the 3-D rerelease of Toy Story. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:01:42 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/11/2008 11:01:42 AMThe fanboys are so serious about The Dark Knight being the best film of 2008 that if the Academy snubs the comic-book adaptation for a Best Picture nomination, they’re liable to storm the Kodak Theatre on February 22 in protest. But why should anyone be worried that it won’t get the nomination? It wouldn’t be much of a coup for the year’s top-grossing blockbuster to be named one of the five Best Picture candidates. In fact, since the very first Academy Awards, the top award has often been handed out to films that were #1 at the box office in their respective year. And the last time it happened was as recent as 2003, with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Thanks to popular and talented filmmakers like D.W. Griffith, Walt Disney, David Lean and Steven Spielberg, it’s hardly uncommon for films to make money and earn critical respect. But this isn’t an opportunity to spotlight overrated top-grossing Best Pictures like Titanic, Rain Man and Rocky, which were decidedly not their year’s best films. Rather, this is a chance to ease the minds of fanboys just in case The Dark Knight doesn’t get the nod. Some of these blockbusters were indeed nominated for Best Picture, and a few even won the award, but some of them were both their year’s biggest moneymaker (in the U.S.) and best film (from the U.S.) without gaining proper Academy recognition. 1937: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Domestic Gross: $66,596,803 It’s certainly not the best feature-length animated film from Disney. That would be the box office disappointment Pinocchio, which came out a few years later and revealed the true breadth of Uncle Walt’s magic. But this was the first, and it’s enchanting enough that it towers over even the best live-action films of its year, including The Awful Truth, The Life of Emile Zola and The Good Earth. 1946: The Best Years of Our Lives Domestic Gross: $11,300,000 If a film like this came out today, it would probably be ignored at the box office, just as most movies responding to the Iraq War and its effects have been box office poison. Yet The Best Years of Our Lives was a huge hit with moviegoers, and it was named Best Picture, too. If you haven’t seen it, you might think that its success had to do with the idea that movies were far more patriotic in tone then. But in reality, this film is more critical of post-wartime America and more supportive and revealing of veteran’s struggles than much of what Hollywood attempts now. 1957: The Bridge on the River Kwai Domestic Gross: $17,195,000 If you only knew the successes of Snow White and this film, you might think the best way to both box office and Oscar gold is to feature a song involving whistling. Unlike “Whistle While You Work,” however, the catchy tune in this film was a hit from decades earlier, and certain circumstances allowed it to add subtext, one of many elements that makes David Lean’s POW epic so rich and wonderful. Of course, it’s that widescreen mise-en-scene that really makes this film just barely edge out 12 Angry Men and Sweet Smell of Success to be considered the year’s finest Hollywood release. 1962: Lawrence of Arabia Domestic Gross: $20,310,000 Nothing against Christopher Nolan and his interest in making truly big-screen-appropriate blockbusters, but even if he does want to completely shoot his next movie for the IMAX format, he’ll never be as fit for 70mm as David Lean was. We all remember that famous shot of the rider in the distance who eventually approaches the foreground, but despite what’s written above for the River Kwai’s entry on this list, Lean wasn’t just good for widescreen spectacle. He could actually direct action pretty well, too, for starters. If only he’d lived long enough to have been forced to deliver his own superhero flick. 1965: Doctor Zhivago Domestic Gross: $60,954,000 Enough with the David Lean, right? This isn’t even that great a film, but the mid-60s weren’t a particularly good time in terms of Hollywood output. If you prefer, some sources place The Sound of Music as the year’s box office champ (its listed domestic take includes rerelease income), and there’s plenty who think that Best Picture-winner was the best film of 1965 instead (hi, Mom). 1972: The Godfather Domestic Gross: $86,691,000 It won the box office, it won the Academy Awards and it still has the utmost respect of film critics and fans today. Few people could honestly say there was a better film in 1972. Even the silly voters who allowed Bob Fosse to win Best Director for Cabaret that year probably wish they could go back and change their minds. 1980: The Empire Strikes Back Domestic Gross: $209,398,025 Argue all you want that 1977 deserves to be on this list, too, but both Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Annie Hall are better films. Besides, anytime critics include the first Star Wars as one of the best films of all time, they actually depreciate the quality of its sequel. Putting that film in the same league with The Empire Strikes Back is like putting the 1966 Batman movie on equal standing with The Dark Knight. Okay, that’s overdoing it. Maybe like putting Batman Begins on the same level, then. 1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark Domestic Gross: $209,562,121 It’s terrible to have to include two George Lucas productions on this list, mainly because by 1999 he was putting out films that were their year’s top earners and top turkeys. Plus, thanks to the latest Indiana Jones movie, it’s a little tough to watch Raiders without thinking of how the protagonist will one day fly through the air in a nuked fridge. But it’s still a damn good action-adventure flick, arguably the greatest of all time. 1985: Back to the Future Domestic Gross: $210,609,762 Robert Zemeckis gets more credit for the double success of Forrest Gump because that film won Best Picture in addition to topping the box office in 1994. Yet it’s this top-grossing film that deserves more esteem. It may not have been nominated for Best Picture, but it captured the mid-80s’ hunger for science fiction and nostalgia perfectly, turning it into one of the most memorable films of the decade, and of all time. With all respect to Sydney Pollack and John Huston, does anyone even think of Out of Africa or Prizzi’s Honor much today? 1995: Toy Story Domestic Gross: $191,796,233 Compared to WALL-E, this film seems technically crude. It’s perhaps analogous to, in 1995, comparing Toy Story to Snow White. That’s how far it seems the wizards at Pixar have come in 13 years. But just as Disney’s first animated feature enchants us still to this day, Toy Story, far from being dated, has aged better than most of Hollywood’s films from the same year. If ever there was a year for a Pixar movie to be nominated for Best Picture, 1995 was the year. It was better than Braveheart, let alone Babe, then, and it’s better than those films now. That said, it would be just as interesting to see Braveheart 3-D next year along with the 3-D rerelease of Toy Story. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/11/20/37498.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 11/20/2008 3:01:46 PM
Body: The soundtrack to Twilight is currently the number one album in the U.S., and a band called Paramore is experiencing great success by association. They have two songs featured on the soundtrack, one of which, “Decode,” has been released as the album’s lead single. Though Paramore have been around for some time and were even nominated for a Grammy earlier this year, they have never charted quite as well on the Billboard Hot 100 as they currently are through this Twilight connection. And chances are they’ll never have quite as big a hit again. Countless other artists have had their biggest break with a song prominently featured on or released through a movie soundtrack, and many of these artists disappeared into obscurity afterwards. Or, at best, they maintained a modest career, never achieving the kind of chart-topping high they once received courtesy of a hit film. SpoutBlog has compiled a list of ten such “one-hit wonders,” though we made some rules and exceptions in order to both narrow things down (no themes or plot songs) and include a few significant tracks that aren’t technically the only hits from their respective performers. Basically, we’re presenting ten artists who would be a lot less famous had they not licensed a single to a soundtrack and who shall forever be best known for that one song from that one movie. Song: “Lookin’ for Love” Artist: Johnny Lee Movie: Urban Cowboy (1980) Soundtracks have a way of making crossover hits for artists who otherwise have decent careers in specific genres. Johnny Lee is hardly a one-hit wonder when it comes to the country music charts, but it was only thanks to the popular film Urban Cowboy that he reached #5 on the Billboard Top 100. And it was likely only thanks to that achievement that Eddie Murphy would later pay homage with his Buckwheat version, “Wookin’ Pa Nub” Song: “Iko Iko” Artist: The Belle Stars Movie: Rain Man (1988) Fans of 2-Tone ska may have already been hip to this reformation of members from The Bodysnatchers, but most of the world paid them notice only once, when their 1982 version of an old New Orleans folk song called “Jock-a-Mo” accompanied Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman (who was a fan of the tune) on the big screen. Finally, in 1989, the band and the song reached #14 on the Top 100. Unfortunately, The Belle Stars had already been broken up for nearly four years when it happened. Song: “King of Wishful Thinking” Artist: Go West Movie: Pretty Woman (1990) Not only did this blockbuster romantic comedy make a revival hit out of the Roy Orbison classic that lent its name to the film’s title, it also made a huge success out of the English pop duo known as Go West. Technically they aren’t a one-hit wonder, though, because they’d already been in the Top 40 three years earlier and they’d chart fairly high again two years later. However, when you’re best remembered for a Top 10 single from a film as big as Pretty Woman, every other achievement (even a menial #14) looks like a failure in comparison. Song: “Wicked Game” Artist: Chris Isaak Movie: Wild at Heart (1990) Initially released in 1989 as a single off Isaak’s third album, Heart Shaped World, this song didn’t become a hit until it was featured on the soundtrack to Wild at Heart. Apparently, the success is all thanks to one David Lynch fan at a radio station in Atlanta, who started a trend that eventually got the song to reach #6 on the Hot 100. Isaak hasn’t exactly disappeared since, and he’s even found additional fame acting in movies, but he’s never hit as big musically as he did with this twangy, Orbison-esque number. Song: “It’s Gonna Be a Lovely Day” Artist: The S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M. Movie: The Bodyguard (1992) It’s still one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time, primarily thanks to Whitney Houston and her cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” But this rap version of Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day” was another hit single from the film, and it made a definite one-hit wonder out of the annoying-to-type group The S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M. In their defense, though, this was merely a side project of members of C&C Music Factory, who continued to be successful throughout the early ‘90s. [Aside: did anyone else think this song was actually performed by P.M. Dawn?] Song: “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” Artist: The Proclaimers Movie: Benny & Joon (1993) This song was five years old when it was featured in the movie Benny & Joon, having been originally released on The Proclaimers’ 1988 album Sunshine on Leith. It had even previously been a big deal in the UK. Yet it took a movie starring Johnny Depp as a loony fan of Chaplin and Keaton to rocket the song through the roof in the U.S. Benny & Joon didn’t even do very well at the box office, and its soundtrack, which included only the one non-score track, didn’t have much appeal on its own, either. But somehow thanks to the movie, The Proclaimers will continually be most celebrated and mocked for this tune. Song: “New Age Girl” Artist: Deadeye Dick Movie: Dumb and Dumber (1994) Is it better to have charted and broken up than to never have charted at all? That might be a question for this Vonnegut-inspired band, which only broke out after this tune, originally off their debut album, was included on the Dumb & Dumber soundtrack. A year later, when their follow-up album produced no similar high, Deadye Dick disbanded. Yet the group’s singer and lead guitarist, Caleb Guillotte has found other film-related success working in the art department for such recent films as Déjà vu and Bug. Song: “Stay (I Missed You)” Artist: Lisa Loeb (& Nine Stories) Movie: Reality Bites (1994) The story of Loeb’s big break is possibly better remembered than the plot to the movie that made her a star. She lived across the street from Ethan Hawke, who became a fan. He slipped a tape of this song to Ben Stiller, who directed Reality Bites and was permitted to choose its music. When the film’s aggressively marketed soundtrack became a success, also making a one-hit wonder out of reggae group Big Mountain and a revival hit out of The Knack’s “My Sharona,” Loeb became the first artist to have a number one single before being signed to a major label. Since then, she’s had some significant chart placement, but she’ll always be best remembered as that girl with the cat-eye glasses who was the epitome of the cliché about showbiz success being all about who you know. And she’ll also be remembered for failing to ever prove herself deserving of that advantageous shot. Len - New Music - More Music Videos Song: “Steal My Sunshine” Artist: Len Movie: Go (1999) Thanks to Len’s inclusion on the soundtrack to Go, this song was a surprise hit in the Spring of 1999, prompting the band’s label to push up the release of their third album, You Can’t Stop the Bum Rush, by a few weeks. In November of that year, the single peaked at #9 on the Top 100, and the band has never had similar success since. Song: “Because I Got High” Artist: Afroman Movie: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) It’s not uncommon for a silly novelty song to be the sole success of an artist. So, it’s not surprising that Afroman hasn’t achieved much notice since 2001, when this goofy song reached #13 on the Hot 100. He’s been around since, sure, and he’s probably got some kind of cult fame within the stoner community, but it would take another music video shot by Kevin Smith to garner him the same level of mainstream attention he got seven years ago. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:01:46 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com11/20/2008 3:01:46 PMThe soundtrack to Twilight is currently the number one album in the U.S., and a band called Paramore is experiencing great success by association. They have two songs featured on the soundtrack, one of which, “Decode,” has been released as the album’s lead single. Though Paramore have been around for some time and were even nominated for a Grammy earlier this year, they have never charted quite as well on the Billboard Hot 100 as they currently are through this Twilight connection. And chances are they’ll never have quite as big a hit again. Countless other artists have had their biggest break with a song prominently featured on or released through a movie soundtrack, and many of these artists disappeared into obscurity afterwards. Or, at best, they maintained a modest career, never achieving the kind of chart-topping high they once received courtesy of a hit film. SpoutBlog has compiled a list of ten such “one-hit wonders,” though we made some rules and exceptions in order to both narrow things down (no themes or plot songs) and include a few significant tracks that aren’t technically the only hits from their respective performers. Basically, we’re presenting ten artists who would be a lot less famous had they not licensed a single to a soundtrack and who shall forever be best known for that one song from that one movie. Song: “Lookin’ for Love” Artist: Johnny Lee Movie: Urban Cowboy (1980) Soundtracks have a way of making crossover hits for artists who otherwise have decent careers in specific genres. Johnny Lee is hardly a one-hit wonder when it comes to the country music charts, but it was only thanks to the popular film Urban Cowboy that he reached #5 on the Billboard Top 100. And it was likely only thanks to that achievement that Eddie Murphy would later pay homage with his Buckwheat version, “Wookin’ Pa Nub” Song: “Iko Iko” Artist: The Belle Stars Movie: Rain Man (1988) Fans of 2-Tone ska may have already been hip to this reformation of members from The Bodysnatchers, but most of the world paid them notice only once, when their 1982 version of an old New Orleans folk song called “Jock-a-Mo” accompanied Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman (who was a fan of the tune) on the big screen. Finally, in 1989, the band and the song reached #14 on the Top 100. Unfortunately, The Belle Stars had already been broken up for nearly four years when it happened. Song: “King of Wishful Thinking” Artist: Go West Movie: Pretty Woman (1990) Not only did this blockbuster romantic comedy make a revival hit out of the Roy Orbison classic that lent its name to the film’s title, it also made a huge success out of the English pop duo known as Go West. Technically they aren’t a one-hit wonder, though, because they’d already been in the Top 40 three years earlier and they’d chart fairly high again two years later. However, when you’re best remembered for a Top 10 single from a film as big as Pretty Woman, every other achievement (even a menial #14) looks like a failure in comparison. Song: “Wicked Game” Artist: Chris Isaak Movie: Wild at Heart (1990) Initially released in 1989 as a single off Isaak’s third album, Heart Shaped World, this song didn’t become a hit until it was featured on the soundtrack to Wild at Heart. Apparently, the success is all thanks to one David Lynch fan at a radio station in Atlanta, who started a trend that eventually got the song to reach #6 on the Hot 100. Isaak hasn’t exactly disappeared since, and he’s even found additional fame acting in movies, but he’s never hit as big musically as he did with this twangy, Orbison-esque number. Song: “It’s Gonna Be a Lovely Day” Artist: The S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M. Movie: The Bodyguard (1992) It’s still one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time, primarily thanks to Whitney Houston and her cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” But this rap version of Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day” was another hit single from the film, and it made a definite one-hit wonder out of the annoying-to-type group The S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M. In their defense, though, this was merely a side project of members of C&C Music Factory, who continued to be successful throughout the early ‘90s. [Aside: did anyone else think this song was actually performed by P.M. Dawn?] Song: “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” Artist: The Proclaimers Movie: Benny & Joon (1993) This song was five years old when it was featured in the movie Benny & Joon, having been originally released on The Proclaimers’ 1988 album Sunshine on Leith. It had even previously been a big deal in the UK. Yet it took a movie starring Johnny Depp as a loony fan of Chaplin and Keaton to rocket the song through the roof in the U.S. Benny & Joon didn’t even do very well at the box office, and its soundtrack, which included only the one non-score track, didn’t have much appeal on its own, either. But somehow thanks to the movie, The Proclaimers will continually be most celebrated and mocked for this tune. Song: “New Age Girl” Artist: Deadeye Dick Movie: Dumb and Dumber (1994) Is it better to have charted and broken up than to never have charted at all? That might be a question for this Vonnegut-inspired band, which only broke out after this tune, originally off their debut album, was included on the Dumb & Dumber soundtrack. A year later, when their follow-up album produced no similar high, Deadye Dick disbanded. Yet the group’s singer and lead guitarist, Caleb Guillotte has found other film-related success working in the art department for such recent films as Déjà vu and Bug. Song: “Stay (I Missed You)” Artist: Lisa Loeb (& Nine Stories) Movie: Reality Bites (1994) The story of Loeb’s big break is possibly better remembered than the plot to the movie that made her a star. She lived across the street from Ethan Hawke, who became a fan. He slipped a tape of this song to Ben Stiller, who directed Reality Bites and was permitted to choose its music. When the film’s aggressively marketed soundtrack became a success, also making a one-hit wonder out of reggae group Big Mountain and a revival hit out of The Knack’s “My Sharona,” Loeb became the first artist to have a number one single before being signed to a major label. Since then, she’s had some significant chart placement, but she’ll always be best remembered as that girl with the cat-eye glasses who was the epitome of the cliché about showbiz success being all about who you know. And she’ll also be remembered for failing to ever prove herself deserving of that advantageous shot. Len - New Music - More Music Videos Song: “Steal My Sunshine” Artist: Len Movie: Go (1999) Thanks to Len’s inclusion on the soundtrack to Go, this song was a surprise hit in the Spring of 1999, prompting the band’s label to push up the release of their third album, You Can’t Stop the Bum Rush, by a few weeks. In November of that year, the single peaked at #9 on the Top 100, and the band has never had similar success since. Song: “Because I Got High” Artist: Afroman Movie: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) It’s not uncommon for a silly novelty song to be the sole success of an artist. So, it’s not surprising that Afroman hasn’t achieved much notice since 2001, when this goofy song reached #13 on the Hot 100. He’s been around since, sure, and he’s probably got some kind of cult fame within the stoner community, but it would take another music video shot by Kevin Smith to garner him the same level of mainstream attention he got seven years ago. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/10/7/35995.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 10/7/2008 11:01:06 AM
Body: Product placement in movies is now so overdone that we may not even notice it unless a particular film or TV show really hits us over the head with a blatant in-your-face product shot. Otherwise, seeing commercial goods everywhere merely seems like everyday life in capitalist America. Just look at any of the websites that tally up products spotlighted in mainstream movies and you’ll probably be surprised (though not shocked) at how many brands appear in each new release. Did you notice that Blades of Glory contains 38 separate products? Probably not. Many of those products couldn’t have gotten their money’s worth, because the movie doesn’t allow the audience to walk away recalling any one particular item. At a time when TV’s Top Chef and 30 Rock show us how lame blatantly whorish and ironic product placement can get, and while moviegoers are being subjected to more subliminal, suggestive and unintentional advertisements (Speed Racer, Wall-E and Beverly Hills Chihuahua respectively have us thinking about McDonalds, Apple products and Taco Bell, though some of these associations are not necessarily the movie’s fault), it’s good to remember that not all product placement is superfluous or despicable. Some of it is actually funny, smart and beneficial to mankind. Movie: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial Product: Reese’s Pieces In case you don’t believe the part about product placement being beneficial to mankind, just imagine what could have happened if E.T. had featured either of Steven Spielberg’s first choices in candy placement, M&Ms or Hershey’s Kisses, rather than Reese’s Pieces. Would the delicious peanut butter candies still exist today? Okay, they might, but they certainly wouldn’t have become so popular so fast. Don’t forget that advertising is not simply about a greedy corporation marketing a product for profitable gain; it’s also about alerting us to wonderful new products that we otherwise might not have noticed. And isn’t your choice of sundae mix-ins better thanks to millions of moviegoers noticing the existence of Reese’s Pieces? Movie: Back to the Future Product: DeLorean DMC-12 On the opposite side of the spectrum from Reese’s Pieces, the DeLorean DMC-12 (popularly referred to as simply the DeLorean), is possibly the least necessary product ever to be placed prominently in a film. Maybe if it were actually a time machine it would be a must-have and the DeLorean Motor Company could have been back in business despite having gone bust a few years prior to the release of Back to the Future. Instead, the DeLorean is just a cool car, yet one that highly appeals to huge BTTF fans. And of the 6,500 DMC-12s still in existence, it’s likely that a large percentage are possessed by people who’ve installed a mock Flux Capacitor and own a vanity license plate that says something like “MCFLY” or “88 MPH” or “OUTATIME”. Get ready to see more tributes to the movie, too, since a car manufacturer in Houston has begun making new DMC-12s in limited production. Movie: The Wizard Product: Nintendo A year after Mac and Me seemed to indicate that really, really prominent and shameless product placement was possibly a bad idea, The Wizard came out and provided the opposing argument. Then and now people have looked at the film’s promotion of Nintendo’s latest and much-anticipated blockbuster video game (and the the system’s “so bad” Power Glove controller) as one of the low moments in product placement, but for anyone who cared about video games in 1989, the chance to even get a glimpse of Super Mario Bros. 3 was worth the price of admission for an otherwise lame kiddie version of Rain Man. Movie: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle Product: White Castle Like The Wizard’s promotion of Nintendo products, the employment of the White Castle fast food brand in Harold and Kumar is about reminding an audience about something it already likes and desires. But unlike The Wizard, Harold and Kumar doesn’t make the sponsorship seem like such a cheap grab for cash. Sure, the stoner comedy could have used any fast food place, real or made up, but for anyone who has devoured a whole Crave Case with one other friend at four in the morning, the specifically branded joke is all the more appreciated. Movie: Wayne’s World Products: Pizza Hut; Doritos; Reebok; Nuprin; Pepsi Tina Fey may seem like the smartest SNL vet ever, but each time 30 Rock does the ironic product placement shtick, a number of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey loyalists likely shout at their screen, “Sheah, right! As if that’s not a 15-year-old gag.” And Fey isn’t the only one guilty of recycling the joke, although occasionally movies like Talladega Nights and Josie and the Pussycats can get away with it, because it’s kind of a necessary gag when satirizing things like NASCAR and pop music. Even the reflexive use of product placement in Fight Club somewhat descends from the Wayne’s World scene. Movie: Best in Show Products: Starbucks; Apple; J. Crew; L.L. Bean Product placement doesn’t always have to be about favorably advertising a brand. It can also be about making fun of a brand, or making fun of a certain kind of person that brand is geared toward. In the mockumentary Best in Show, Starbucks is made fun of for having so many locations, while Apple is merely employed in the joke. Catalog clothing companies J. Crew and L.L. Bean are also simultaneously the butt of a joke and the means with which Christopher Guest makes fun of two of his film’s characters. Movie: Good Bye Lenin! Product: Coca-Cola Product placement can also be about employing a product that serves as an idea. Coca-Cola is a brand that has been featured in tons of films as more a symbol of capitalism and the West than of soda pop (see my old post on Coca-Cola in cinema here), and in this German comedy, a giant Coca-Cola billboard serves to represent the westernization going on outside the window of the room of an oblivious woman being duped to believe the Berlin Wall never fell. Movie: One, Two, Three Product: Pepsi The Coca-Cola placement in Good Bye Lenin! recalls Billy Wilder’s film One, Two, Three, which also deals with the division of East and West Berlin and also employs the iconic brand for the same kind of symbolic representation of capitalism. In Wilder’s film, though, the product is much more prominent, as the plot revolves around a Coca-Cola executive (played by James Cagney). Yet after so much mention of Coke, especially with the association of overbearing consumerism and cultural imperialism, you’re more likely to come away from the film wanting a bottle of Pepsi, instead. Of course, it also helps that the final shot in the film is of Cagney holding a bottle of Coca-Cola’s main competitor. Movie: Breathless (À bout de souffle) If you’re surprised that there was product placement as long ago as 1961, when One, Two, Three was released, let’s go back even further to 1960, and to another country, France. Jean-Luc Godard’s breakthrough and groundbreaking film probably wasn’t meant to increase sales of the New York Herald Tribune, but what male viewer could resist purchasing a subscription after watching and hearing Jean Seberg peddle the newspaper at the beginning of the film? Perhaps now the film even still inspires young men to subscribe to New York magazine, as a substitute for its now unavailable ancestor. Oh, and just so you know, product placement can be found many, many decades earlier than the 1960s. Movie: Minority Report Products: Lexus; Guiness; American Express; and others The product placement in Minority Report is considered an example of overkill, but that’s also the point. The film is set in a not-so-far-off future in which ads are everywhere, and most of them are personalized to address the consumer directly by name. It’s one of many futurist ideas in the film meant to exaggerate the present while predicting the direction technology is going. Already people receive personalized spam and internet ads, and advances in personalized marketing are growing closer and closer to what exists as a joke/prophesy in Spielberg’s film. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:01:06 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com10/7/2008 11:01:06 AM Product placement in movies is now so overdone that we may not even notice it unless a particular film or TV show really hits us over the head with a blatant in-your-face product shot. Otherwise, seeing commercial goods everywhere merely seems like everyday life in capitalist America. Just look at any of the websites that tally up products spotlighted in mainstream movies and you’ll probably be surprised (though not shocked) at how many brands appear in each new release. Did you notice that Blades of Glory contains 38 separate products? Probably not. Many of those products couldn’t have gotten their money’s worth, because the movie doesn’t allow the audience to walk away recalling any one particular item. At a time when TV’s Top Chef and 30 Rock show us how lame blatantly whorish and ironic product placement can get, and while moviegoers are being subjected to more subliminal, suggestive and unintentional advertisements (Speed Racer, Wall-E and Beverly Hills Chihuahua respectively have us thinking about McDonalds, Apple products and Taco Bell, though some of these associations are not necessarily the movie’s fault), it’s good to remember that not all product placement is superfluous or despicable. Some of it is actually funny, smart and beneficial to mankind. Movie: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial Product: Reese’s Pieces In case you don’t believe the part about product placement being beneficial to mankind, just imagine what could have happened if E.T. had featured either of Steven Spielberg’s first choices in candy placement, M&Ms or Hershey’s Kisses, rather than Reese’s Pieces. Would the delicious peanut butter candies still exist today? Okay, they might, but they certainly wouldn’t have become so popular so fast. Don’t forget that advertising is not simply about a greedy corporation marketing a product for profitable gain; it’s also about alerting us to wonderful new products that we otherwise might not have noticed. And isn’t your choice of sundae mix-ins better thanks to millions of moviegoers noticing the existence of Reese’s Pieces? Movie: Back to the Future Product: DeLorean DMC-12 On the opposite side of the spectrum from Reese’s Pieces, the DeLorean DMC-12 (popularly referred to as simply the DeLorean), is possibly the least necessary product ever to be placed prominently in a film. Maybe if it were actually a time machine it would be a must-have and the DeLorean Motor Company could have been back in business despite having gone bust a few years prior to the release of Back to the Future. Instead, the DeLorean is just a cool car, yet one that highly appeals to huge BTTF fans. And of the 6,500 DMC-12s still in existence, it’s likely that a large percentage are possessed by people who’ve installed a mock Flux Capacitor and own a vanity license plate that says something like “MCFLY” or “88 MPH” or “OUTATIME”. Get ready to see more tributes to the movie, too, since a car manufacturer in Houston has begun making new DMC-12s in limited production. Movie: The Wizard Product: Nintendo A year after Mac and Me seemed to indicate that really, really prominent and shameless product placement was possibly a bad idea, The Wizard came out and provided the opposing argument. Then and now people have looked at the film’s promotion of Nintendo’s latest and much-anticipated blockbuster video game (and the the system’s “so bad” Power Glove controller) as one of the low moments in product placement, but for anyone who cared about video games in 1989, the chance to even get a glimpse of Super Mario Bros. 3 was worth the price of admission for an otherwise lame kiddie version of Rain Man. Movie: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle Product: White Castle Like The Wizard’s promotion of Nintendo products, the employment of the White Castle fast food brand in Harold and Kumar is about reminding an audience about something it already likes and desires. But unlike The Wizard, Harold and Kumar doesn’t make the sponsorship seem like such a cheap grab for cash. Sure, the stoner comedy could have used any fast food place, real or made up, but for anyone who has devoured a whole Crave Case with one other friend at four in the morning, the specifically branded joke is all the more appreciated. Movie: Wayne’s World Products: Pizza Hut; Doritos; Reebok; Nuprin; Pepsi Tina Fey may seem like the smartest SNL vet ever, but each time 30 Rock does the ironic product placement shtick, a number of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey loyalists likely shout at their screen, “Sheah, right! As if that’s not a 15-year-old gag.” And Fey isn’t the only one guilty of recycling the joke, although occasionally movies like Talladega Nights and Josie and the Pussycats can get away with it, because it’s kind of a necessary gag when satirizing things like NASCAR and pop music. Even the reflexive use of product placement in Fight Club somewhat descends from the Wayne’s World scene. Movie: Best in Show Products: Starbucks; Apple; J. Crew; L.L. Bean Product placement doesn’t always have to be about favorably advertising a brand. It can also be about making fun of a brand, or making fun of a certain kind of person that brand is geared toward. In the mockumentary Best in Show, Starbucks is made fun of for having so many locations, while Apple is merely employed in the joke. Catalog clothing companies J. Crew and L.L. Bean are also simultaneously the butt of a joke and the means with which Christopher Guest makes fun of two of his film’s characters. Movie: Good Bye Lenin! Product: Coca-Cola Product placement can also be about employing a product that serves as an idea. Coca-Cola is a brand that has been featured in tons of films as more a symbol of capitalism and the West than of soda pop (see my old post on Coca-Cola in cinema here), and in this German comedy, a giant Coca-Cola billboard serves to represent the westernization going on outside the window of the room of an oblivious woman being duped to believe the Berlin Wall never fell. Movie: One, Two, Three Product: Pepsi The Coca-Cola placement in Good Bye Lenin! recalls Billy Wilder’s film One, Two, Three, which also deals with the division of East and West Berlin and also employs the iconic brand for the same kind of symbolic representation of capitalism. In Wilder’s film, though, the product is much more prominent, as the plot revolves around a Coca-Cola executive (played by James Cagney). Yet after so much mention of Coke, especially with the association of overbearing consumerism and cultural imperialism, you’re more likely to come away from the film wanting a bottle of Pepsi, instead. Of course, it also helps that the final shot in the film is of Cagney holding a bottle of Coca-Cola’s main competitor. Movie: Breathless (À bout de souffle) If you’re surprised that there was product placement as long ago as 1961, when One, Two, Three was released, let’s go back even further to 1960, and to another country, France. Jean-Luc Godard’s breakthrough and groundbreaking film probably wasn’t meant to increase sales of the New York Herald Tribune, but what male viewer could resist purchasing a subscription after watching and hearing Jean Seberg peddle the newspaper at the beginning of the film? Perhaps now the film even still inspires young men to subscribe to New York magazine, as a substitute for its now unavailable ancestor. Oh, and just so you know, product placement can be found many, many decades earlier than the 1960s. Movie: Minority Report Products: Lexus; Guiness; American Express; and others The product placement in Minority Report is considered an example of overkill, but that’s also the point. The film is set in a not-so-far-off future in which ads are everywhere, and most of them are personalized to address the consumer directly by name. It’s one of many futurist ideas in the film meant to exaggerate the present while predicting the direction technology is going. Already people receive personalized spam and internet ads, and advances in personalized marketing are growing closer and closer to what exists as a joke/prophesy in Spielberg’s film. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/7/22/32892.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 7/22/2008 12:00:34 PM
Body: If there’s one thing I relate to on the big screen, it’s the depiction of fraternal relationships. I’m the middle of three brothers (excluding the half-brother I only knew as a toddler and the former stepbrother I only knew briefly as an adult), and at different points in my life I’ve either hated them or considered them my best friends. So, yeah, I can’t wait to see Step Brothers, starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as new siblings who go from being enemies to BFFs when forced to live together. Choosing a handful of favorite movies about brotherhood is really tough. After all, tales of brothers go all the way back to almost the beginning, with the story of Cain and Abel. And a number of favorites can’t exactly be discussed, because the revelation of brothers, especially twin brothers, is often the surprise twist in films. So, before you start naming a thousand other films about brothers that I’ve forgotten (such as The Brothers McMullen and Legends of the Fall), keep in mind that I’ve actually left out a whole pile of brother films, and this is more of a personal favorites list. Coupe de Ville – If there’s one movie that seemed to define my brothers and I growing up, it’s this underrated road movie about three estranged siblings (played by Patrick Dempsey, Arye Gross and Daniel Stern) delivering the titular automobile to their father (Alan Arkin). As kids, my brothers and I couldn’t have been any more different, just like the guys in the movie. For at least half a decade, until he seemed to disappear after he left the sitcom Ellen, Gross was like my cinematic alter ego, just because I felt a kinship with his middle-brother character in Coupe de Ville so much. Twins – While I’m on the subject of identification, here’s another movie I was able to relate to, as my older brother was (in my young, confused mind) like Schwarzenegger and I was a fat kid. Now that we’re in our 30s, we’re fortunately more physically balanced (or is it just that my perception has matured?). The Godfather Part II – At one time or another, to one degree or another, most of us with brothers have unfortunately had fratricidal thoughts. Again, murdering one’s brother is a plot that goes back to The Book of Genesis, and the theme shows up in some of the greatest of stories, from Shakespeare’s Richard III to the Shakespearean animated film The Lion King. But as I never wanted to murder either of my brothers for gain of power, I’m including this film instead. Oh, wait, I guess I never actually struggled with the idea of whether or not to kill my brother because he’s a liability and an embarrassment, either. The Public Enemy – In fraternal stories, if brothers aren’t trying to kill each other, they’re at least following separate paths, morally and occupationally. Typically, one is a criminal and the other is a cop, politician or priest. This particular gangster film doesn’t portray the divergence as clearly as subsequent films, such as Johnny Dangerously, We Own the Night or any number of Bollywood films, including the classics Deewaar. But it’s the scene in which the brothers argue about their differences and, ultimately, their similarities, that makes the film that much more interesting. Amar Akbar Anthony – Like Deewaar, this film stars Indian superstar Amitabh Bachchan and is also about brothers. This time, though, there’s three of them, and each one allegorically represents a different prominent religious group of post-colonial India. Bachchan plays the Catholic one, and the film is worth checking out just for his musical number involving a giant Easter egg. The Best of Youth – Another film about brothers that also represents its nation’s history, this six-hour saga is even longer than the mere three hour Amar Akbar Anthony. If you’re ever in a fraternal mood, you can fill up a whole day of loosely learning about India and Italy via these movies. Or you can simply enjoy two great movies about brothers. American History X – After fratricide and divergence, another common plot involving brothers is the one found here: elder brother tries to keep younger from following in his footsteps. Interestingly enough, Edward Furlong plays the younger in both this film and in Little Odessa. Adaptation – My younger brother and I are differently creative, and in the past we’ve been mistaken for being twins (unlike me and my older brother being like Twins). So, of course, I had to be a sad sack and identify with the protagonist of the story, while viewing the character’s more popular, more successful brother as my own brother. I guess that would put the third act into a sort of wish fulfillment of fratricide. Maybe I need to stop this list before it upsets my currently great relationships with both my brothers. Big Night – Though differently creative, my younger brother and I have at times worked really well together. As many brothers in history have. Though we never attempted to operate a business together, we were in a band together. I guess for that reason I could have used The Blues Brothers here instead, but I like Big Night a whole hell of a lot more. The Darjeeling Limited – Return of the brotherly trio on a trip. Only this time the father has died (good ol’ Oedipal patricide is almost as popular as fratricide – not that any of the brothers killed Dad; I’m merely talking about wish fulfillment for the audience again) and the brothers are even more different (who would ever believe Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson and Adrien Brody as actual siblings?). I wonder if Wes Anderson ever saw Coupe de Ville. Or Amar Akbar Anthony. And here’s 10 more favorite brother films: Simple Men; Rain Man; La Bamba; Undertow; The Brothers Grimm; The City of Lost Children; The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford; Thirteen Days; The Funeral; The Wind that Shakes the Barley. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:00:34 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com7/22/2008 12:00:34 PM If there’s one thing I relate to on the big screen, it’s the depiction of fraternal relationships. I’m the middle of three brothers (excluding the half-brother I only knew as a toddler and the former stepbrother I only knew briefly as an adult), and at different points in my life I’ve either hated them or considered them my best friends. So, yeah, I can’t wait to see Step Brothers, starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as new siblings who go from being enemies to BFFs when forced to live together. Choosing a handful of favorite movies about brotherhood is really tough. After all, tales of brothers go all the way back to almost the beginning, with the story of Cain and Abel. And a number of favorites can’t exactly be discussed, because the revelation of brothers, especially twin brothers, is often the surprise twist in films. So, before you start naming a thousand other films about brothers that I’ve forgotten (such as The Brothers McMullen and Legends of the Fall), keep in mind that I’ve actually left out a whole pile of brother films, and this is more of a personal favorites list. Coupe de Ville – If there’s one movie that seemed to define my brothers and I growing up, it’s this underrated road movie about three estranged siblings (played by Patrick Dempsey, Arye Gross and Daniel Stern) delivering the titular automobile to their father (Alan Arkin). As kids, my brothers and I couldn’t have been any more different, just like the guys in the movie. For at least half a decade, until he seemed to disappear after he left the sitcom Ellen, Gross was like my cinematic alter ego, just because I felt a kinship with his middle-brother character in Coupe de Ville so much. Twins – While I’m on the subject of identification, here’s another movie I was able to relate to, as my older brother was (in my young, confused mind) like Schwarzenegger and I was a fat kid. Now that we’re in our 30s, we’re fortunately more physically balanced (or is it just that my perception has matured?). The Godfather Part II – At one time or another, to one degree or another, most of us with brothers have unfortunately had fratricidal thoughts. Again, murdering one’s brother is a plot that goes back to The Book of Genesis, and the theme shows up in some of the greatest of stories, from Shakespeare’s Richard III to the Shakespearean animated film The Lion King. But as I never wanted to murder either of my brothers for gain of power, I’m including this film instead. Oh, wait, I guess I never actually struggled with the idea of whether or not to kill my brother because he’s a liability and an embarrassment, either. The Public Enemy – In fraternal stories, if brothers aren’t trying to kill each other, they’re at least following separate paths, morally and occupationally. Typically, one is a criminal and the other is a cop, politician or priest. This particular gangster film doesn’t portray the divergence as clearly as subsequent films, such as Johnny Dangerously, We Own the Night or any number of Bollywood films, including the classics Deewaar. But it’s the scene in which the brothers argue about their differences and, ultimately, their similarities, that makes the film that much more interesting. Amar Akbar Anthony – Like Deewaar, this film stars Indian superstar Amitabh Bachchan and is also about brothers. This time, though, there’s three of them, and each one allegorically represents a different prominent religious group of post-colonial India. Bachchan plays the Catholic one, and the film is worth checking out just for his musical number involving a giant Easter egg. The Best of Youth – Another film about brothers that also represents its nation’s history, this six-hour saga is even longer than the mere three hour Amar Akbar Anthony. If you’re ever in a fraternal mood, you can fill up a whole day of loosely learning about India and Italy via these movies. Or you can simply enjoy two great movies about brothers. American History X – After fratricide and divergence, another common plot involving brothers is the one found here: elder brother tries to keep younger from following in his footsteps. Interestingly enough, Edward Furlong plays the younger in both this film and in Little Odessa. Adaptation – My younger brother and I are differently creative, and in the past we’ve been mistaken for being twins (unlike me and my older brother being like Twins). So, of course, I had to be a sad sack and identify with the protagonist of the story, while viewing the character’s more popular, more successful brother as my own brother. I guess that would put the third act into a sort of wish fulfillment of fratricide. Maybe I need to stop this list before it upsets my currently great relationships with both my brothers. Big Night – Though differently creative, my younger brother and I have at times worked really well together. As many brothers in history have. Though we never attempted to operate a business together, we were in a band together. I guess for that reason I could have used The Blues Brothers here instead, but I like Big Night a whole hell of a lot more. The Darjeeling Limited – Return of the brotherly trio on a trip. Only this time the father has died (good ol’ Oedipal patricide is almost as popular as fratricide – not that any of the brothers killed Dad; I’m merely talking about wish fulfillment for the audience again) and the brothers are even more different (who would ever believe Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson and Adrien Brody as actual siblings?). I wonder if Wes Anderson ever saw Coupe de Ville. Or Amar Akbar Anthony. And here’s 10 more favorite brother films: Simple Men; Rain Man; La Bamba; Undertow; The Brothers Grimm; The City of Lost Children; The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford; Thirteen Days; The Funeral; The Wind that Shakes the Barley. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmspotting/Re_Top_5_Films_about_Brothers/304/27450/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Filmspotting
Post Date: 4/18/2008 12:59:04 AM
Body: Films about brothers word assosiation = Twin Falls Idaho, Boondock Saints, American History X Adaptation, & Rain Man Honorable mention to Undertow , The Royal Tenenbaums and Mac
]]>Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:59:04 GMTleeroy711Filmspotting4/18/2008 12:59:04 AMFilms about brothers word assosiation = Twin Falls Idaho, Boondock Saints, American History X Adaptation, &amp; Rain Man Honorable mention to Undertow , The Royal Tenenbaums and Mac http://www.spout.com/blogs/jlgdrd/archive/2007/7/16/14873.aspx Post By: jlgdrd
Post To: Wicked Fun
Post Date: 7/16/2007 1:39:00 AM
Body: Duncan Mudge is the town joke. 14 years old, he rides around on his bike, running errands with his familiar, a white hen he calls “chicken.” Half the time he seems to be in a trance, the other half he lacks the judgment to keep his more peculiar thoughts to himself. His mother has died suddenly and Duncan has shifted into the realm where terrible loss either blinds us to the appropriate world or pushes us past caring. He has a kind of accidental, naive nobility. Duncan (The Mudge Boy) needs what he needs and never pretends otherwise. He doesn’t even know it’s not okay to ask. And writer/director Michael Burke doesn’t make him a quaint human rabbit, like say, Raymond Babbitt in Rain Man or Chance the Gardener in Being There. Emile Hirsch jumps into the role with both feet and there are times when he positively seems to have flown in from Planet Neptune. Hirsch’s performance becomes all the more impressive as Duncan begins to grow on us, despite his eccentricities. Obviously he and his father, Edgar (Richard Jenkins) miss the mother intensely, but while Edgar takes to burning all her belongings, Duncan sleeps in her fur coat, speaks for her at the supper table and imitates her skill of calming a chicken by putting its’ head in his mouth. Needless to say, there are gender issues at work behind this imagery. If you can get past the bizarre conceit that informs The Mudge Boy, it is more than worth your while to do so. The hen that Duncan carries with him is actually a very complex metaphor that works on several levels. Whether male or female chickens peck. Chickens probably remind Duncan of his mother. Chickens are nurturing. Chickens live in a passive world of their own. Chickens are synonymous with cowardice. And so on. It takes a while for the various components of the film to kick in and come together, but when they do, the effect is brutal, unsettling and inconsolably sad. It never explains its idiosyncratic devices, it never resorts to shorthand, but like the best poetry or painting it often brings the grotesque, menacing world into sharp focus. Men dominate the film, it is their world for the most part, and we are relieved when Perry Foley (Tom Guiry) another teenager, takes Duncan under his wing, protecting him from the other teenage boys that mock him. There’s an ominous sense of dread that suffuses the movie. We keep bracing ourselves for some horrible, ugly act of abuse, and it comes, although ultimately Duncan seems to handle it better than we do. He is more terrified of his father’s reaction and Perry’s, than the toxic behavior he’s been subjected to. Like Dawn Wiener in Welcome to the Dollhouse, he will take any reasonable facsimile of love, whenever and however he can find it. The rape scene that occurs at the climax of the film was, frankly, horrendous, but not gratuitous. It’s appropriate, I guess, that Perry mistakes conquest for urgency, on the one hand showing concern for Duncan’s welfare, and on the other, slapping him, dressing him in his mother’s wedding gown, calling him “bitch.“ Perhaps there’s some solace in understanding Perry’s inability to reconcile his feelings of tenderness for Duncan and the need that drives his attachment to women. When Duncan finds him a few nights later and asks for a kiss, we realise Duncan’s overwhelming need to connect has blinded him to Perry’s cruelty. And Perry’s response will knock you on your ass. If you’re not already down there.At it’s core, The Mudge Boy is about the inability of straight men to comfort, nurture and care for one another, even when it’s legitimately, desperately needed. And how they mask their ambivalence with contempt for other men too “weak” to pretend it’s not important. You don’t have to be queer, of course, to understand men (and all human beings) have an infinite capacity to express this tender side, once they get past the roles that culture would foist upon us. At first The Mudge Boy seems careless or nasty or arbitrary, it takes awhile to catch up to it’s wisdom. I’m skeptical of any movie that tries to suggest possible “reasons” for why some of us turn out to be gay (and worse yet, a “cure”) but the end of the film more than compensates, I think, for what may be dubious intent. And putting that issue aside, for the moment, Michael Burke has fashioned an important, disturbing, deeply affecting and ultimately redemptive film on the destructive impact that society has on men and our ability to protect, restore and save one another.
]]>Mon, 16 Jul 2007 05:39:00 GMTjlgdrdWicked Fun7/16/2007 1:39:00 AM Duncan Mudge is the town joke. 14 years old, he rides around on his bike, running errands with his familiar, a white hen he calls &ldquo;chicken.&rdquo; Half the time he seems to be in a trance, the other half he lacks the judgment to keep his more peculiar thoughts to himself. His mother has died suddenly and Duncan has shifted into the realm where terrible loss either blinds us to the appropriate world or pushes us past caring. He has a kind of accidental, naive nobility. Duncan (The Mudge Boy) needs what he needs and never pretends otherwise. He doesn&rsquo;t even know it&rsquo;s not okay to ask. And writer/director Michael Burke doesn&rsquo;t make him a quaint human rabbit, like say, Raymond Babbitt in Rain Man or Chance the Gardener in Being There. Emile Hirsch jumps into the role with both feet and there are times when he positively seems to have flown in from Planet Neptune. Hirsch&rsquo;s performance becomes all the more impressive as Duncan begins to grow on us, despite his eccentricities. Obviously he and his father, Edgar (Richard Jenkins) miss the mother intensely, but while Edgar takes to burning all her belongings, Duncan sleeps in her fur coat, speaks for her at the supper table and imitates her skill of calming a chicken by putting its&rsquo; head in his mouth. Needless to say, there are gender issues at work behind this imagery. If you can get past the bizarre conceit that informs The Mudge Boy, it is more than worth your while to do so. The hen that Duncan carries with him is actually a very complex metaphor that works on several levels. Whether male or female chickens peck. Chickens probably remind Duncan of his mother. Chickens are nurturing. Chickens live in a passive world of their own. Chickens are synonymous with cowardice. And so on. It takes a while for the various components of the film to kick in and come together, but when they do, the effect is brutal, unsettling and inconsolably sad. It never explains its idiosyncratic devices, it never resorts to shorthand, but like the best poetry or painting it often brings the grotesque, menacing world into sharp focus. Men dominate the film, it is their world for the most part, and we are relieved when Perry Foley (Tom Guiry) another teenager, takes Duncan under his wing, protecting him from the other teenage boys that mock him. There&rsquo;s an ominous sense of dread that suffuses the movie. We keep bracing ourselves for some horrible, ugly act of abuse, and it comes, although ultimately Duncan seems to handle it better than we do. He is more terrified of his father&rsquo;s reaction and Perry&rsquo;s, than the toxic behavior he&rsquo;s been subjected to. Like Dawn Wiener in Welcome to the Dollhouse, he will take any reasonable facsimile of love, whenever and however he can find it. The rape scene that occurs at the climax of the film was, frankly, horrendous, but not gratuitous. It&rsquo;s appropriate, I guess, that Perry mistakes conquest for urgency, on the one hand showing concern for Duncan&rsquo;s welfare, and on the other, slapping him, dressing him in his mother&rsquo;s wedding gown, calling him &ldquo;bitch.&ldquo; Perhaps there&rsquo;s some solace in understanding Perry&rsquo;s inability to reconcile his feelings of tenderness for Duncan and the need that drives his attachment to women. When Duncan finds him a few nights later and asks for a kiss, we realise Duncan&rsquo;s overwhelming need to connect has blinded him to Perry&rsquo;s cruelty. And Perry&rsquo;s response will knock you on your ass. If you&rsquo;re not already down there.At it&rsquo;s core, The Mudge Boy is about the inability of straight men to comfort, nurture and care for one another, even when it&rsquo;s legitimately, desperately needed. And how they mask their ambivalence with contempt for other men too &ldquo;weak&rdquo; to pretend it&rsquo;s not important. You don&rsquo;t have to be queer, of course, to understand men (and all human beings) have an infinite capacity to express this tender side, once they get past the roles that culture would foist upon us. At first The Mudge Boy seems careless or nasty or arbitrary, it takes awhile to catch up to it&rsquo;s wisdom. I&rsquo;m skeptical of any movie that tries to suggest possible &ldquo;reasons&rdquo; for why some of us turn out to be gay (and worse yet, a &ldquo;cure&rdquo;) but the end of the film more than compensates, I think, for what may be dubious intent. And putting that issue aside, for the moment, Michael Burke has fashioned an important, disturbing, deeply affecting and ultimately redemptive film on the destructive impact that society has on men and our ability to protect, restore and save one another. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/comedy/MemberTagFilms.aspxcomedy
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