Lazy Sunday

Nothing to do on Sunday after a lost week of work because of the holiday sitting in the middle of it. Kept missing chances to get something to do, as I wasn't spending my days tied to the computer, waiting for an e-mail asking, "who can do two scripts and a book by Monday."

So, what to do other than try to catch up on some of the movies on the DVR.

Finally saw "Rashomon." Yeah, I know, I know, that's a movie that, considering what I do, I should have seen long ago. Knowing the basics of the plot, which have made the film a reference point much like "Hitchcockian," I've even referred to it in comments at times. Yet, I'd never seen it. So, it shows up on the Sundance Channel a few months ago, I DVR it and now settle in to watch.

By the end, I'm profoundly disappointed. Yes, the structure of the plot, of a story told from multiple points of view, is clever, but there seemed to be a few gaps in the logic. What I expected was different interpretations of the same events. What the movie offers are radically different events in some instances. Just didn't quite make sense to me. The sometimes over-the-top acting was to be expected, both for the time period of the film and because it actually fit the story, so I didn't mind that.

I don't mean this to be a review of "Rashomon." Rather, the film brought to mind how filmmaking has evolved and how there is a disparity of viewpoints on various "classic" movies. Some hold up remarkably well, others are almost laughable in the overacting, the poor visual effects or the clumsy storytelling. Of course, personal opinion will always play into this. My wife isn't as enraptured with "Casablanca" as me. She likes it, but finds it very soap opera-ish. I love the dialogue so much, I'll excuse the melodrama elements and that really bad rear-screen projection in the Paris driving scenes.

On the other hand, while I love the Marx Brothers, I find their movies painful to watch. Why? Because of the romantic elements and (some, but not all) songs. I couldn't imagine life without "Hooray for Captain Spaulding." But the songs of two bit players (Hey, was that Kitty Carlisle?!) mooning over each other could disappear and I'd not mind a bit.

I know people who worship at the altar of Preston Sturges and others who can't quite understand what anyone finds funny in his films. I love "Sunset Boulevard," but have a couple of friends who think Gloria Swanson is hamming it up. (I point out that this is part of the point of the character, but they just won't listen.)

And who is the most divisive filmmaker I've run across? Stanley Kubrick. There seems to be little middle ground on him. You either love him or hate him. Even those who are divided on him, it's never because they are lukewarm on his films. They hate some ("2001" is typically cited as a "pretentious bore") and love others ("Full Metal Jacket" and "Dr. Strangelove" are usually the two most singled out for praise). As for me...don't get me started on "Eyes Wide Shut." Hated it.

At the very least, older films, even the classics, can lead to some spirited discussions.

Now, genre films and cult classics are for another post all together.