Category Archives: The Phenomenal 5

The Top 5, The 5 Best, we love to list things. Here we call it “The Phenomenal 5”. Sure it sounds lame, but at least it’s uniquely ours!

5 Phenomenal Movie Ideas Gone Wrong

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If you look throughout the history of cinema you’ll find a lot of movies centered around what seemed like good ideas. But what makes some of these films so good is that the ideas go terribly wrong. Today I’m looking at five phenomenal examples of that. Now this is a list that could easily be a top 100. There’s just so many ideas that instantly filled my mind. But in order to narrow it down, I decided to focus on bad ideas that drive the entire story. These examples of poor judgement are what these movies are centered around. Still, there are tons of options to choose from so I’m not going to call this the definitive list. But in my mind there’s no doubting that these are 5 phenomenal movie ideas that go terribly wrong. (WARNING: Spoilers below)

#5 – “127 HOURS” – Always leave a note.

127 HOURS

In director Danny Boyle’s 2010 Oscar nominated “127 Hours”, James Franco plays a free-spirited adventurer who decides to spend the day canyon hopping deep into Utah. Now there’s nothing wrong with taking off to explore the great outdoors. But when you take off deep into canyon country without telling a single soul where you’re going, well lets just say you’re asking for trouble. That’s just what Franco’s character Aron Ralston does and things go really bad. He ends up losing his footing and sliding down into a deep narrow crevice where his arm is crushed and trapped under a boulder. With no phone service and no one knowing where he is, Aron has no way to escape and no chance of getting help. His horrible decision to not share his whereabouts before leaving has severe consequences and he’ll have to muster ever ounce of the human spirit if he wants to live.

#4 – “RAISING ARIZONA” – The baby snatchers.

RAISING AR

H.I. McDunnough and his wife Ed had the best of intentions. Unfortunately they are both simple-minded idiots. In the Coen Brothers’ classic comedy “Raising Arizona”, H.I. (Nic Cage) and Ed (Holly Hunter) read about quints being born to a wealthy unpainted furniture mogul. Unable to have children of their own and basing their plan on the idea that “they got more than they can handle”, the couple kidnaps one of the quints to complete their “family unit”. Sounds just like a Coen Brothers flick doesn’t it. Well, anyone with half a brain knows this idea isn’t going to go very far and it certainly doesn’t. They end up with a bounty hunter on their heels as well as two of H.I.’s escaped convict buddies who think there’s money to be made with the baby. This stupid idea couldn’t have gone any worse.

#3 – “THE APARTMENT” – Keep your apartment to yourself.

APARTMENT

In Billy Wilder’s brilliant film “The Apartment”, the lead character C.C. Baxter (wonderfully played by Jack Lemmon) sees his chance to climb the corporate ladder by allowing four of his bosses to use his apartment for their individual extramarital trysts. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see this is a bad idea, right? Things do indeed turn sour. Not only does Baxter start hearing it from his neighbors, but he finds out that a girl he’s interested in (Shirley MacLaine) is having a fling with his big boss (Fred MacMurray) right there in his apartment. Things go bad quick and Baxter gets beat up and loses his job. We even get a suicide attempt by a drug overdose. If there was ever an example of an idea going south, this is it!

#2 – “KING KONG” – Not all giant apes are made for Broadway.

King Kong

Ok, how does one come to the conclusion that capturing a giant monster-sized gorilla and using him in a stage show on Broadway is a good idea? Well that’s what happens here and things get deadly in a hurry. After discovering Kong on a mysterious uncharted island, a film director sees dollar signs. A lot of dollar signs. Even though Kong almost kills them on the island, they manage to sedate him, load him on a boat, and take him to New York City. Like all dumb ideas this one blows up in their faces. Before long Kong is loose in New York destroying property, killing people, and climbing the Empire State Building. “King Kong” turned out to be one of the great classic films of all time. And we would have never gotten it if not for one of film history’s stupidest ideas.

#1 – “FARGO” – It’s hard to find good kidnappers these days.

FARGO

Most all of us have been in a financial tight at one time or another. But I bet few of us have thought that having our wife kidnapped so that her rich father-in-law would pay the ransom and then pocketing the bulk of it would be a good way of getting out of our financial trouble. I mean it sounds preposterous, right? It is preposterous and that’s right up Joel and Ethan Coen’s alley. Once again they appear on this list and this particular movie idea is a horrible one. When Jerry (William H. Macy) hires two criminals (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) he thinks he has a foolproof plan. But before long a trail of murders brings everything back to Jerry and all thanks to an able small town sheriff (Frances McDormand). An idiotic plan and one dark comedic bad turn after another is all it took to bring Jerry’s dopey plan crashing down.

So there they are, five fantastic movie idea that went terribly wrong. There are so many other that I could name right now but I would rather hear from you all. Who did I miss? Who did I get wrong? Please take time to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

5 Phenomenal Movie Phone Calls

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I originally did this particular Phenomenal 5 over a year ago. Honestly, it was one of the most fun lists to put together, but hardly anyone saw it. Thankfully to you all, my blog has grown some since then and I’ve been waiting to share it again for those who have missed it. So why wait any longer? There have been so many great movie moments involving phone calls and almost every single genre has their share. Putting this list together was a lot tougher that I expected and there are some great scenes I had to leave off. But such is the nature with the Phenomenal 5, right? So as always, I wouldn’t call this the definitive list, but there’s no denying that these movie phone calls are absolutely phenomenal.

#5 – “TAKEN” – “a very particular set of skills”

I liked “Taken” even though it kind of flew off the rails closer to the end. But it also provided one of the most memorable movie phone conversations you’ll find. Liam Neeson’s daughter and her friend are abducted while on a trip to Paris. Neeson’s character is a CIA field agent who we quickly find out has “a particular set of skills”. In a brief but incredibly intense phone chat with the abductors, Neeson presents them an offer (if they let his daughter go free) and then a stern warning (if they don’t). It’s a scene that became the signature moment in the film and one that I can’t help but love.

#4 – “DIAL M FOR MURDER” – “Hello?…Hello?…Hello?”

I still struggle with why ANYONE with an ounce of sanity would want to kill the beautiful Grace Kelly, yet that was Ray Milland’s plan in this Hitchcock classic. As his accomplice hides behind the drapes, Milland lures Kelly out of bed with a phone call from the party he’s attending. He then listens on the phone as his hired hand strangles his wife. Foolproof plan right? Of course not, this is Hitchcock, remember? This key scene turns Milland’s devious plans upside down and launches one of cinema’s best thrillers.

#3 – “NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN” – “You know how this is going to turn out, don’t you?”

One of the very best scenes in the Coen brothers’ brilliant “No Country for Old Men” is the phone conversation between Anton Chigurh and Llewelyn Moss. It marks the first time the two have had any communication and the intensity is simmering. The scene’s slick dialogue and clever tone is vintage Coen brothers but it also works thanks to great deliveries from Bardem and Brolin. From the startling first ring of the phone to the slamming down of the receiver at the conversation’s end, this movie phone call nails it.

#2 – “DR. STRANGELOVE” – “I agree with you, it’s great to be fine”

How can you have a list of top movie phone calls without including the hilarious conversation between United States President Merkin Muffley and Soviet Premier Dimitri Kisov from “Dr. Strangelove”. In this classic Cold War spoof, a base commander goes “a little silly in head” and orders his planes to attack the U.S.S.R. President Muffley, wonderfully played by Peter Sellers, makes a courtesy call to Premier Kisov to let him know the base commander “went and did a silly thing”. The entire scene is just Sellers and he not only plays his character but also brilliantly sells us Dimitri, who we never hear. It’s a laugh out loud funny sequence and one of several great moments from the movie.

#1 – “SILENCE OF THE LAMBS” – “I’m having an old friend for dinner.”

Who can forget the phone call at the end of this Oscar-winning crime thriller? After finishing a gruesome and intense serial killer case, the film ends with Clarice enjoying herself at her FBI graduation party. While receiving several commendations and pats on the back, she’s told she has a phone call. At the other end of the line is Hannibal Lecter. He congratulates Clarice on her success then drops the classic yet still disturbing line “I’m having an old friend for dinner”. Anthony Hopkins, decked in a blonde wig and tilted hat, then walks off after Chilton. The film ends with Clarice simply repeating “Dr. Lecter….Dr. Lecter….Dr. Lecter…”. It’s one of those endings that leaves you uncomfortable but it’s also an ending you won’t forget.

What are your thoughts of my 5 Phenomenal Movie Phone Calls? See something I overlooked? Disagree with my choices. Please take time to share you picks or opinions.

5 Phenomenal Movie Doofuses

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What are the qualifications for being a phenomenal movie doofus? I mean if you think about it there are a wide variety of characters throughout cinema’s history that could be singled out for their idiocy. They appear in every genre: horror, romance, comedy, and action films. Doofuses are everywhere on the big screen. But this week I’m looking at the dumbest of the dumb. These five doofuses are the cream of the crop in terms of clueless buffoonery. But I have to be honest, sometimes these characters are the funniest and that’s why I love these five. So on this week’s Phenomenal 5 I’m giving them their due. Now with so many brainless doofuses gracing the screen, it would be ‘doofusy’ to call this a definitive list. But I don’t think it’s a stretch to call these five movie doofuses absolutely phenomenal.

#5 – AGENT HUBERT BONISSEUR DE LA BATH (“OSS 117” series)

OSS
The OSS 117 series was initially a group of serious spy movies made in the late 50’s and early 60’s. But in 2006 director Michael Hazanavicius and star Jean Dujardin teamed up to create a parody of those films with OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies and its sequel OSS 117: Lost in Rio. If you haven’t seen them you’re missing a comedic treat. Dujardin’s Agent OSS 117 doesn’t waste time revealing his cluelessness and ineptitude. Whether he’s stumbling over obvious clues or offending women, countries, or religions, it all spawns from his undeniable idiocy. He’s a hysterical character and Dujardin’s committed performances and impeccable comedic timing are big reasons why.

#4 – FRANK DREBIN (“Naked Gun” series)
frank drebin

Leslie Nielsen was a comic genius and that was never more evident than in “The Naked Gun” series. In Frank Drebin, Nielson created one of the most idiotic yet lovable comedic characters in film. Whether he’s destroying property due to his constant clumsiness or struggling with speaking or understanding the English language, Drebin is hilarious. Nielsen was also brilliant in selling Drebin’s sincerity even in the most ludicrous of scenes. Detective Frank Drebin found his origins in a small TV series that was canceled after six episodes. But this well-meaning moron made a name for himself on the big screen and he has to be on this list.

#3- CLARK GRISWOLD (“Vacation” series)

GRISWOLD
Can you possibly have a list of great motion picture doofuses and not include Clark Griswold of the National Lampoon’s “Vacation” films? I think not. Chevy Chase had several good movie roles but for me none are as memorable as his portrayal of the good-hearted but dimwitted family man Clark Griswold. Clark always had good intentions when it came to family vacations. But whether it was his wandering eye, his volatile temper, or his unquestionable stupidity, he always managed to foul things up. But it’s that imbecilic nature that makes Clark such an endearing character as well as one of the funniest to watch. Either in Europe, Vegas, at Christmas time or Walley World, Clark is going to flub things up. What else would you expect from such a classic doofus?

#2 – LLOYD CHRISTMAS & HARRY DUNNE (“Dumb and Dumber”)

dumb-and-dumber
Look I know this is a cheat, but how can you separate Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) from Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels)? These two best friends from the Farrelley brothers insanely funny “Dumb and Dumber” are textbook doofuses. In their cross-country trek to meet the girl of Lloyd’s dreams, these two imbeciles find themselves in more and more trouble all due to their lack of sense. There’s no denying it – these guys are doofuses. I mean I can’t even look at them without laughing. For me this is a side-splitting comedy and that’s mainly due to these two big time buffoons.

#1 – INSPECTOR JACQUES CLOUSEAU (“The Pink Panther” series)

CLOUSAUE
For my money the quintessential movie doofus was Inspector Clouseau from Blake Edwards’ classic “Pink Panther” series. Peter Sellers may have been the funniest actor of all time. Just ask some of his co-stars. I grew up watching Clouseau and his lame-brained attempts at detective work and these films are still some of my all-time favorite comedies. Clouseau could make something as simple as opening a door hilarious and his harebrained deductive skills give us some priceless cinema. Clouseau’s utter stupidity astounded people and even drove his boss mad. But it also cemented him as the all time greatest movie doofus in my opinion.

So where did I go wrong? There are several others than came to mind but there is only room for five. Who would have made your list?

5 Phenomenal Directorial Debuts

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Sometimes it takes a director a few movies to really hit their stride. On the other hand sometimes directors knock it out of the park on their first try. This week I’m looking at five phenomenal directorial debuts. Now I have to admit as I was doing research for this list I was really surprised at some of the first efforts of some of the directors I came across. Many were extraordinary, others not so much. But one thing’s for sure, with so many directorial debuts throughout film history this certainly isn’t the definitive list. But after seeing these five directorial debuts, I can boldly say that they’re absolutely phenomenal.

#5 – “THE 400 BLOWS” – Francois Truffaut

400 blows
Acclaimed director François Truffaut’s first film is arguably his very best. “The 400 Blows” is a 1959 French drama that was a pillar of the French New Wave movement. It was such a key film in defining a movement that was steering away from the traditional moviemaking of the time. Truffaut not only directed the film but wrote this semi-autobiographical story of a young boy’s hard life growing up in early 1950s Paris. Even with the movie’s sometimes heartbreaking subject matter, “The 400 Blows” is a beautiful film and it’s clearly a deeply personal work from Truffaut. I can’t say enough about this picture and it’s amazing that such an accomplishment could be a director’s first effort.

#4 – “BLOOD SIMPLE” – The Coen Brothers

Blood Simple
While Joel Coen was listed as director and Ethan Coen as producer we now know how the Coen brothers work. “Blood Simple” was the brilliant directorial debut from arguably the best directing team of our time. The Coens also wrote this modern-day film noir that gave us a new way of looking at crime thrillers. We get our first look at several of the reoccurring themes that the brothers would revisit in their following films as well as their own quirky sense of dark humor and unique style. Overall this is a fabulous movie and a great debut for the Coen brothers. It certainly set the table for the many wonderful pictures the Coens have given us since.

#3 – “NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD” – George Romero

night-of-the-living-dead
My favorite horror movie of all time is “Night of the Living Dead” from director George Romero. I’ve always been impressed with how the film used a minuscule budget and no-name performers to create such a wonderfully eerie atmosphere around a groundbreaking story. Even more impressive is the fact that this was Romero’s directorial debut. There are so many director’s touches that make this such a classic movie. But it’s really cool that Romero’s first film essentially launched the zombie craze that is still going strong today. “Night of the Living Dead” is a fascinating bit of filmmaking and an incredible first effort from George Romero.

#2 – “CITIZEN KANE” – Orson Welles

CITIZEN KANE
You know it’s an amazing accomplishment when a director’s first film is considered by many to be the greatest movie of all time. Such is the case with Orson Welles and the phenomenal “Citizen Kane”. The movie underwhelmed at the box office but critics adored it and over time both it and Welles’ stellar direction have received well deserved praise. Welles also produced, co-wrote, and starred in the film. “Citizen Kane” had its share of controversy and obstacles while it was being made, but the finished product is an absolute masterpiece and it’s a master class on strong and visionary directing. It’s a true cinema classic.

#1 – “THE MALTESE FALCON” – John Huston

Maltese-Falcon
Being such a huge fan of Humphrey Bogart I knew a lot of cool tidbits about one of his biggest movies “The Maltese Falcon”. Yet one big and well known fact escaped me until a few years ago. This was the directorial debut for the brilliant John Huston. He also wrote the screenplay for this fantastic film noir that remains one of the greatest films of all time. It’s said Huston had envisioned and setup in his mind the entire film frame by frame before he ever started shooting. His intense preperation and incredible detail enabled him to shoot the entire film in order. The result was a seamless and fluid movie filled with great characters and some brilliant camera work. Huston would go on to make several more classic films but his career started here with the search for the “stuff that dreams are made of”.

And there they are, 5 Phenomenal Directorial Debuts. I know there are several that could have made the list. What are you thoughts? Feel free to leave your comments and share your favorites.

5 Phenomenal Man vs Nature Movies

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My original plan for this week’s Phenomenal 5 was to look at survival movies. But as I thought on it I quickly realized it’s such a broad category. There are so many different variations of survival throughout many different genres. Instead I’ve decided to look at movies pitting humans against nature. This too encompasses a lot and I wanted to include as much variety as possible. So each movie offers a different look at nature but each has that element of human survival in the face of some of the harshest or most rugged conditions. Now with so many movies to consider it would be pretty lame to call this the definitive list. But as I look at these five choices I have no problem calling them phenomenal.

#5 – “DELIVERANCE”

DELIVERENCE
Okay I know “Deliverance” may be a stretch for this list but I think it certainly deserves a place here. Four men on a canoeing trip in the wilderness end up with more than they bargained for. After a deadly run in with a couple of hillbillies, the four set out to escape the forest. But the rugged and isolated territory has different plans. The jagged rocks and raging rapids get the best of them and their paranoia begins to eat away at their psyche. Now an argument could be made that the real threat are the hillbillies and not nature. But I think the hillbillies are a part of the specific nature we see and it’s the environment that takes the biggest toll on the four men. That’s why it’s on this list.

#4 – “127 Hours”

127 hrs
In the sensational “127 Hours” James Franco plays a free-spirited adventurer who with one slip of the foot ends up trapped inside a narrow crevice with his arm wedged under a boulder. He’s left alone with seemingly no way to get out of this predicament. The unforgiving terrain of Blue John Canyon in southern Utah is brilliantly portrayed by director Danny Boyle. The heat of the day, the cold nights, the dry climate, and the torrential rain all play a part of this area’s unpredictability. I found “127 Hours” to be a powerful story and this man’s struggle against the elements and nature are a big part of that.

#3 – “SAHARA”

SAHARA
No, I’m not talking about the Matthew McConaughey action cheesefest. This is the 1943 Humphrey Bogart World War II action picture about a tank crew separated from their unit In the middle of the harsh and punishing desert. They pick up an assortment of people along the way but soon they all face the brutality of the conditions. Add to this a Nazi unit that’s hot on their trail and things couldn’t get worse. But even the Nazi’s themselves aren’t above nature and ultimately it’s the desert that ends up with the upper hand throughout the entire movie.

#2 – “CAST AWAY”

CAST AWAY
So far on the list we’ve seen a dense forest with a raging river, canyon territory, and a desert. In “Cast Away” nature is presented in the form of a beautiful deserted island. Tom Hanks washes ashore the remote island after a terrible plane crash. It’s undeniable and relaxing beauty is deceiving especially when you have no food or shelter. The hot sun, the high tides, and the heavy rains flex their muscles but after four years on the island it’s Hanks who almost tames nature. Director Robert Zemeckis does a sensational job of bringing this incredible story to life and the sheer beauty and force of nature are both on display.

#1 – “ALIVE”

ALIVE

The 1993 survival drama “Alive” is a movie that has fascinated me since I first saw it. It’s based on the true story of a Uruguayan rugby team who are onboard a plane that crashes high in the snow-covered Andes mountains. Their plane is tore apart and many are hurt or killed. The dwindling group of survivors attempt to live on limited supplies in the face of blizzards, snow drifts, and bitter cold temperatures. Of all the movies on this list, I don’t think nature ravages the people or drives them to the edge more than in “Alive”. And to know that it was based on real life events makes it even more intense. This is a great movie but also a tough one to watch.

So there’s my list of phenomenal man versus nature films. Agree or disagree? Please take time to leave your thoughts below.

5 Phenomenally Beautiful Actresses from the Golden Age

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Over the years I’ve grown to love the Golden Age of cinema more and more. As my love for movies has matured, I’ve found myself appreciating film history and the great classics that came from that special time. I also discovered just how many beautiful actresses there were during that period. So I thought it would be cool to do a Phenomenal 5 that looked at the beautiful women of the Golden Age of movies. Talk about hard, this could easily be a Phenomenal 20 but you know the rules. As a point of clarity, by the Golden Age I’m referring to the end of the silent era all the way to the early to mid 60s. Now that’s a lot of years so obviously this isn’t the definitive list. But these five Golden Age actresses are without a doubt phenomenally beautiful.

Debbie Reynolds#5 – DEBBIE REYNOLDS
There was always something so adorable about Debbie Reynolds. She had such pep and energy but she was also a beautiful actress. Now some may point to the fact that Reynolds made several movies past the Golden Age. I would counter that by saying the bulk of her best films came within that wonderful era. She made her first film in 1948 but it was “Singin’ in the Rain” from 1952 that made her a star. In this classic her beauty matches her song and dance skills as she steals one scene after another. She would go on to make 22 films throughout the 1950s and she seemed to get prettier with each one. Whether she was dancing alongside Gene Kelly in “Singin’ in the Rain” or roughing it on the frontier in “How the West was Won”, Debbie Reynolds was an astounding beauty.

Marilyn Monroe#4 – MARILYN MONROE
Seriously, did you expect me to have a list of Golden Age beauties and not include Marilyn Monroe? For many, she is the first name to pop up when having a conversation about beautiful actresses. While I think you can debate Monroe’s acting abilities, there’s no denying that she was a gorgeous woman. In fact some believe her popularity as a major sex symbol was greater than her popularity as an actress. What ever the case, Marilyn Monroe became a cinematic icon and her beauty adorned magazine covers, wall calendars, and several great films including “The Seven Year Itch” and “Some Like it Hot”. Sadly Monroe died at the young age of 36 with so much ahead of her. But she left us with memories of one of the most beautiful women ever to grace the big screen.

GRACE KELLY#3 – GRACE KELLY
Not many women can say they had an opportunity to be a celebrated actress and a royal princess. Well Grace Kelly could and you can add ‘one of the most beautiful women in film history’ to the list as well. Kelly only appeared in eleven pictures but many became true classics. She appeared in two of my very favorite Alfred Hitchcock films “Dial M for Murder” and “Rear Window”. She also appeared in other wonderful movies such as “High Noon” and “To Catch a Thief”. Regardless of the movie, she was absolutely stunning and it’s hard to take your eyes off of her. She retired from acting at the early age of 26 and went to be the Princess of Monaco. She had a tragic end to her life but she left behind so many reminders of her great talents and her incredible beauty. There’s no way I could leave her off this list.

Audrey#2 – AUDREY HEPBURN
While she may not be one of the sexy blonde bombshells that took Hollywood by storm, to me Audrey Hepburn is one of the most beautiful actresses of her era or any era. It was easy to be attracted to Hepburn’s peppy and graceful charms on the screen. It was even easier to be mesmerized by her physical beauty – the dark hair, the big eyes, the darling smile. Her sprightly attitude fits perfectly with her glamorous appearance and throughout her movies you couldn’t help but be swept away by her presence. From her early films such as “Roman Holiday” and “Sabrina” to later Golden Age films like “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “Charade”, Hepburn dazzled audiences during her amazing run. Some may downplay this choice, but I think Audrey Hepburn is nothing short of stunning.

Ingrid 600#1 – INGRID BERGMAN
I still remember the first time I saw Ingrid Bergman in “Casablanca”. I thought she was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen in the movies. Nothing has changed. I still feel the same way. Much like Kelly and Hepburn, Bergman had an undeniable grace and elegance to her. But she also had a beauty that could command and sometimes take over the screen. Her look wasn’t showy or overtly sexy like Monroe and others. The Swedish beauty possessed a subtle and natural allure. Don’t believe me? Well just watch her in “Casablanca”, “Gaslight”, and “Notorious”. Bergman would often times take on roles that would require her to hide her beauty. But even then you couldn’t help but recognize her as a gorgeous leading lady.

So there are my five choices. So many other beautiful Golden Age actresses come to mind. Who did I miss? Please take time to share your pick.