THE THROWDOWN : Norman Bates vs. Jack Torrance

October 31, 2012 by Keith Garlington

Wednesday is Throwdown day at Keith & the Movies. It’s when we take two movie subjects, pit them against each other, and see who’s left standing. Each Wednesday we’ll look at actors, actresses, movies, genres, scenes, and more. I’ll make a case for each and then see how they stand up one-on-one. And it’s not just my opinion that counts. I’ll share my take and then open up the polls to you. Visit each week for a new Throwdown. Vote each week to decide the true winner!

*Last week the zombies (70%) annihilated the vampires (30%) in our horror movie frightfest.*

This week’s Throwdown is a bit of a stretch but it still should be a lot of fun. In keeping with my ’10 Days of Horror’, today we’re looking at two well-known hotel attendants who, let’s just say, have a few issues. Now I know Norman Bates and Jack Torrance’s connection to their hotels/motels are considerably different. But they have more in common than you might think. More importantly, both have gained an almost iconic status in the horror movie genre so why wouldn’t we let them square off? Here’s the question – which is the better/creepier hotel working madman? Is it Norman Bates or is it Jack Torrance. As always you make the final decision. Vote now and defend your favorite. It’s up to you!

NORMAN BATES vs. JACK TORRANCE

I still remember the first time I saw Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates in the Alfred Hitchcock classic “Psycho”. You immediately know that there is something not quite right about him. As the owner of the isolated Bate’s Motel, Norman’s creepiest feature is his flirtation with normalcy. You watch him and he seems like a nice guy but there is that sense of unease that makes him a chilling character. Of course we find out that he is a deranged serial killer with a special “affection” for his dear mother. Norman has given us many great horror moments, none better than the shower scene murder of Janet Leigh. He appears in several other “Psycho” sequels but it’s the original 1960 masterpiece that still resonates.

“Heeeere’s Johnny!” How can you forget Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining”? While I’m not one that thinks “The Shining” is the horror movie classic that many do, I still really like the film mainly due to Nicholson’s whacked out performance. Jack Torrance isn’t the owner of the Overlook Hotel like Norman Bates. He’s a writer who’s hired to watch over and maintain the isolated hotel through the harsh winter offseason. The problem is that Torrance isn’t the most stable of men. His writer’s block and cabin fever don’t mix well with the supernatural presence in the place and before long he flies off the rails. He shares conversations with ghosts who soon convince him to murder his family. He takes off, axe in hand, to do their bidding.

This wraps up my ’10 Days of Horror’. So, which of these two crazy caretakers is the creepiest? Which hotel/motel would you be the most eager to avoid? Both have earned there spots in horror movie history. But it’s you who decides who’s really the best maniac of the two. Vote now and make your choice known!

THE THROWDOWN : Zombies vs. Vampires

October 24, 2012 by Keith Garlington

*Last week “Annie Hall” (56%) took out “Midnight in Paris” (44%) in the Woody Allen deathmatch*

In keeping with the Halloween season, today’s Throwdown focuses on two stalwarts of the horror genre. Whether you’re a fan of horror pictures or not, undoubtedly you have seen movies featuring zombies and movies featuring vampires. Both have roots in classic horror films, both have been spoofed, both had been parts of huge franchises. But this is all about the battle. Today we’re putting the living dead in the ring with the blood suckers to determine which are the better horror movie terrors. A great case could be made for both, but ultimately it’s you that will decide. Vote now!

ZOMBIES VS. VAMPIRES

There have been variations of zombies in the movies for years. But they really made their way into the limelight in 1968 in George Romero’s horror movie classic “Night of the Living Dead”. Since then, zombies have found their way in hundreds of films. But they’ve also been spotlighted in comic books, video games, and television shows. But their real position prominence came from the big screen and you can almost expect a new zombie movie of some kind every year. There have been loads of sequels to Romero’s classic film. But we’ve seen different approaches to zombies from a variety of films such as “28 Days Later”, “Resident Evil”, and “The Evil Dead” just to name a few. But there have also been zombie spoof films that are tons of fun, movies like “Zombieland”, “Dead Alive”, and “Shaun of the Dead”. So there are no shortage of zombies in the movies and personally I’m happy to hear it.

You can trace vampires in the movies all the way back to the silent movie era. I mean who can forget the classic “Nosferatu”? And Bela Lugosi’s Dracula was a driving force during the Universal movie monsters craze in the 1930’s. While vampires did hit a lull in popularity, they are certainly back with a vengeance and you can see them in a huge variety of films. To prove the point just look at the variety of people who have played big roles in movies as vampires – Gary Oldman, Keifer Sutherland, Kate Beckinsale, Christopher Lee, Leslie Nielsen, Tom Cruise, Wesley Snipes, and even Pee Wee Herman! But even more than zombies, vampires have leaked over into several other genres including comedies and even teen romance flicks (unfortunately). Movie lovers have a fascination with vampires and it’s easy to see why. And with the current creature of the night craze, don’t expect any shortage of vampire movies in the near future.

So what say you? Are you partial to the walking dead or the blood suckers? You decide who comes out on top as the better movie monster. Is it the zombies or the vampires? VOTE NOW!

THE THROWDOWN: “Annie Hall” vs. “Midnight in Paris”

October 17, 2012 by Keith Garlington

*Last week Schwarzenegger (53%) out-muscled Stallone (47%) in our action icon Throwdown*

This week we move about as far away from the previous week as humanly possible. It’s old Woody versus new Woody in a Woody Allen Throwdown! When you see a Woody Allen film you know it’s a Woody Allen film. Yet in some ways his approach to filmmaking has changed over the past few years. So I thought it would be fun to pit what many view as a romantic comedy masterpiece in “Annie Hall” against Allen’s more recent and widely popular “Midnight in Paris”. These movies are wildly different yet each look and feel like a Woody Allen picture. So enough of the buildup. It’s old Woody Allen against new Woody Allen. It’s New York against Paris. It’s the Throwdown and your votes decide the winner.

“ANNIE HALL” VS. “MIDNIGHT IN PARIS”

In 1977, Woody Allen released “Annie Hall”, a movie that some have called the quintessential romantic comedy. Allen’s quick wit is never more evident than in the lightning fast and razor-sharp dialogue from the script he wrote about an eccentric New Yorker and his quirky perception of love and relationships. Diane Keaton won an Oscar for her role as Annie, a woman who ended her relationship with Allen’s character a year earlier. Allen spends the film lamenting his lost relationship and then moving on with his life. But can he ever really get Annie out of his mind? “Annie Hall” received three other Oscars including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. While I’m on record as saying I’m not the biggest fan of “Annie Hall”, it’s a movie that is loved by many.

In 2011, Woody Allen’s European tour stopped in The City of Light, Paris, France. “Midnight in Paris” is Allen’s love letter to the city, its beauty, and its history. Owen Wilson is fantastic as Gil Pender, a hack writer who believes he was meant to live in Paris during the 1920s. Allen shows us the magic of the city now and takes us back to the days of Hemingway, Picasso, and the Fitzgeralds. It features an incredible supporting cast highlighted by Tom Hiddleston and Corey Stoll as well as beautiful cinematography in some if Paris’ most glorious locations. This is a step outside of the box for Allen. More importantly, it’s a wonderfully romantic film that gives the most lovely look at one of the world’s greatest city. Allen won an Oscar for the screenplay and I can say without hesitation he certainly deserved it.

So is it Allen’s Best Picture winner “Annie Hall” or his love letter to the City of Light “Midnight in Paris”? I’ve got a clear favorite between the two. Do you? Your votes decide the winner. Click below and vote NOW!

THE THROWDOWN : Christian Bale vs. Michael Keaton

October 3, 2012 by Keith Garlington

Wednesday is Throwdown day at Keith & the Movies. It’s when we take two movie subjects and pit them against each other and see who’s left standing. Each Wednesday we’ll look at actors, actresses, movies, genres, scenes, and so much more and see how they stand up one-on-one. And it’s not just my opinion that counts. I’ll share my take and then open up the polls to you. Visit each week for a new Throwdown. Vote each week to decide the true winner!

This week’s Throwdown is a Bat-Battle to the death between Michael Keaton and Christian Bale. Both of these men wore the cape and the cowl and were undeniably the best that did so. This isn’t measuring which had the better movies. This is all about who was the better Batman and whose performance you liked the best. Forget Kilmer and please, please, please forget Clooney. These two guys WERE Batman. Now you vote and decide who was the best.

BALE vs. KEATON

Christian Bale was a fantastic choice to help revive the Batman franchise after Joel Schumacher’s disastrous “Batman and Robin”. Director Christopher Nolan took Bale and built a more grounded and believable Bruce Wayne and took him through some pretty dark places during his immensely popular trilogy. But it’s Bale’s performance that’s key. He unquestionably gets better and better with each movie and by the end of the trilogy he made the character his own. He also has the physical abilities to sell it all. Bale was a wonderful Batman and there’s an easy argument to make that he’s the best caped crusader to hit the big screen.

It may be easy for some people to dismiss Michael Keaton’s two movie tenure as Gotham’s Caped Crusader. But for those of us who remember standing in line in 1989 to see Tim Burton’s “Batman”, we most certainly appreciate how well the actor embodied Bruce Wayne. I’ve always been a fan of Keaton’s but I wasn’t sure about him taking on this role. He was a pleasant surprise and he’s a key reason that the first film worked so well. He’s a much different Batman that Bale but that’s in large part due to the material. Even in the second picture “Batman Returns”, a movie I’m not crazy about, Keaton shines. He left the role just before the franchise was destroyed but his stint still holds up today.

So who is it? You’ve got two very different actors giving two very different depictions of Batman. Forget their movies. This is about the men behind the masks. Bale or Keaton…your votes decide.

THE THROWDOWN : John Doe vs. Hannibal Lecter

September 26, 2012 by Keith Garlington

Wednesday is throwdown day at Keith & the Movies. It’s when we take two movie subjects and pit them against each other and see who’s left standing. Each Wednesday we’ll look at actors, actresses, movies, genres. scenes, and so much more and see how they stand up one-on-one. And it’s not just my opinion that counts. I’ll share my take and then open up the polls to you. Visit each week for a new throwdown. Vote each week to decide the true winner!

Many movies are made by their villains. Some are loud, in-your-face, and charismatic. Others slither under the surface and their presence is felt even as they are rarely seen. In other words, there are a wide variety of movie villains. In today’s Throwdown we are looking at two of the sickest and creepiest villains to ever hit the big screen – John Doe from “Se7en” and Hannibal Lecter from “The Silence of the Lambs”. The question is which one of these truly messed up killers is the sickest and creepiest. Your votes will decide.

David Fincher’s grisly but calculated thriller “Se7en” features detectives Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman trying to find a serial killer who is patterning his murders off of the Seven Deadly Sins. The two discover each disturbing crime scene but we never completely see the killer, John Doe, until the last few scenes of the film. Kevin Spacey plays this truly twisted murderer who shows up at the police station soaked in the blood of two different people. I won’t give away the end but let’s just say the pure evil John Doe provides one of the most shocking and gruesome endings to a thriller you’ll find. Spacey’s John Doe doesn’t appear in every scene but he permeates every scene and he is chilling, even in his absence.

Everyone knows Hannibal Lecter mainly due to Anthony Hopkins Oscar-winning performance in “The Silence of the Lambs”. Forget about the Hannibal spin-off films, “The Silence of the Lambs” is where Lecter staked his claim as a sick and twisted character. Hopkins is perfect for the role and he manages to mix Lecter’s immense intelligence with his sheer gruesome and murderous side. His manipulative and cryptic conversations with Jodie Foster are mesmerizing and even before he makes his big escape later in the film he’s extremely unnerving. Hannibal Lecter has several memorable lines and memorable scenes and it’s impossible to watch him and not remember him.

So which of these two intelligent yet twisted psychos is the creepiest. You get to decide. Leave your comments below but don’t forget to click below to cast your vote.

THE THROWDOWN : Clint Eastwood vs. John Wayne

September 19, 2012 by Keith Garlington

Clint Eastwood and John Wayne are two of the most recognizable names in cinema. In this week’s Throwdown we are looking at the westerns from these two movie icons. Both actors made many films from other genres including war pictures and crime thrillers. But this is all about the westerns. It’s Clint Eastwood versus John Wayne in a western shootout and your votes will decide who comes out on top.

Western Throwdown: Clint Eastwood vs. John Wayne

Clint Eastwood will always be remembered as one of cinema’s top tough guys and that was always evident in his westerns. Eastwood westerns were known for their grittier and often times more violent look at the period. Perhaps his greatest westerns were under the direction of Sergio Leone. His three spaghetti westerns “A Fistful of Dollars”, For a Few Dollars More”, and “The Good, the Bad, the Ugly” are some of my favorites of all time. But he didn’t stop there. He went on to star in more great westerns such as “Two Mules for Sister Sara”, “The Outlaw Josey Wales”, “High Plains Drifter”, and “Pale Rider” to name a few. Then in 1992 he directed and starred in “Unforgiven”, a movie that won him the Best Director Oscar. Clint has earned his place as a top actor in the Western genre and for my money his westerns are simply the best.

John Wayne is most certainly a movie icon. His appeal has made him a favorite of western fans from several different generations and even today many will call him their favorite actor. Wayne made a wide variety of western pictures. Some were comedic, some featured him as an unscrupulous sort, and others put him in the Cavalry Wayne really took off after starring in the great John Ford classic “Stagecoach”. He would later team up with Ford again to star in his fantastic Cavalry trilogy, “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”, “Fort Apache”, and “Rio Grande”. He would go on to star in to many westerns to name but including “Red River”, “The Searchers”, “Hondo”, “Rio Bravo”, “McLintock!”, “El Dorado”, and “True Grit” – the movie that earned him his only Oscar. John Wayne’s name will always be connected to the western genre and calling him a legend is certainly fitting.

Now it’s in your hands. Both Clint Eastwood and John Wayne have made some tremendous westerns, each with their own unique style. It’s time to vote and to see who will come out of top!