Category Archives: Your Voices

Your Voices: On Tom Cruise

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your-voices

Your Voices is a simple concept created to encourage conversation and opinions between movie lovers. It works like this: I throw out a certain topic. After that I’ll make my case or share my opinions. Then it’s time for Your Voices. Head to the comments section and let fellow readers and moviegoers know your thoughts on the topic for that day!

Cruise

Tom Cruise

The story of Tom Cruise is fascinating to me. At one time he was the most loved and adored movie star in the business. He was a mammoth box office draw and many of his films hold special places in cinema history. But something happened. Over time people’s opinions and reactions to Cruise dampened. Was it the Scientology thing? Was it the Oprah couch-jumping? All of those were certainly low points in his otherwise stellar career but many actors have done worse. Still his decline in popularity is undeniable and (as is evident by his recent film, the wonderful “Edge of Tomorrow”) he isn’t a guaranteed big money-maker.

Personally I still like Cruise a lot and I appreciate the star quality he brings to a film. But I also think he is capable of really good performances as well as some fun big budget action pictures. Perhaps some of my appreciation for Cruise is rooted in nostalgia. I grew up through the 1980s when he rose to the top of the movie star food chain. I loved so many of those movies. But I also really appreciate some of his later work. In a nutshell I can understand some people’s aversion to Tom Cruise. I just don’t necessarily agree with it and I still find myself interested whenever I see his name attached to a movie.

YOUR VOICES: What is your take on Tom Cruise?

Now it’s time for Your Voices. In light of the so-so success of his recent film, what are your thoughts on Tom Cruise? Do you enjoy his movies? Does he rub you the wrong way? Please share you thoughts on today’s question and I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.

Your Voices: On “Casablanca”

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Your Voices

Your Voices is a simple concept created to encourage conversation and opinions between movie lovers. It works like this: I throw out a certain topic and I’ll take time to make my case or share my opinions. Then it’s time for Your Voices. Head to the comments section and let fellow readers and moviegoers know your thoughts on the topic for that day!

TALLER

Bogart and Bergman – “Casablanca”

As regular readers have noticed, this is a week-long celebration of the 1942 classic “Casablanca”. Now many films have been granted the title of “classic” but they often times don’t deserve them. Some of these films have stood the test of time while others have seen their praise shrink and new criticisms surface. So how does “Casablanca” stand now that over 70 years have passed? Has it maintained the magic that once heralded it as a motion picture classic or has it faded like many of the Golden Age flowers?

For me the answer is simple. “Casablanca” is the greatest movie ever made (yes I know that is an impossible title to justify). “Casablanca” managed to capture the perfect mixture of ingredients that not only produced a phenomenal movie of its time, but it has only gotten better with age. The cinematic mastery both in front of and behind the camera is a true rarity. The simmering chemistry between Bogart and Bergman. The top-notch supporting cast featuring Henreid, Rains, Veidt, Lorre, Greenstreet, etc. Curtiz’s impeccable direction. The Epsteins (and Koch) flawless script. For me “Casablanca” is the perfect film and it is one of the few movies that I would categorize as timeless. But those are my thoughts. What about you?

YOUR VOICES: “Casablanca” – One of the best films ever made or just a good movie?

Now it’s time for Your Voices. So what do YOU think of “Casablanca”? Does it deserve the high praise it has received? Do you even like the film? Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. After all, this is all about Your Voices and I can’t wait to hear what you have to say.

Your Voices: On the best James Bond

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Your Voices

Your Voices is a simple concept created to encourage conversation and opinions between movie lovers. It works like this: I throw out a certain topic and I’ll take time to make my case or share my opinions. Then it’s time for Your Voices. Head to the comments section and let fellow readers and moviegoers know your thoughts on the topic for that day!

CRAIG

I have to admit that I was a little late coming to the James Bond 007 franchise. They were films that I was always aware of but oddly enough I never gave them much of a chance. The 007 films have a wide and varied history and fans from both sides of the pond are very vocal about their love and support for the different men who have taken on the role. Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig have all taken their turns at playing the suave super spy. But there is a fun conversation surrounding which was the best Bond?

I’m certainly not the most well versed when it comes to 007 so my opinion won’t carry much weight. But for me it’s the new guy, Daniel Craig. I think what I like about Craig is the raw and grounded emotion he brings to the character. His version of Bond isn’t as cheesy or cartoonish and he portrays a sense of vulnerability that I like. Now a lot of this is due to the screenwriters but Craig perfectly embodies it. I have absolutely no problem with cheese especially when it fits the story, but Craig’s more realistic and complex Bond really sold me on the franchise. That’s what I think. What about you?

YOUR VOICES: Who is the Best James Bond?

Now it’s time for Your Voices. So who do you think has been the best James Bond? Is it Connery, Moore, Lazenby, Dalton, Brosnan or Craig? I would also love to hear what makes them your favorite. Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. After all, this is all about Your Voices and I can’t wait to hear what you have to say.

Your Voices: On the Oscars

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Your Voices

Your Voices is a simple concept created to encourage conversation and opinions between movie lovers. It works like this: I throw out a certain topic and I’ll take time to make my case or share my opinions. Then it’s time for Your Voices. Head to the comments section and let fellow readers and moviegoers know your thoughts on the topic for that day!

The 85th Academy Awards® will air live on Oscar® Sunday, February 24, 2013.

There are a host of opinions about the Academy Awards. There are many who absolutely love the Oscars and view them as the pinnacle of the past movie year. Their excitement spikes once the nominees are announced and they can’t wait to see who takes home the year’s most prestigious movie prize. But there is another group with a far more dismissive take. They pay no attention to the Oscars and they give no credibility to the nominees, winners, or process. They see them as frivolous and without merit mainly because they disagree with the movies that Oscar awards or they find such awards pointless.

I tend to lean towards the first form of thinking, but not necessarily for the same reasons. First off I don’t view the Oscars as the measuring stick for the best movies of the year. For example, this year only two films out of the nine nominated for Best Picture made my Top 10 list. That’s normally the case every year. Today’s Academy Awards aren’t as reflective of the year’s best movies as they were in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Sure Oscar would occasionally flub it up back then, but most of the time at least every nominee was a great film. That leads to the biggest reason why I personally love the Oscars. There is such a great tradition and a rich history that comes with the Academy Awards. Seeing movies, directors, actors, and actresses join such an amazing lineage is cause for both excitement and debate among film fans. I love that.

YOUR VOICES: What are your thoughts on The Academy Awards?

Now it’s time for Your Voices. What do you think about the Academy Awards? How do you approach them? Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. After all, this is all about Your Voices and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

Your Voices: On Overrated Movies

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Your VoicesYour Voices is a simple concept created to encourage conversation and opinions between movie lovers. It works like this: I throw out a certain topic. After that I’ll make my case or share my opinions. Then it’s time for Your Voices. Head to the comments section and let fellow readers and moviegoers know your thoughts on the topic for that day!

AVATAR

It wasn’t long ago that I did a Phenomenal 5 centered around overrated movies. Now the term ‘overrated’ is complex. What I’m referring to are movies that are deemed incredible or even classic. They are films that the vast majority of moviedom absolutely love. I just happened to think they aren’t worth the applause and high praise that’s often given to them. We all have movies that fit in this category. So that’s what I want to hear from you today.

For me there are a host of movies that are universally loved but that I think fall well short of being called “classics”. Movies like “Fight Club”, “Apocalypse Now”, “Annie Hall”, and others have either huge cult followings or have been made Academy Award winners. But for me the biggest example of an overrated movie that received tons of love was James Cameron’s “Avatar”. To this day I see it as one of the most overhyped and overappreciated movies of all time. Technically its a marvel. But its story is stripped from a number of other movies and its heavy-handed preachiness is just eye-rolling. It also features a few of the worst performances I’ve seen. So what about you? Let me ask…

YOUR VOICES: What movie do you find terribly overrated?

Now it’s time for Your Voices. What is an overrated movie that instantly comes to mind? Why do you see it as an overrated film? Please share you thoughts on today’s question and I’d love to hear some examples of movies you find undeserving of their beloved status.

Your Voices: On What Makes a Movie Scary

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Your Voices

Your Voices is a simple concept created to encourage conversation and opinions between movie lovers. It works like this: I throw out a certain topic. After that I’ll make my case or share my opinions. Then it’s time for Your Voices. Head to the comments section and let fellow readers and moviegoers know your thoughts on the topic for that day!

SCARY

Throughout the history of cinema there has always been a place for scary movies. Dating all the way back to the silent movie era, horror films have drawn and maintained faithful audiences. Interestingly, over the years the horror genre has evolved and splintered into numerous sub-genres. It has significantly changed in many regards but one thing remains a constant – many people still love scary movies. Box office numbers verify this each year as more and more of these films are made. But what is scary to one person may not be to another. And I’ve heard some say they are terrified by movies that I almost laugh at. So what makes a movie scary?

Let me say that I like well done horror movies. I always have. But that said, I’m rarely scared by them. I’m certainly not beating my chest and claiming to be macho but horror movies almost never scare me. But I am fascinated by the different opinions of those who are scared by them. What kind of movies scare you? What is it about them that frightens you? In many ways horror films are like comedies – they’re totally subjective. But different films have different effects on different people. So now I ask you:

YOUR VOICES: What makes a movie scary?

Now it’s time for Your Voices. What makes a movie scary to you? Is it even a horror picture or are there other things in film that you find frightening? Please share you thoughts on today’s question and I’d love to hear some examples of movies you find scary.