John Hughes Film Festival Part III: Ferris Bueller's Day Off

"Bueller......Bueller.......Bueller......"
"Um, he's sick. My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious."
The kid is a damn genius for christ's sake! I've been so excited to finally review this movie because it is most definitely a must-see classic. Matthew Broderick does a phenominal job playing the part of Ferris.
Ferris, his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck), and his girlfriend Sloan (Mia Sara) have what I consider to be the absolute best senior ditch day of all time...even if it was just the 3 of them. I mean, come on. With the utmost care and calculation, he fakes sick to get out of school...talks Cameron, his slightly fruitcakey friend to take his father's immaculately restored vintage Ferrari...Ferris takes the fake identity of Abe Froman to get into a fancy restaurant...they get on the big screen at a game at Wrigley Field...check out the Sears Tower and the Art Institute of Chicago....and of course! Ferris makes a fantastic edition to the Von Steuben Day Parade with his performance of Twist and Shout. Oh but of course, not everything is as simple as that right?
I love every minute of this movie and its even better in theaters. If only we could go back to 1986...haha yeah right.
A+ All the way. When I say must-see, I mean it.
Best song: Twist and Shout - covered by the Beatles.

Suggestions welcome, as always.
353 to go.

John Hughes Film Festival Part II: The Breakfast Club

Oh my god this movie is 100 times better seeing it in an actual theater! I love it!
The funny parts are funnier, the sad parts sadder, the awkward parts just more awkward. I don't even know how to review this movie because its so widely accepted as a great classic...I mean honestly have you ever met a person who hates The Breakfast Club?
You've got the brain, Brian (Anthony Michael Hall)...I wonder if there's a connection between his name, Brian, and him being the "brain" of the group..ya know;
The athlete, Andrew (Emilio Estevez);
The basket case, Allison (Ally Sheedy);
The princess, Claire (Molly Ringwald);
And last but, of course, not least, the criminal by the name of John Bender (Judd Nelson).
Could you ask for a better group of people to be thrown into a room with only eachother as entertainment for 9 hours. Its the most perfect coming-of-age story...and its even better because these monumental transformations of each character take place over the course of one day. I love it because while there is always something to hate in people, there's always something great to gain from getting to know them. Its the epitome of how real life usually is. People, in general, aren't typically super excited to get to know somebody who looks so obviously not your "type" of person. Its a pretty great learning lesson in this film. Classic, kind of cheesy, but something to always keep in mind nonetheless.
I love every single one of these guys. I wish I could've been in Saturday detention with them. I'm not sure what my label would be though haha...the one absorbed in the fake reality of movies and television?
"Don't mess with the bull, young man. You'll get the horns."
"Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his closet?"
"Dear Mr. Vernon, We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong, but we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us; in the simplest terms, the most convenient definition. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Does that answer your question?"
Its absolutely golden.
Oh, and guys, tune in tomorrow, I'll have my Ferris Bueller's Day Off review hot off the keys. Yeah, I'm creative.
A+, duh.
Best song: Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds

Suggestions always welcome.
354 to go.

John Hughes Film Festival Part I: Weird Science

Oh mannn John Hughes, great right?
There's something really awesome about having movie ticket stubs to these movies, I mean, they came out over 20 years ago ya know?
So I had an awesome day. Saw an old friend, caught up a bit. 12:30pm Weird Science. 5:05 The Breakfast Club. 7:20 Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Notice there's a bit of a break between the first two, its because we skipped Pretty in Pink...I know, I know...but I thought we might get a littttle sick of sitting in a movie theater if we went from noon to 9 at night. Sooo we took a break, got some pizza, got some ice cream, got some CDs and a part to my bike I needed...and why not? Went to a palm reader! Man I love Mill Ave.
I now know that I will have one happy marriage in my life, 3 kids (2 boys and a girl), and money will never be a problem for me! haha, awesome right?
Anyway, Weird Science. Its weird haha. Its weird how it runs so many parallels with Rocky Horror Picture Show. Rocky came out in '75 and Weird Science in '85...so I guess we can conclude that John wasn't always perfectly original haha. But it doesn't matter because Weird Science is awesome! Though at first it was hard for me to watch a full-figured woman making out with what is supposed to be a 15 year old boy. Crazy '80s.
This movie screams John Hughes. Its marvelous that he has such a unifying feeling to all of his movies. And I do love the cheesy little whoosh! sound effects through some of it haha. Oh god but the brother Chet? One of the single most irritating characters of any movie I've ever seen, though I guess he's supposed to be that way right? Which is why he gets transformed into that fantastically disgusting little toad creature? Haha and oh man, the accent. For whatever reason Garry gets this crazy accent when he gets drunk at the bar with Lisa and Wyatt...the accent is also used in, if I'm not mistaken, The Breakfast Club by the character Brian. Its pretty interesting.
Anywhooo, I loved this movie, but not quite as much as the previous mentioned.
B.
Best song of the movie: Well obviously Weird Science performed by Oingo Boingo. :)

Suggestions welcome.
355 to go.

Napoleon...not so Dynamite.

This week looks promising. I got a decent amount of shifts at work, a friend of mine got screening tickets for Adam (hopefully another great from Fox Searchlight), and I was informed by another friend that there is a John Hughes marathon happening this week at a local theater. I'm pretty stoked honestly...Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Sixteen Candles, and Weird Science. Starts at 2:50 guys!
Sometimes I wonder how certain movies appeal to people. I wonder what was running through the heads of the directors, production companies, not to mention the writers who thought up these genius screenplays. Napoleon Dynamite defines this category of film.
I just read the summary on IMDb.com...I laughed after the first line.
"Napoleon Dynamite, a lovable, unpopular high school age guy who just wants to fit in."
Hahaha. Okay...first of all, he's not lovable, he's annoying. Its not funny that he draws "ligers". Its not funny that he has some random Mexican friend running for president. Its not funny that he has the weirdest brother on the face of the planet. Its not funny that his mom pronounces the ll's in quesadillas. Stupidity and outrageousness does not add up to comedy necessarily and I think people were a little confused about that when this movie came out.
John Heder is about as talented an actor as our "lovable" buddy Jonah Hill. Give me a break.
There has never been a bigger waste of film reel. It's ok Fox, we all make mistakes.
F. Big fat F. Like, zero percent.
Best song of the movie: There were good songs in it?

Suggestions, as long as they're not as ridiculous as this movie, are welcome, as always.
358 to go.