TYLER SMITH is the host of MORE THAN ONE LESSON. He has written film criticism for BATTLESHIP PRETENSION and arts-and-entertainment website POP CULTURE BEAST.
TYLER'S BLOG ENTRIES:
A Brief History Of Cameron
Much has been made about the various themes of James Cameron's Avatar. Some are quick to criticize Cameron's views on the military, the environment, and America itself. Admittedly, Cameron makes no attempt to hide his commentary. As military contractors terrorize the mild-mannered natives of a lush planet, we are reminded of the United States' involvement in Iraq, and, to an even greater degree, the disgraceful treatment of Native Americans as the country seized more and more of their land.
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Feelin' Old
Every New Year's Day, I take time to reflect on the movies that are now officially ten years old. When I first started doing this, it was just a fun practice. A few years ago, I found myself listing movies that were instrumental in my cinematic education. Movies like Fargo, L.A. Confidential, The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, and The Insider. It's yet another sign that I am getting older. It's strange to think that there are, as we speak, 17-year-olds being shaped by There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men. To these kids, movies like American Beauty and The Matrix are older gems waiting to be discovered; to me, they were the new vanguard, the product of cutting-edge new voices in cinema.
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It's Horrible
Maybe it's out of a sense of obligation that Nancy Meyers feels she needs to make comedies. Perhaps she thinks that it's what people expect of her and she doesn't want to disappoint them. Whatever the reason, Nancy Meyers should stop.
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We Who Ruin Movies
I was recently speaking to an old friend and he revealed his general dislike of film critics. This was, of course, quite off-putting, as he knew that this is what I consider my calling to be. I asked what it is exactly that bothers him about critics. His answer was intriguing; he talked about the recent Mira Nair film Amelia, which stars Hilary Swank as famed female pilot Amelia Earhart. As the film's release approached, he was excited to see the film. However, upon release, the majority of film critics panned the film, stating that it tried too hard to canonize its subject, rather than treat her as if she were a real person. Knowing that Earhart is already a rather mythic figure, the opportunity to see a realistic, human portrait of the missing pilot was an exciting prospect for most critics. But it was not to be and the disappointment of the film critic community was palpable.
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A Story That Can't Be Screwed Up
I remember first seeing the marketing campaign for Robert Zemeckis' A Christmas Carol and rolling my eyes. The trailers and billboards featured a mugging Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge being put through the computer generated ringer; he gets flung through the air, shrunk down to the size of a mouse, and other supposedly hilarious things. This couldn't seem less like the Charles Dickens classic; instead, it seemed like Zemeckis was taking things that we all knew about the story and was exploiting them. As such, I had no interest in seeing the film. "A Christmas Carol" has long been one of my favorite stories and I was in no mood to see it ruined by an overly-ambitious director with a limitless budget.
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My 100 Favorite Movies of All Time
Every few years, I reorganize my personal top 100. The last time I did it was about three years ago. Since then, some of my personal preferences (and prejudices) have changed, yielding the new list.
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Something Worth Surviving For
I remember hearing the theory that those few that were incredibly popular in high school will go on to achieve very little, because their lives have already peaked. On the flipside, those that were misfits in high school will go on to great things, both because the high school experience toughened them up and they have something to prove. I've found that this theory, while greatly over-simplified, is sort of true. The more of an outsider you are, the better chance you have for survival in this cold world.
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Moore Than One Lesson
I didn't expect this to be a good film. I really didn't. My misgivings about filmmaker Michael Moore's dubious tactics aside, there's no question that the slew of straight-to-video retaliatory movies made in response are pretty bad. Often, they've been made by people that have no filmmaking experience. They are as sloppily constructed as Moore's films are technically brilliant.
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If At First You Don't Succeed
Many already know about XXX Church, the Christian website dedicated to helping the millions of men (and women) dealing with porn addiction. The site and its founders, Craig Gross and Mike Foster, have become so high profile in the modern church, one would be hard pressed to find a Christian guy, age 18-30, that hasn't heard of the site. The supportive environment offered by XXX Church, as well as the practical accountability software, allows Christians to be more open and honest about these struggles than ever before.
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The Grass is Always Greener
When I was growing up, I had a small collection of VHS tapes. On these tapes were various Disney movies, such as Robin Hood, Peter Pan, and the Sword in the Stone. My parents had no qualms about letting me watch these movies, though many of them, I've come to realize, are deeply disturbing. From the pink elephants in Dumbo to the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland to the fate of Lampwick in Pinocchio, many of these films had images that seem as though they would be too intense for children.
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When Style Overwhelms Substance
As is the case with most Michael Mann films, Public Enemies is a brilliant technical achievement. From the authentic art direction to the crisp editing to the energizing digital cinematography, this film has all the technical elements required in a memorable film.
It's a shame that I didn't care about the characters at all.
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How I Abused Apologetics
Living in Los Angeles has really had an interesting effect on my faith. Having met with a fair amount of ridicule and hostility (some direct, some not), I found myself becoming more and more argumentative. I immersed myself in Apologetics; that is, the practice of approaching Christianity with logic, reason, and analysis for the purpose of a deeper understanding of the faith. I became absolutely hooked. Once I started to read one argument after another in defense of Christianity, I couldn't stop.
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But for the Grace of God
Is there anything more disturbing than when somebody tries to justify rape? Not that many people out there are doing that, but the fact that there are some men out there who blame it on the woman is both infuriating and just sad. One looks at this mindset and tries to figure out what exactly these people are thinking. How can they defend this? What is wrong with them?
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Scraping the Barrel since 2007
Celebrity gossip has been around since the early days of theatre. When movies and television came along, America’s interest in Hollywood gossip skyrocketed. People were intrigued to know more about the performers that they tuned in to watch every night. Public interest in a performer could turn him into a star, to the point that talent was rendered almost completely moot. A person’s career could shatter if public opinion turned against him (see the unfortunate case of Fatty Arbuckle for heart breaking evidence of this).
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A Healthy Skepticism?
Two things I should say from the outset. First, I am a Christian. Second, I did not like the film Religulous. I recently told this to an atheist acquaintance of mine and he suggested that that reason I didn't care for this unabashedly anti-religious film was because I was "in denial of the central premise."
An interesting point. On some level, he’s right.
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Always Keep Your Eye on the Ball
There is a haunting scene in Oliver Stone's W. in which President George W. Bush is asked by a reporter what mistakes he has made during his presidency and what he has learned from said mistakes. Bush chuckles to himself and states that he knows he's made all kinds of mistakes. He then, with the eyes of the press squarely on him, proceeds to rack his brain to think of what he has learned. The scene ends with him simply choosing not to answer the question.
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His Brother's Keeper
It starts with a gunfight. A gang of drunken outlaws are holed up in a makeshift brothel, only to be confronted by local law enforcement. Some of the outlaws are gunned down, others are arrested. Chief among the survivors is Charlie Burns, a quiet, withdrawn man who doesn’t seem to have a particularly violent temperament. Until, of course, his younger brother, Mikey, is threatened; at which point Charlie employs the dead-eyed stare and careful cadence of a man of action who means business.
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Melancholy and Infinite Sadness
"Melancholy."
This is a word we've all heard before, I'm sure, often in association with different works of art; a song or a painting. But, what exactly does it mean?
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"I Just Cut The Hair"
The work of vintage mystery writers has long been an influence on Joel and Ethan Coen. Upon reading Dashiell Hammett's "The Glass Key" and "Red Harvest," it's almost surprising that he didn't get a credit on the Coens' Miller's Crossing. In The Man Who Wasn't There, they are inspired by the work of James M. Cain, the writer of "Double Indemnity" and "The Postman Always Rings Twice." Those books, and subsequent films, are all about ordinary guys drawn into a murderous plot, usually by a beautiful woman and the promise of wealth. Invariably, their crimes catch up with them, and we are left shaking our heads, knowing that these guys never had a chance.
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Behind The Masks
In film school, one will frequently be asked who one's favorite directors are. Chances are, if you've taken the time to actually go to film school, you have a definite answer to that. After being there a while, though, you'll start to notice that there's a follow-up question to that, which is, "Who are your influences?"
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We Will Not Walk In Fear
Today, I bought a copy of Good Night, and Good Luck. It's a wonderful movie, currently occupying the number 5 spot on my list of favorite films of 2005. Some of you may have seen it. If so, I hope you liked it.
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