Lifetime Movies: 1997

Winner: L.A. Confidential

Film nerds always talk about how Chinatown is the perfect screenplay. For me, this is the new Chinatown. Director Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland's script (based on the James Ellroy novel) is a beautifully complex noir perfectly brought to life by a great ensemble cast, including Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe (who I didn't even know were Australian at the time), Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, and Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner Kim Basinger.

Hanson took two successful ecclectic directorial turns after this with The Wonder Boys and 8 Mile, but  seems to have hit a wall. Helgeland looked like a writing superstar in the making, but as was the case with a lot of the brilliant screenplays around this time, he never hit the bullseye again. (Strange phenomenom we should look into.) Pearce also looked like a future star, but while he's proven to be a helluva actor, he's never broken through to the acclaim he deserves. Crowe and Spacey, obviously, went on to bigger things (I love cusp of stardom Crowe. All that raw energy without the gigantic ego). Just a perfect confluence of talent.

I have to mention Boogie Nights here, too. It's a brilliant film and one of my favorites. But...there's this scene. This one scene that bothered me when I first saw it and every time since. It's early on and features Mark Wahlberg arguing in his room with his mother. And it's horrible. The acting. Horrible. Even when I know it's coming, it takes me out of the movie. Fair? Nothing about my brain is fair.

Films of Note: (Vin took care of most of the big ones)

Anaconda: One of the top entries in one of my favorite subgenres: Giant Killer Animals. So much better than it should have been, which is pretty much true of any halfway decent Giant Killer Animal movie. Or Killer Animal movie, for that matter.

Cube: SMC favorite and one of the top sci-fi movies of the decade. We're still waiting for Vincenzo Natali to break through. Maybe Splice is the start.

Donnie Brasco: The movie that gave the rest of the world fuhgedaboudit. Really, this is when everyone started saying it. Pacino is actually underrated in this. So many great jobs by veteran actors this year (see below. Also, see above for Jon Voight's awesomely cheesy turn as snake food.)

Eve's Bayou: Movies like this always get lost and we always think that it's a shame. It is. Just saying. This is a powerful little Souther Gothic film starring Sam Jackson and a terrific little girl named Jurnee Smollett. See it.

Ulee's Gold: Peter Fonda gave one of my all-time favorite performances. A quietly powerful, dignified job. Should have won the Oscar. Or at least Robert Duvall in The Apostle. But Nicholson was way too over the top in As Good as It Gets not to get handed the award.

Lifetime Movies: 1997

What a beautiful family picture:...1997 was our foray into PT Anderson...the Wunderkind. I saw Boogie Nights in the theater..my first reaction was "Someone just ripped off Martin Scorsese"..as time went on I saw that yes he did...but in other ways he surpassed the master...Scorsese would have a tough time balancing the comedy, drama, action, etc..not that he "can't do that"...but he really hasn't I think...anyway enough about that...this is about Boogie Nights..the best film of 1997.

Leonardo DiCaprio was to play the role that went to Mark Wahlberg...I think Wahlberg was the best person for this...he plays naive so well...he was born for this role...sometimes in film I can't stand him...but other times he is perfect...here he was..the casting is spot on...Julianne Moore is incredible and our fan favorite Philip Seymour Hoffman is the best actor alive..or at least close to it...but the star is PT Anderson...he does ensemble well..he does single character studies well...the guy was the kid in high school who wouldn't have to study and then set the curve for the class and get all A's...you hate him because he makes it all seem so easy. Every scene is crammed with stuff to look at and discuss..every line is thought out and means something on many levels...as for the DVD..it's the last commentary PT has done and is a good one...the last shot is brilliant...as for the fake penis, according to the commentary it's still around and each year is deteriorating more and more...but this film will live on for years as a classic.

Others films:

Chasing Amy: Mostly seen as K. Smith's best film...it probably is, but the ending is still weird...Ben Affleck actually offers to have a 3some for real? I haven't seen this in a while..I just can't handle Ben crying in that car.

The Game: Underrated Fincher film...I remember the trailer being great..it got me so excited for it..it showed Micheal Douglas drowning and pieces of a puzzle coming together..it was awesome...by the way originally Sean Penn's character was to be played by Jodie Foster...also the writers...I mean this film is original and cool...so you would think that the writers went on to make cool original films..but I guess sometimes you get the SE7EN syndrome...like Andrew Kevin Walker...a one hit wonder..these writers went on to do Surrogates, Terminator 3, Terminator Salvation,and Catwoman???

Gattaca: I love this film...it's original, slick looking...I care about all the characters and it's an interesting take on a real future and the love of space flight...not to mention Ethan Hawke is great and should be in a million more films..The director Andrew Niccol is returning to sci-fi after S1mone and Lord of War.

Orgazmo: South Park...after episode 6 with the Mr. Hanky I was done...this film though about Mormons and the Porn Industry is a nice funny compliment to Boogie Nights..."I'm done with Hamstersyle"

Waiting For Guffman: I love the Christopher Guest Mockumentaries...this one is about the second best one...the best is the "My Dinner with Andre" Action Figures.

Lost Highway: A great Lynch film...the scariest guy almost ever in a Lynch film with alleged murderer Robert Blake..and Patricia Arquette is hot hot hot...look for old Hank Rollins as a security guard...and Marilyn Manson as a porn star

In The Company of Men: The film that introduced me to Aaron Eckhart...he is AWESOME in this...I expected great things from director Neil LaBute...but, came a lot of films from him that I just never saw...maybe I should...this film is just an experiment in everything you want to do as a man to hurt women...all women

Boogie Nights: Firecracker Scene

First installment of "Money Shot" where we dissect a classic movie scene...for you. Just sit back and wait for Vin's cue on the audio to hit play on the video clip, otherwise this will make no sense whatsoever. And if there's anything we stand for here at SMC it's making sense. And the national anthem.

So here is the "firecracker scene" from P.T. Anderson's 1997 film Boogie Nights.



And as always, you can download the whole audio file here.