Ocsar Month Twofer: The Wrestler (2008)

Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) is an aging professional wrestler, decades past his prime, who now barely gets by working small wrestling shows in VFW halls and as a part-time grocery store employee. As he faces health problems that may end his wrestling career for good he attempts to come to terms with his life outside the ring: by working full time at the grocery store, trying to reconcile with the daughter he abandoned in childhood and forming a closer bond with a stripper, Cassidy (Marissa Tomei), who he has romantic feelings for. Hilarity ensues as he struggles with his new life and an offer of a high-profile rematch with his 1980s arch-nemesis, The Ayatollah, which may be his ticket back to stardom.

Trivia: Darren Aronofsky revealed that Mickey Rourke wasn't the first choice to play Randy "The Ram" Robinson. First choice in line was Nicolas Cage, but he turned the movie down due to creative differences. Second choice was Sylvester Stallone. Aronofsky was trying to get Stallone back in the ring again but he has been too busy working on Rocky Balboa at the time. Only two days after its completion, "The Wrestler" was screened on Venice Film Festival and walked off with the Golden Lion award for Best Picture. Mickey Rourke also would have walked off as Best Actor if the Venice jury chairman, director Wim Wenders, had had his way but Wenders' vigorous campaigning could not topple a longstanding festival rule which insists that one film is not allowed to win both awards. Rourke happily contented himself with finally being the star of a prize-winning picture. The scene where a fan hands "The Ram" a prosthetic leg is based on an actual event from an ECW show where a fan repeatedly yelled "use my leg" and eventually tossed his prosthetic leg to Tommy Dreamer who in turn used it on his opponent. Darren Aronofsky and Marisa Tomei attended the same high school, Edward R. Murrow High School.

Today you are getting a Twofer so be sure to keep reading my review of Rachel Getting Married below. This movie is all about Mickey Rourke. I shudder to think of what it would have looked like if Nicolas Cage had played The Ram. Rourke deserves all the accolades he is getting, including the Best Actor nomination. Rourke's career actually parallels Ram's. Rourke's golden days are behind him and this movie is his comeback, just like Ram struggles to make his own comeback. This part is perfect for Rourke and I think he put a whole lot of his own life into the role. I would not be surprised if he won. Now I just said the movie was all about Rourke, well, most of it is. Marisa Tomei stole most of the scenes she was in from Rourke (It didn't hurt that she played a stripper, after all I am a guy). She provides a bright spark where most of the movie is a little depressing. She has also be nominated (For Best Supporting Actress).

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for another Twofer (Doubt and The Visitor)

Balls Of Fury (2007)

In the unsanctioned, underground, and unhinged world of extreme Ping-Pong, the competition is brutal and the stakes are deadly. Down-and-out former professional Ping-Pong phenom Randy Daytona (Dan Folger) is sucked into this maelstrom when FBI Agent Rodriguez (George Lopez) recruits him for a secret mission. Randy is determined to bounce back and recapture his former glory, and to smoke out his father's killer - one of the FBI's Most Wanted, arch-fiend Feng (Christopher Walken). But, after two decades out of the game, Randy can't turn his life around and avenge his father's murder without a team of his own. He calls upon the spiritual guidance of blind Ping-Pong sage and restaurateur Wong (James Hong), and the training expertise of Master Wong's wildly sexy niece Maggie (Maggie Q), both of whom also have a dark history with Feng. All roads lead to Feng's mysterious jungle compound and the most unique Ping-Pong tournament ever staged. There, Randy faces such formidable players as his long-ago Olympics opponent, the still-vicious Karl Wolfschtagg (Thomas Lennon). Can Randy keep his eye on the ball? Will he achieve the redemption he craves while wielding a paddle? Is his backhand strong enough to triumph over ensuing hilarity?

Trivia: Jason Scott Lee who plays the role of Eddie also played the role of Bruce Lee in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story which included a scene where Bruce Lee has to fight to defend his teaching of martial arts to white people. The scene is recreated when Daytona has to play the Dragon because Wong is teaching him, a white man, ping pong.

For some reason I thought this movie would try to be funnier. In saying this I mean, I thought they would pack it full of site gags and stuff like that ala The Naked Gun (which was good) or Meet The Spartans (which was not). It didn't. It was a straight up parody of Enter The Dragon with Ping Pong taking the place of Martial Arts. As with all parodies, it really helps the movie if you have seen the original, you get a lot more out of it if you do. I have and it was very funny. Two of the actors really stand out to me. James Hong has been in a ton of stuff. Wong's charatcer was written specifically to Hong's unique style and cadence. It was hilarious. And then there is the one and only Christopher Walken. This man could probably carry a whole movie be himself. He definitely stole every scene he was in.

The Longest Yard (1974)

Paul "Wrecking" Crewe (Burt Reynolds), a football player-turned-convict just wants to do his time and get out prison. The Warden (Eddie Albert) convinces him to organizes a team of inmates to play against a team of prison guards as hilarity ensues. His dilemma is that the warden asks him to throw the game in return for an early release, but he is also concerned about the inmates' lack of self-esteem.

Trivia: A number of the actors had previously played professional football. Burt Reynolds played for Florida State University and was drafted by the Baltimore Colts. Mike Henry (Rasmussen) played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Los Angeles Rams. Joe Kapp (Walking Boss) played quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. Ray Nitschke (Bodanski) was a middle linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, and Pervis Atkins (Mawabe) played for the Los Angeles Rams, the Washington Redskins and the Oakland Raiders. Ray Nitschke, the Green Bay Packer great, played a game called "Kill the Star" while on the playing field with Burt Reynolds. The climactic football game takes up 47 minutes of running time. Georgia State Penitentiary prisoner Harold Morris, who had been wrongly convicted of murder and was later given a full pardon, had a part in the film as an extra. In his book "Twice Pardoned", he recalled some moments with Burt Reynolds: Although prison officials strongly discouraged it, Reynolds often sat with the prisoners during meal breaks and socialized with them. A photographer on the set offered to take souvenir photographs of the prisoners individually posing with Reynolds. Many of the prisoners had no money, but Reynolds told the photographer to take all the pictures they prisoners wanted and he (Reynolds) would pay for them. One of the prisoners asked Reynolds where he lived. Reynolds told him he had homes in Florida and California. The prisoner then asked for his address and when Reynolds asked why, the prisoner explained a) he was a career criminal about to finally get out of prison, and b) after a life spent stealing from people who didn't have money, he wanted to finally burglarize someone who had money.

I can't imagine how Adam Sandler could do any better then Burt Reynolds. This guy is the king of macho 70's and 80's movies. I mean the guy was The Bandit for goodness sake. He just looked like he was having so much fun in these films and who could forget his laugh. He had a certain irreverence to his acting that just clicked in these kind of roles. It is amazing to think that he is the same guy from Deliverance. On the other hand it was weird watching Mr. Douglas (Eddie Albert in Green Acres) be so manipulative and evil. Anyway it was a fun movie to watch.

Remember to get your answers in to me for the trivia quiz.

Cars (2006)

Lightning McQueen, the hot shot rookie on the Piston Cup curcuit, has just entered a three way tie for the Piston Cup lead going into the final race in California. Now he just has to make it there. On the way, he runs afoul of the law and gets stopped in Radiator Springs, the cutest little town in Carburator County. While serving his comunity service he meets a rag tag bunch of residents in this out of the way town, including Mater, the tow truck, Ramone, the low rider owner of the paint shop, Luigi and Guido at the tire shop, Filmore. a hippy volkswagon van, Sarge, a jeep, Doc Hudson, the local judge, and Sally Carrera, a big city Porche that feel in love with the small town and moved in. Hilarity ensues as Lightning tries to make it to the big race.

Trivia: The tires of Lightning McQueen are manufactured by Lightyear, a reference both to the real tires manufacturer Goodyear and character Buzz Lightyear from John Lasseter's previous 'Toy Story' films. Filmore, the VW Minibus voiced by George Carlin, has license plate '51237'. This is Carlin's birth date - May 12, 1937. The film's animators drew up over 43,000 sketches for designs of the cars.

Well, I feel proud of myself and my self control. I waited a full day before going to this movie. Now that is Will Power! This one of those movies you probably need to see multiple times to see everything, as all the Pixar flicks. I especially liked the touch were the "villian" stock car Chick Hicks is covered from bumper to bumper with sponsor stickers and then he acts like the type who would sell out to anybody who would pay. Another nice touch is during the credits at the end when they show a drive-in theater where they are showing...Toy Car Story, A Bug's life, and Monster Trucks, Inc. (complete with scenes from the movie featuring cars as the stars)

Top 250 Challenge: 178

Raging Bull (1980)
Number 71 on IMDb's Top 250

Based on the life and career of boxer Jake LaMotta, Raging Bull focuses on Jake's rage and violence that makes him virtually unstoppable in the ring. The same anger also drives Jake to beat his wife and his brother Joey, and sends Jake down a self-destructive spiral of paranoia and rage. Hilarity ensues.

Trivia: To achieve the feeling of brotherhood between the two lead actors, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci actually lived and trained with each other for some time before filming began. Ever since then, the two have been very close friends in real life. De Niro and Pesci are really punching each other in the famous "hit me" scene. Robert De Niro gained a record 60 pounds to play the older La Motta, and Pesci lost weight for the same scene (De Niro's movie weight-gain record was subsequently broken by 'Vincent D'Onofrio' who gained 70 pounds for his role as Pvt. Lawrence in Full Metal Jacket (1987)). In 1978, when Scorsese was at all time low due to a near overdose resulting from an addiction to cocaine, De Niro visited him at the hospital and told him that he had to clean himself up and make this movie about a boxer. At first, Scorsese refused (he didn't like sports movies anyway), but due to De Niro's persistence, he eventually gave in. Many claim (including Scorsese) that De Niro saved Scorsese's life by getting him back into work.

Now I don't profess to be a boxing fan by any means, or a De Niro fan either for that matter. De Niro is good, but just not my cup of tea. This was a good movie, but I don't see what all the acclaim is for. I think the best sports movies tend to be boxing movies though, because of the dynamics of boxing. It's a one on one competition and you have the underdog striving to reach beyond himself to gain a goal. It's easier to tell a heartfelt story about one character, then about a team.

Top 250 Challenge: 149

The Hustler (1961)
Number 180 on IMDb's Top 250

"Fast" Eddie Felson is a small-time pool hustler with a lot of talent but a self-destructive attitude. His bravado causes him to challenge the legendary "Minnesota Fats" to a high-stakes match, but he loses in a heartbreaking marathon. Hilarity ensues. Now broke and without his long-time manager, Felson faces an uphill battle to regain his confidence and his game. It isn't until he hits rock bottom that he agrees to join up with ruthless and cutthroat manager Bert Gordon. Gordon agrees to take him on the road to learn the ropes. But Felson soon realizes that making it to the top could cost him his soul, and perhaps his girlfriend. Will he decide that this is too steep a price to pay in time to save himself?

Trivia: All the pool shots in the movie are performed by the actors themselves (Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason) except one: the massé shot (cue ball sends two object balls into the same pocket), performed by Willie Mosconi, 14-time world champion in billiards from 1941 to 1957. There's a misconception that the character Minnesota Fats is based on the real Minnesota Fats (Rudolph Wanderone Jr.). Actually, the character came before the real pool champion. His professional nickname was originally New York Fats. He renamed himself after the character played by Jackie Gleason.

Once again, a movie surprises me and my preconceptions. I thought this movie was about a pool player, it isn't. It is about a man struggling against himself (Paul Newman) trying to prove how good he is, who meets a woman, struggling against herself (Piper Laurie) thinking that because she is lame (from childhood polio) nobody could love her. This disfunctional relationship is the catalyst of the movie, and eventually causes Fast Eddie's salvation.

Top 250 Challenge: 143

Snatch. (2000)
Number 210 on IMDb's Top 250

Nominated by Mick

Turkish and his rather strange accomplice Tommy get pulled into the world of match fixing by the notorious Brick Top. Things get complicated when the boxer they had lined up gets the crap kicked out of him by Mickey O'Neal (Brad Pitt), a 'pike' (pronounced /pie-key/) as they call him. They then try to convince Mickey not only to fight for them, but to lose for them too. Whilst all this is going on, a huge diamond heist takes place, and a fistful of motley characters enter the story, including Cousin Avi, Boris The Blade, Franky Four Fingers and Bullet Tooth Tony. Things go from bad to worse as it becomes all about the money, the guns, and the damned dog! As hilarity ensues, the two situations blend into one with a chain reaction of events carrying on for each and every character.

Trivia: Brad Pitt, who was a big fan of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), approached director Guy Ritchie and asked for a role in Snatch. When Ritchie found Pitt couldn't master a London accent, he gave him the role of Mickey the Gypsy. Pitt's character and indecipherable speech was inspired by many critic's complaints about the accents of the characters in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Guy Ritchie decided to counter the criticisms by creating a character that not only couldn't be understood by the audience but the also couldn't be understood by characters in the movie.

This is a very frenetic movie and is fun to watch just trying to figure out what is happening, much less what Mickey is saying. When Mick told me about this movie, he mentioned that I might want to turn the subtitles on so I could figure out what Mickey was saying. I decided to try it without the subtitles, just to see. I only had to hear Mickey's first line and immediately stopped the movie to turn on the subtitles, then I found out there was a special setting so that you could turn on the subtitles for Mickey only, so that is the way I went. If you like Guy Richtie's other movie, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, this is a must watch, if you haven't, you might want to watch it just to hear what Brad Pitt has to say. Thanks Mick.

Top 250 Challenge: 136* dang it again

Cinderella Man (2005)

Number 175 on IMDb's Top 250
Nominated by Mick

During the Great Depression, a common-man hero, James J. Braddock--a.k.a. the Cinderella Man--was to become one of the most surprising sports legends in history. By the early 1930s, the impoverished ex-prizefighter was seemingly as broken-down, beaten-up and out-of-luck as much of the rest of the American populace who had hit rock bottom. His career appeared to be finished, he was unable to pay the bills, the only thing that mattered to him--his family--was in danger, and he was even forced to go on Public Relief. But deep inside, Jim Braddock never relinquished his determination. Driven by love, honor and an incredible dose of grit, he willed an impossible dream to come true. In a last-chance bid to help his family, Braddock returned to the ring. No one thought he had a shot. However Braddock, fueled by something beyond mere competition, kept winning. Suddenly, the ordinary working man became the mythic athlete. Carrying the hopes and dreams of the disenfranchised on his shoulders, Braddock rocketed through the ranks, until this underdog chose to do the unthinkable: take on the heavyweight champ of the world, the unstoppable Max Baer, renowned for having killed two men in the ring. Hilarity ensues.

Trivia: Professional boxers played Braddock's opponents. They were told to land their blows as close to Crowe's body as possible. Unfortunately, they sometimes couldn't pull back in time and ended up injuring Crowe. Crowe suffered from several concussions and cracked teeth.

This movie was the typical rags to riches fight movie that you usually see, except that this one really happened. James J. Braddock did indeed beat Max Baer to win the heavyweight championchip of the world in 1935. (An interesting note is that Max Baer, Jr. is also well known, he played Jethro on the Beverly Hillbillies) It is nice to see a movie where the hero is really a nice guy. Braddock truely cares for his family and fought to provide from them and keep them together during the Depression. Thanks Mick.

*Walk The Line just dropped off the list

2005 Houston Astros

The Championship Season

For 43 years the Houston Astros and their fans watched the World Series - wondering if they would ever reach the Fall Classic. So many close calls - the Phillies in 1980, the Mets in 1986, the Cardinals in 2004. And so the Astros began the 2005 season, as always, with hope - thanks to one of the game's best rotations. But by June 1st, the Astros were 14 games out of first place and were 15 games under .500 at 15-30. The Houston Chronicle said the Astro's season was over and placed a tombstone on their front page. It would take an extraordinary effort just to get to .500...to reach the World Series?...a miracle.

And that is precisely what made the 2005 Houston Astros campaign remarkable. The team overcame the worst start in franchise history, won the NL Wild Card on the season's finale day and beat the Atlanta Braves in an 18-inning Division Series Marathon for the ages. Then, behind ace pitcher Roy Oswalt, the Astros defeated the archrival St. Louis Cardinals, erasing 43 years of wondering as they went on to experience the World Series, for the first time in history. Hilarity, unfortunately, didn't ensue.

Trivia: The Astro's rotation placed 3 pitchers, Roger Clemens, Roy Oswalt, and Andy Pettitite in the top five Cy Young Award vote getters. The Astros became the first team to reach the World Series after being 15 games under .500 since the Boston Braves did it in 1914.

Okay, if I didn't know this really happened I would think it was a bad Hollywood movie. The Astros lost 4 major run producers after 2004 (Jeff Kent and Carlos Beltran to other teams, Jeff Bagwell and Lance Berkman to injuries). They started the season 15-30. Then they had to play at a major league best 74-43 just to get into the playoffs by winning the last game of the season. Then they played in the 18-inning monster of a game with the hometown hero having to step in and pitch the last three innings and a relative unknown hitting the walk off home run. The ending was kind of disappointing because it had been done before, (any see Rocky?) But all in all the video is a good one. The extras are good too, with Clemen's three innings of relief and Burke's game winning blast in the 18th. It also shows Craig Biggio tie and then pass Don Baylor for the modern day record of being hit by a pitch.

Best Picture of 1976

Nominees:
All The President’s Men
Bound For Glory
Network
Rocky
Taxi Driver

Winner:
Rocky

Story: The “Italian Stallion”, Rocky Balboa, is an aspiring boxer in downtown Philadelphia. His one chance to make a better life for himself is through his boxing. He meets and falls in love with Adrian, a girl who works in the local pet store. Through a publicity stunt, Rocky is set up to fight Apollo Creed, the current heavyweight champion who is already set to win. But Rocky really needs to triumph, against all the odds...hilarity ensues.

Trivia: Sylvester Stallone wrote the script in three days after he saw a boxing match between the unknown Chuck Wepner and Muhammad Ali. Unlike Rocky, Wepner was unable to last the distance and was TKO'd in the fifteenth round. Sylvester Stallone sold the rights to make this film with the condition that he be cast in the title role. Producers offered him $150,000 to let Ryan O'Neal play the part. Stallone became the third person to be nominated for both acting and writing in the same year, following Charles Chaplin for The Great Dictator (1940) and Orson Welles for Citizen Kane (1941).

So, tell me what you think? Did you like Rocky? Would you have picked another movie as Best Picture? Why?

Best Picture of 2004

Nominees:
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby
Ray
Sideways

Winner:
Million Dollar Baby

Story: Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), a poor thirty-one years old waiter from the very lower classes and with a dysfunctional family, decides to make a difference through boxing. She convinces the experienced hardened boxing trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to coach her and be her manager, with the support of his old partner Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris (Morgan Freeman), who sees her potential as a boxer. Frankie has a problem of relationship with his daughter, and practically adopts Maggie along her career. Hilary ensues.

Trivia: Sandra Bullock was the first actress attached to play Maggie, and she wanted to pursue Shekhar Kapur as a director. By the time a studio expressed an interest in the project, her commitment to Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005) prevented her from doing the film.

So, tell me what you think? Did you like Million Dollar Baby? Would you have picked another movie as Best Picture? Why?

Best Picture of 1981

Nominees:
Atlantic City
Chariots of Fire
On Golden Pond
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Reds

Winner:
Chariots of Fire

Story: The story, told in flashback, of two young British sprinters competing for fame in the 1924 Olympics. Eric (Ian Charleson), a devout Scottish missionary runs because he knows it must please God. Harold (Ben Cross), the son of a newly rich Jew runs to prove his place in Cambridge society. In a warm-up 100 meter race, Eric defeats Harold, who hires a pro trainer to prepare him. Eric, whose qualifying heat is scheduled for a Sunday, refuses to run despite pressure from the Olympic committee. Hilarity ensues. A compromise is reached when a nobleman allows Eric to compete in his 400 meter slot. Eric and Harold win their respective races and go on to achieve fame as missionary and businessman/athletic advocate, respectively.

Trivia: Eric Liddell's 400 meter victory in the 1924 Olympics was an Olympic record of 47.6 and excited the crowd with an unorthodox run. He ran the first 200 meters in 22.2 seconds, considered by track experts to be tactically foolish, considering it was only 0.3 seconds slower than his 200 personal record but he actually increased his lead in the second half beating the competition by nearly a second.

So, tell me what you think? Did you like Chariots of Fire? Would you have picked another movie as Best Picture? Why?