my thoughts on.... 'Singles'

In 1992, things were changing. The music of the time was in a huge shift, from bands like Guns N' Roses to bands like Pearl Jam. "Grunge" was the new thing. Taking a queue from the music of the time, Cameron Crowe built a love story around it and the home where it came from.... Seattle. The story itself, had very little to do with "grunge", it was more about love with mid 20somethings in the early 90's. It featured a lot of hip up and coming actors and actually had a lot of Seattle musicians and bands, like Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and the boys of Pearl Jam. I remember seeing it in the theaters when it came out and at the time, I was "grunge". Even to this day, I'm still thought of in that context and I've never taken it as an insult or a dig.... to me, it's a good time and memory. I was just at the right age to have the music and the film speak to me. I wasn't in my 20's yet, but it was still my generation. Even to this day, I'm an avid fan of "grunge" and yet for some reason, I haven't seen 'Singles' in over a decade or more. This past week, I was at a store and saw it on DVD for $3.... I always wondered why it wasn't already in my collection and now I can proudly say that it finally is. Tonight, I watched again for the first time in years and it's a funny thing.... I never realized how much of an impact it had on my life and how much the music and scene impacted me as well. It's a wonder I never ended up living in Seattle. I love the rain and cloudy days, it seemed like a no brainer. Somehow, I ended up in Colorado, where it's sunny about 362 days a year. Funny, huh?

Here's a VERY basic outline of the plot: (taken from Netflix.com) "Generation X neighbors share their bittersweet, intertwined stories of the single life in director Cameron Crowe's quirky relationship comedy set against the backdrop of Seattle's grunge music scene in the 1990s." I suppose I couldn't sum it up any better. It's all about being young and single and trying to find your way in the dating scene. Each character seems to represent a different stereotype. The activist, the musician, etc. and despite their differences, they all seem to relate to each other. In a lot of ways, it's a very typical love story. What sets it apart is the backdrop for the film and the music. It's where Cameron Crowe has always shined. If you look at everyone of his films, they are all based around music and how it ties into the story either emotionally or lieterally. He is a master at this. Just look at the sales of the 'Singles' soundtrack.... it sold millions. That's just a soundtrack! Granted, it boasts a huge number of big named performers and songs that weren't and aren't available everywhere. Hell, I own it on cassette and CD. I played the cassette so much that it broke.So what does it all mean? As I said earlier, this film has really left a mark on me. I'm not sure if it really is the film or the time or the music.... but they're all connected. For example, when I went to film school, I didn't want to write horror or action.... I wanted to write romantic films like this one. I also included music as a huge part of the writing process and in the scripts themselves. When I finished my first script, it included music clues in the screenplay and I even made a soundtrack to go with it. When I turned it in, my professor said that he'd never had a student do that before and it really impressed him. He even commented on my grade that it was a nice addition to have the music to match up with the scenes. Even to this day, if I hear a song that inspires me, I write. I can't tell you how many things that I've created were based on some kind of inspirational cue from a song. It's a beautiful marriage. This film also influenced my love of certain actors and increased my affections for certain bands. Like the mime that is in this film, he's played by Eric Stoltz and he left and impression. As a matter of fact, I went to see the film 'Naked in New York' because of him and that film is still one of my top films ever. It was the foundation of my first screenplay and I owe it all to 'Singles'. This film may not be the 'Citizen Kane' of the 90's, but it is a time capsule of my generation with blinders on. Kind of like pulling out a magazine from 1992 and flipping through it. You know that the people and things in it aren't a true representation of the people and things from that time, but they are parts of it and most likely the parts you remember the best. That, in a nutshell, is 'Singles' for me.

In the end, I have to thank Cameron Crowe for me giving me something to look back fondly on. He created what I always wanted to, even before I knew it myself. It's a very solid 4 out of 5 star film that I don't think everyone who watches it will understand. I think you had to be there, in that time, to really feel where it's coming from. Kind of like watching a film from the 60's, 70's or 80's. If you weren't there, you may be able to appreciate what it is, but it won't have the same impact on you that it might on someone else. I can never go back to that time and relive who I was and what was going on, but that's the beautiful thing about music, art, film and television.... it's like a pseudo-timecapsule. Even for a short time, we can all go back and visit our past, for better or worse. This is why I do what I do and I am who I am.

If you like this film, check out: 'Naked in New York', 'Threesome' and 'The Brothers McMullen'

my thoughts on.... 'Tangled'

It's not very often that I review kids movies on this blog, but I'm always trying to keep things from just being about horror. Nobody wants to be stagnant and I do watch other things besides horror, it just happens to be my favorite genre. However, yesterday besides seeing 'Hobo With A Shotgun' I aslo saw the Disney movie 'Tangled. I think all of us grew up watching Disney. Whether it was a Mickey Mouse cartoon or a full length feature film, he's left a mark on all of our collective minds. They're part of the fabric of our lives. There was a long stretch of time where Disney was cranking out less than stellar material, but then Pixar came along and stepped up the game. Soon they became a part of Disney and not only did the quality of Disney increase because of Pixar, but they also stepped up their own output of films. Since that time, there have been several examples of the higher quality product that they've decided to put out. 'Tangled', I'm proud to say, has carried on the tradition of old school Disney.... but with the new twist of being computer animated. It's the first time that they've produced a film that takes me back to my childhood without being hand drawn by animators. It was such a refreshing change of pace. It just proved that it can be done. This film had the life lessons, the GIANT musical numbers, the saddness, the joy and of course.... the princess. This is a film that the entire family can enjoy without guilt or regret. Sure it's sappy and sweet, but it's also funny and very smart. Sure it has the typical characters and themes, but it still feels as fresh as 'Beauty and the Beast' did when it first came out. This is a Disney classic already.

These days, it's an expectation that you have several big name stars in your cartoons in order to draw in a larger crowd and to give the film some respect. 'Tangled' has its stars, but they aren't big enough to over power the film itself. Mandy Moore plays Rapunzel and does a wonderful job of capturing her innocence and experience. Zachary Levi plays Flynn, the come-lately hero who has a good heart deep down somewhere. Ron Perlman, Brad Garrett and others round out the cast. There isn't one missed step with the people playing these roles. I never doubted who they were for one second, nor was I distracted by who they were behind the animation. This film also seemed to not be afraid of the GIANT musical numbers complete with melodrama and cheesy goodness. They're un-apologetic about it, as well they should be. This wouldn't have been film that it was without them. This film has not one, but two animal companions that offer comic relief throughout the film. I don't know when it became an expectation to have the comic animal sidekicks, but you can't have a kids movie these days without them. I didn't hate them in this film. Plain and simple. Another cliche that is in this film is the unhappy, happy ending. Some pretty horrific things happen here, but it all works out in the end and in a way it really reminded me of 'The Little Mermaid'. If I had one complaint about this film, it would be the fact that Rapunzel's hair isn't consistant.... but with that much hair, it's kind of hard to keep track of it for the whole film. Overall, that's a pretty minor complaint.

I think we're all pretty familiar with the story of Rapunzel, but for those who aren't.... here's the 'Tangled' version.

The king and queen of a little kingdom are expecting a child. The only problem is that the queen is very ill and the king sends out his best people to find a flower that has the power to cure her. The flower, however, is being guarded by a wicked woman who keeps it to herself to keep herself young and beautiful. The king's men end up finding it by accident and take it back to the king. He gives it to his bride and she is instantly healed. The baby, Rapunzel, is born healthy and happy and with beautiful blond hair that posseses the same power as the flower did. The evil woman tries to take a lock of Rapunzel's hair, but finds out that once it's been cut it no longer has its power anymore. She also discovers that once it's been cut, it will never grow back on Rapunzel's head. So she takes the baby and hides her away in a tower that is a secret to the world. Every year after that, the king and queen send up lighted lanterns with the hope that Rapunzel will find her way back home to them. Flash forward 17 years later, Rapunzel is about to turn 18 and all she wants is to go to the kingdom to see the lanterns. The evil woman will not let her leave. Meanwhile, Flynn steals the crown from the king and queen and ends up being chased into the tower where Rapunzel is. They strike up an uneasy bargin where if he takes her to see the laterns, she'll give the crown back to him. So begins out little adventure.....

If you like your animated films with a touch of the old school charm, then this is the one film you should see this year.... for sure. Pixar films are wonderful and have a charm all their own, but this is pure Disney through and through. I cannot say enough good things about 'Tangled' and I am proud to say that it's already apart of our DVD library. It also has jumped up my list of my all time favorite Disney films, only outshined by 'Aladdin'. I can only hope that this marks a change back to the older ways of making films for Disney. I'm not expecting them to make everything on this scale, but I hope that they at least put one out like this every once in a while. I don't think that's asking too much, is it? This was a no-brainer at 4 out of 5 stars. I am really tempted to push it to the full 5 out of 5 stars, but I think it may take a little more time to possibly earn that rating. This film is highly recommended to you or you and your family. It has something for everyone and will make you feel like a kid again, even if you're middle aged like me. Let's just hope that the fine folks over at Disney animation studios don't go and ruin this picture perfect film by whoring it out for sequels. I know that it's probably going to happen regardless of what I think, but it would be nice for just once to not soil something so pure in the pursuit of the almighty dollar. I don't think I'm alone on this one.... I really don't. I don't think I could handle 'Tangled 3: Rapunzel's European Vaction'.

If you like this, check out the other Disney classics: 'Aladdin', 'The Little Mermaid' and 'Beauty and the Beast'