DREAMING OF ELECTRIC SHEEP

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

2008-08-11T02:21:00.004+02:00

This USA production is one of Stanley Kubrick's masterpieces. From the beginning, and the tittle is enough significant, wastes irony and scathing political criticism. In full cold war, the solution was to stop worrying and love the bomb.

For this entry I have selected the famous "Major Kong Rides the Bomb" scene. One of my favourite ever.

Mad Max (1979)

2008-08-11T01:53:00.004+02:00

Directed by George Miller, this australian production made history presenting an apocalyptic future without order after the global oil crisis (1.973). Mad Max meant the introduction of a young Mel Gibson who subsequently re-embodied the road warrior in two sequels produced by Hollywood and without the same appeal of the original.

The Big Country (1958)

2008-08-10T02:21:00.003+02:00

Directed by William Wyler, The Big Country is an impressive film that reflects the essence of an age and a country. Western in golden letters.

The commercial phrase is a good summary: Big they fought! Big they loved! Big their story!

For this entry I have selected the "Major Terrill rides alone" scene, epic. Jerome Moross' music achieves the perfect atmosphere.

You talkin' to me?

2008-08-10T01:04:00.013+02:00

This not a film, this is only a tribute to one of greatest actors in the history. No doubts.

Travis Bickle, Vito Corleone, Al Capone, Jake La Motta, Sam 'Ace' Rothstein, James 'Jimmy' Conway, Michael the "Deer Hunter"... and a long etcetera of awesome characters.

And he says that the talent is in the choices...

NB: The song is Gimme Shelter (1.969) by The Rolling Stones.

Apocalypse Now (1979)

2008-03-21T12:04:00.005+01:00

It´s not a war film. "Apocalypse Now" talks about the human mind and the madness. Based in the Joseph Conrad´s novel "Heart of Darkness", the Coppola´s film starts in a Saigon Hotel and ends in the border of Cambodia, in the jungle, where renegade Col. Kurtz is leading his own army with his own methods.

This scene, clearly inspirated in the Conrad´s roman, is the climax of the film:

Kurtz: Are my methods unsound?
Willard: I don't see any method at all, sir.

Unforgiven (1992)

2008-03-20T01:48:00.004+01:00

"Unforgiven" is the top film in the modern Western genre. Eastwood demonstrates his absolute mastery of the genre, as director and as actor. It will be difficult to make a Western film that exceeds this.

At the end of the credits appears this legend: "To Sergio and Don", Eastwood´s tribute to his two masters, Sergio Leone and Don Siegel.

This entrie is dedicated to a Tartan Army master: Gerdy. Take care amigo.

Miller's Crossing (1990)

2008-03-18T01:17:00.006+01:00

Miller's Crossing is a masterpiece of the Coen Brothers (Joel and Ethan). Perfect in every way. In this scene we see Albert Finney as Liam "Leo" O'Bannon. Construction of the scene, space location, musical atmosphere ("danny Boy"), choreography, a real exercise in style.

The old man remains an artist with the Thomson! someone says in the next scene.

Crash (2004)

2008-03-16T23:40:00.007+01:00

We crash each others all the time.
Brilliant and elegant at the same time, the film directed by Paul Haggis reflects the unpredictable consecuences of the human inter-relation and the mistery of the one's own personality.

The Duellists (1977)

2008-03-16T12:37:00.004+01:00

Ridley Scott directed his first film at 1,977: The Duellists. He was preparing projects such as Blade Runner, but we can already recognise his mastery in directing actors and his speciality, the creation of atmospheres. This film, based in the Joseph Conrad short story "The Duel", has the freshness of an opera prima .

Many scenes to remember in a short runtime of one hundred minutes, and some actors in a state of grace: you come to think of the misfortune to find a crazy furious as Lieutenant Feraud (Harvey Keitel).

A luxury for a manager to have his first work with Carradine and Keitel. No less luxury in the rest of the cast highlights, stressing Tom Conti and Albert Finney, the latter giving life to an elusive Fouché.

Next time D'Hubert!

Blade Runner (1982)

2008-03-15T21:16:00.002+01:00

Blade Runner is much more than a simple adaptation of the Philip k. Dick´s novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep ?".

They say that the ending part of Batty´s monologue is an improvisation of Hauer: All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain. Time to die.

The dilemma of the human condition.