The Graduate (1967)

20150228:
I've been told this movie was good, but I've put off watching it for a long time. Of course it didn't help that I had absolutely no idea what the movie was about except for its title and that it starred Dustin Hoffman.

(Dustin Hoffman)

In any case, I'm glad I eventually watched the movie and would definitely agree that it's a good one. In particular, I enjoyed the performance of the three main actors: Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, and Katharine Ross. As a side note, I later learned Ross played the role of Etta in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and the psychologist in Donnie Darko (2001).

(Anne Bancroft)

Of course, a big part of what makes the movie good is its ending. It's interesting, because part of the movie builds up this hope that the two to be brought together, but then suddenly the ending has the characters and the viewers take a step back and wonder what lies ahead.

Overall, if you're looking for a good drama to watch, and possibly looking to reflect on the nature of life's relationships, then you should definitely check out The Graduate. I suppose I would also recommend the movie if you enjoy Simon & Garfunkel, whose music makes up a major portion of the film's soundtrack.

[20150315]

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Instant Comments:
"Did you know I was an alcoholic?"
"Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me."
Wow, the room is completely white with some pink.

"Would you like me to seduce you?"

"Would you like me to seduce you?" Haha.
He says he's 20, turning 21.
Sew a few wild oats.

Ha. "Are you here for an affair, Sir?"
"Don't move."
"Hello, Mrs. Robinson."
Everybody recognizes him at the hotel, but under his pseudonym (Gladstone).
What a creeper.

Finally the song 'Mrs. Robinson' plays, well, a whistled version of it.
Repeatedly screams and taps on the window, "Elaine!"
The repetition is finally broken. "Ben!"
However, the very ending is somewhat bleak.

Credits:
No closing credits.

(Katharine Ross)

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Watched 20150228 (Netflix, Instant) (Streaming until 3/1/2015)
The Graduate (1967) Mike Nichols. 106 min [botnotsn (1967) by Charles Webb]

Relevant Links:
The Graduate (Wikipedia.org)
The Graduate (IMDb.com)
The Graduate (RottenTomatoes.com)

The Road to El Dorado (2000)

Plot Summary:
Two friends, Tulio and Miguel, acquire a map that leads to El Dorado, the City of Gold. Upon finding it, they are captured by natives and brought into the city.

Left to Right: Miguel (Kenneth Branagh), Tulio (Kevin Kline), and Chel (Rosie Perez)

Fortunately, the chief of El Dorado Chief Tannabok and the high priest Tzekel-Kan introduce them to the people of El Dorado as gods. Wishing to escape with the city's riches, they play along and assume the role of gods. In particular, they request that a boat be built so that they can leave with the golds and riches that have been bestowed to them by the people.

While waiting for the boat to be built, Miguel becomes attached with the people of El Dorado and Tulio becomes attached with Chel, a female citizen of El Dorado who wishes to leave the city with them and take a share of their gold (because she knows they're not really gods).

Chief (Edward James Olmos)

Meanwhile, a priest named Tzekel-Kan is up to no good and Hernán Cortés is also headed towards Mexico in search for gold. In any case, Miguel and Tulio's differences stretch their friendship thin.

What will become of Miguel and Tulio? And what chaos will Tzekel-Kan and Cortes bring? Is Chel a friend or foe? And what of Chief Tannabok?

---

20150228:
A movie with adventure, some laughs, and a bit of action, The Road to El Dorado would be fun for most young guys and girls, though I've gotten the impression that 2D animation is no longer fashionable under today's standards.

Tulio and Miguel

In addition to the story, I enjoyed most of the movie's songs and soundtrack (Elton John, Tim Rice, Hans Zimmer, and John Powell).

Though the only one that really sticks in my mind is "The Trail We Blaze," which is the song that plays while protagonists Tulio and Miguel (and Cortes's horse Altivo) follow the map from the coast to El Dorado.

Unfortunately, the characters weren't as well developed as many great Disney films such as Aladdin (1992), Pocahontas (1995) or Tangled (2010). In particular, just consider how the animal characters Abu, Meeko, and Maximus compare to Altivo.

Tulio, Miguel, and Altivo (horse, Frank Welker)

At the end of the day, I enjoyed my viewing of the movie and think that The Road to El Dorado is a 2D animation (by Dreamworks) which is worth seeing at least once.

[20150313]

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As of 20171216, Netflix determined the movie for me as a 74% match. I decided to give the movie neither a thumbs up nor a thumbs down.

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Instant Comments:
2: Two pesados on the bet.

Chel

2: Somewhat 3D? I remember similar technology in Titan A.E.
2: "It's not a pry bar."
2: "Holy... Ship!"
2: "You drank the seawater didn't you?"
2: There were no remarks on how the two on horses was similar to the depiction of two figures on some mythic creatures. And then when the girl comes with something in her hand.
2: Oh okay. It is shown after they enter the city.
2: "How did you get those?" "Where did she keep them?"

Miguel, Tulio, and Tzekel-Kan (Armand Assante)

2: "Do you mind?" "No."

Credits:
2: Hans Zimmer and John Powell
2=20150228

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Watched once before
Watched 20150228 (Netflix, Instant)
Watched 20171118 (Netflix, Instant)
The Road to El Dorado (2000) Eric Bergeron , Will Finn. 89 min

Tulio and Miguel

Relevant Links:
The Road to El Dorado (Wikipedia.org)
The Road to El Dorado (IMDb.com)
The Road to El Dorado (RottenTomatoes.com)

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues - Battle Royale scene

I didn't want to put all these screenshots on my main Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues post, so I put them here instead. Enjoy.

Ron Burgandy's News Team
(David Koechner, Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Brick Tamland)

Jack Lime's News Team
(Fred Galle, Patrick Williams, James Marsden, Paul Chappell)

BBC News Service
(center, Sarah Baron Cohen)

MTV News Crew
(center: Kayne West)

Entertainment News
(Tina Fey, Amy Poehler)

Quebec News and Canadian News Team
(Marion Cotillard, Jim Carrey)

ESPN Sports News
(Will Smith)

History Network
(left, John C. Reilly; center, Liam Neeson)

Mack Tannen (Harrison Ford)

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)

Released 20131218
Watched 20131225 Theaters.
Watched 20150228 (Netflix, Instant)
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013) Adam McKay. 119 min

Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) and Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate)

Relevant Links:
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (Wikipedia.org)
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (IMDb.com)
ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES (RottenTomatoes.com)
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues - Battle Royale

Ron Burgandy (Will Ferrell) and his wife Veronica Corning Stone (Christina Applegate) are co-anchors for a news network until another anchor Mack Tannen (Harrison Ford) announces his retirement, promotes Veronica to his position and fires Ron.

Brick Tamland (Steve Carell)

Taking a temporary job at the San Diego SeaWorld, Ron falls into depression and is also fired from SeaWorld. Ron then attempts to commit suicide, but fails. Luckily for Ron, moments after his failed suicide he is offered a job at GNN (Global News Network) which will be the world's first 24-hour news network.* While Ron laughs at the idea, he is also desperate to take the job. After doing so, he goes to collect his former team members: Champ Kind (David Koechner), Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), and Brick Tamland (Steve Carell).

Scorpions approach Ron as Brick eats ice cream.

The remainder of the story is quite a rollercoaster for Ron Burgandy, but how bad can the story possibly go? After all, this is "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues."

*Upon its launch in 1980, Cable News Network (CNN) was the first 24-hour news network.

Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd)

20150228: [20150312]
Like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Anchorman 2 has a couple of good laughs, but is not particularly memorable. There are, however, three scenes which I remember and enjoy. The first and best of the three doesn't even involve the movie's protagonist Ron Burgandy (Will Ferrell). Instead, it is a conversation between a member of Ron's news team, Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), and a GNN secretary named Chani Lastnamé (Kristen Wiig). My second favorite scene is Ron's "I'm bliiind" scene. Finally, the third most memorable and good scene is Brick and Chani's second conversation.

Burning oil approaches Champ Kind (David Koechner)

In any case, I thought the movie had a good overall plot and is worth watching at least once if you like comedy movies, Will Ferrell, or Steve Carell.

Instant Comments:
Oh, my God. Would it be wrong to say you smell terrific?
Chicken of the cave.
They're unscathed.
I bet his poop smells like sandlewood.
"That's the graveyard shift!" - Ron. "I ain't afraid of no ghost." - Brick.

Brick and Chani Lastname (Kristen Wiig)

Brick Tamland: I'm Brick. I was dead last week.
Chani Lastnamé: I'm Chani. I like the place between your head and your body.
Brick Tamland: I like your hair. It looks like wet popcorn.
Chani Lastnamé: Thank you.
Brick Tamland: Would you like to see the smile that I use when I pose for photographs?
Chani Lastnamé: Yes, please.
[Brick smiles]
Chani Lastnamé: Do you want to see the face I make when I see a snake made out of candy?
Brick Tamland: Yes.
[Chani eyes open wide and she rolls her tongue over her mouth]
Brick Tamland: That's good.
Chani Lastnamé: What's your favorite time of day?
Brick Tamland: Now. What's your favorite time of day?
Chani Lastnamé: A minute ago.
[Brick quickly touches her shoulder and runs off]

Baxter

"Hey, Guy. This ain't local news anymore, we shit standing up."
"I didn't ask for these powers. I was given them."
The Ladykillers
Ha. "Is that your foot between my legs?" "Oh sorry, that's just my hand."
His complaints about his blindness are hilarious. (ashtray, ketchup, masturbation, and lighthouse)
Hahaha. "Do you guys want to kiss real quick?"

Linda Jackson (Meagan Good).

Brick: Ron, you are a good man, but you have fallen victim to your own ego and hubris. Now, you have taken steps towards righting the wrongs you have done. But before others can forgive you, you must journey inside and forgive yourself.
Ron: ...Brick, what'd you just say?
Brick: I'm wearing two kinds of pants.

[sees werewolf transformation] "I'm gonna call Michael Jackson, I got a video idea." (References Michael Jackson's music video for Thriller)
Brick's laugh about his gun from the future is hilarious.

Mack Tannen (Harrison Ford)

Ron Burgundy: Brick, what the hell is that?
Brick Tamland: It's a gun... from the future.
Wesley Jackson: No fair, he has a gun from the future!
Ron Burgundy: Where did you get it from?
[Brick laughs]

"...here comes the warm milkshake out of the tip of my belly stick."
After the credits, a meeting is adjourned and the camera pans to Brick eating something underneath the table.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

Overview:
Bill S. Preston, Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted "Theodore" Logan (Keanu Reeves) aspire to becoming a famous band, called the "Wyld Stallyns". Unfortunately, unless they pass their history class, Ted's father will ship Ted off to military school and their dreams would be broken. While they're currently flunking history, a near perfect report could be enough to pass.

Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) meet Billy the Kid.

Fortunately, the future (with respect to Bill and Ted's point of view) is interested in their success. As such, Rufus (George Carlin) is sent back in time to present Bill and Ted with a time machine in order to aid them.

---

20150228:
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is the only time travel movie I've seen in which the time travel elements follow a truly consistent, circular loop. This allows me to fully enjoy the movie, as there is no time spent judging the plot and it's plausibility.

Rufus (George Carlin)

Consider, for comparison, the Back to the Future series (Back to the Future (1985)) and The Terminator series (Terminator (1984), Terminator 2 (1991)). I would reason they do not form a single consistent timeline like Bill & Ted, because there would be various paradoxes. And yet, if there were multiple timelines, then what does sending someone back in time do for your own future? When does the timeline split occur? It's disastrous!

Getting back to Bill & Ted, I enjoyed the film and would definitely watch it again.

Bill and Ted meet Bill and Ted.

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Instant Comments:
Their conversation, which is circular, is silly, but actually reflects the overarching story.
"We are in danger of flunking most heinously tomorrow."
"Be excellent to each other." "Party on, dude."
The special effects are old, but don't feel dated.
"Sounds good, Mr. the Kid"
"All we are is dust in the wind, dude." - Ted. [visual interpretuation] - Bill. "Like sands of the hourglass, so are the days of our lives." - Socrates.

Star Wars reference.
"Yeah, I fell out of my suit when I hit the floor!" (that doesn't make much sense)
[they hug] "Fag." - simultaneously, Bill and Ted.
"Sorry, the number you have dialed is not available at this time. Party on, dude."
"Make something up." "Be excellent to each other." "Party on, dudes."
"Tell me about your mother." - Sigmund Freud.

I really like how they figured out that they could go back in time, in the future.

[20150311]

---

Watched bits and pieces before.
Watched once before.*
Watch 20150228 (Netflix, Instant)
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) Stephen Harek. 90 min

Relevant Links:
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (Wikipedia.org)
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (IMDb.com)
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (RottenTomatoes.com)

*According to a note in my Peggy Sue Got Married post, this was in 2009 prior to the creation of my blog.

Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)

20150227:
Robin Williams is a great actor and comedian. Watching him speak and change from one personality to the next was awesome and I could only wonder if he had improvised such scenes or had the lines memorized. In any case, he has such a flow in his speech.

Adrian Cronauer (Robin Williams)

However, the movie lacks a strong overarching plot and deals more in developing various relationships centered around William's character, a comedian and disc jockey named Adrian Cronauer.

The movie ends in an unexpected and lackluster way.

Adrian and Edward Garlick (Forest Whitaker)

With that being said,

Overall, I enjoyed the majority of this movie. I would recommend the movie to anyone who enjoys Robin Wiliiam's onscreen personality.

[20150227 Assumed Post Date][20180722 Edit]

Adrian and Tuan (Tung Thanh Tran)

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Instant Comments:
"I was thinking of something else."
Hahahaha. "Lieutenant Steve, Frenchie." + polka + "I think some apologies are in order."
"What about the silent masses who do?"
"Sir, in my heart I know I'm funny." What a piece of shit.

What a moment after he meets all those soldiers.
Damn, that Sergeant Major is such an asshole.
Justice (against the Sergeant).
One of the military patrol actors (John Marshall Jones) looked familiar. Looking through his filmography, I probably recognized him from his role as Floyd Henderson in television series Smart Guy starring Tahj Mowry.

Lt. Steven Hauk (Bruno Kirby)

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Watched 20150227 (Netflix, Instant)
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) Barry Levinson. 121 min

Relevant Links:
Good Morning, Vietnam (IMDb.com)
Good Morning, Vietnam (Wikipedia.org)
Good Morning, Vietnam (RottenTomatoes.com)

Sgt. Major Dickerson (J.T. Walsh)

Monkey Trouble (1994)

Released 19940318.
Watched once before in theaters.
Watched 20150226 (Netflix, Instant)
Monkey Trouble (1994) Franco Amurri.

Eva (Thora Birch) and Dodger (Finster)

Relevant Links:
Monkey Trouble (IMDb.com)
Monkey Trouble (Wikipedia.org)
Monkey Trouble (RottenTomatoes.com)

A Capuchin monkey trained as a pickpocket runs away from his owner in search of the owner's son.

Azro (Harvey Keitel) and Dodger

Instead he finds a young girl named Eva and they become friends. Of course, her step-father is allergic and she has to keep the monkey a secret. All the while, the original owner is still searching for the monkey, because he and his monkey - prior to the monkey running away - had been hired for a robbery.

20150226:
Today I watched a movie I once saw as a kid. While the movie has its cute moments, it's probably not as impressive to me now as it was when I was a kid. With that being said, the (monkey) tricks are necessarily impressive and I consistently enjoyed the second half of the film.

Eva goes to the library to research about her new monkey.

Instant Comments:
"Come on mom, just shoot 'im."
The monkey left a note.
Oh kids. One moment they're best friends and the next thing that comes out of her "best" friend's mouth is "You're not my friend anymore."
Hehe, primary place of research (the library) before the existence of Wikipedia.org.

Dodger covers his nose upon entering a bathroom that has just been used.

"A whole dollar!"
"disteach"
"monkeys"

Scary Movie 5 (2013)

20150212:
This movie had many short laughs, but was also flat out stupid. To be honest, I mainly decided to watch it because I didn't mind starting a comedy movie partway through.

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Instant Comments:
Started watching at when the character Dan Sanders gets locked in a cage after making a remark about Caesar. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Paranormal Activity
Black Swan (2010)
Inception (2010)
The Evil Dead (1981)
When I asked my friend Damien what the previous scene was parodying, he said The Cabin in the Woods. While I had not seen The Cabin in the Woods, I suggested The Evil Dead. Apparently we were both right.
Snoop Dogg
I had to use the restroom and missed the scene after the credits.

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Watched 20150212 (Television)
Scary Movie 5 (2013) Malcolm D. Lee, David Zucker. 86 min

Relevant Links:
Scary Movie 5 (IMDb.com)
Scary Movie 5 (RottenTomatoes.com)
Scary Movie 5 (Wikipedia.org)