Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

“The greatest film ever made.” Says Tom Hanks of “Jason and the Argonauts.” Damn it, he might not be right, but he’s not far off. How can you argue? This is absolute movie magic beauty: Giddy childish wonder watching wide-eyed as a group of men take on the gods and battle skeletal beings risen from the ground, all for honor. The director is Don Chaffey, but this is Ray Harryhausen’s gem: The special effects guru dreamed up those skeletons and the myriad giants and monsters and living ships that make up this classic. Screw CGI, this is the stuff of a boy (and girl’s) deepest imagination. The plot veers way off the Greek religious record as Jason (Todd Armstrong), lost son of a dead king, captures the Golden Fleece to –- unknown to him -– reclaim his rightful throne in an adventure that should spawn 100 sequels. Along the way, Jason finds a ship, Argo, brave warriors, and adventure and love, and monsters, and I will stop. Ditch Jason. The hero is Harryhausen. Dig those skeletons battling men to the death. This is what it meant to be young in 1963! A

2012: Best and Worst

This is my Best (and Worst) of 2012 List so far. Most of the award-worthy bait still has not yet found its way to where I live even at this late posting. Or I just have missed many contenders. Such is life. This list will be updated when I see films wonderful (or terrible). Yes, I am bending the rules of a year-end list. But it’s my list. Such is life.

Updated: 24 February 2013
Updated: 14 May 2013

The best

1. Holy Motors. A film that defies explanation as a man dons several personas, jumping acting roles as we jump life roles. The mystery is what I love about film: Getting amazingly, irretrievably lost.
2. Lincoln. Steven Spielberg foregoes biopic clichés and shows us the 16th president in his final months, forcing a re-birth of our nation’s soul even as it dooms his own life.

3. The Master. Paul Thomas Anderson’s delivers another watch-on-repeat drama. Here, he takes on the obsession of human control.

4. (Tie) Amour and Beasts of the Southern Wild. One beautiful life ends, another begins. Heartbreaking and unshakable female leads.

5. Argo. Timely, urgent, funny, and mostly-true, Ben Affleck’s masterpiece can stand tall with the greatest 1970s thrillers.
6. Zero Dark Thirty. Kathryn Bigelow’s film is a dead-serious take of our grim reality: How far do we go to fight the good fight?

7. Margaret: Director’s Cut. This new version of a little-seen 2011 film played one cinema in 2012. A shame for a new classic.

8. The Sessions. This somber story about a disabled writer seeking sexual fulfillment never plays the “weeper” card. But you will weep.

9. Frankenweenie. Tim Burton returns to his strange roots of dark satire in this stop-motion gem about a boy and his dead dog.

10. Flight. Denzel Washington is amazing as a pilot whose midair miracle uncovers a life full of deceit and addiction.

The worst

5. Moonrise Kingdom. I know it’s loved, and Oscar-nominated. Me, I’m done with Wes Anderson’s repetitive hipster cool bullshit.

4. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Nicolas Cage pisses CGI fire in his second trip as the flame-skulled biker. This is his career.

3. Freelancers. 50 Cent plays the Worst Cop Ever, working for Worstest Cop Ever Robert De Niro, in another career low.

2. Rock of Ages. Actors as diverse as Tom Cruise and Paul Gaimatti sing remixed rock hits as if cast in “Glee”’s worst episode.

1. Total Recall. In a year stuffed with so-called reboots, this was the most useless, a trip back to Philip K. Dick’s short story too insipid to use the brilliant text, instead aping the 1990 satirical action classic.

Argo (2012)

Ben Affleck’s directing career has hit orbit. “Agro” is the crazy/ genius/brilliant/true tale of CIA agent and the Iranian Hostage crisis of 1979. I was five. “Star Wars” defined me. Thousands of miles away, Iran burned under a sick and violent Islamist dictatorship. Our embassy was rushed by zealots out for blood. Hostages were taken. The world panicked. War considered. A ray of hope unbeknownst to us: Six Americans escaped and hid inside the home of the Canadian ambassador, blind from Iranian grip. (Chris Terrio’s crackling script takes liberties here, as the six were split up. But never mind that.) How to extract the six? Enter CIA agent Chris Mendez (Affleck) and a bold plan: Ferret the group through the main airport as a “Star Wars” rip-off film crew, all under the Iranian Army’s watch. Pumped with tense drama, and dark political and Hollywood humor, “Argo” may be 2012’s best film, gripping and ingenuously played from the start. Affleck as a Hispanic-American is bullocks, but 10 minutes my qualms fell silent.The kicker: Our 2012 is no different, outside of shaggy hair and five channels. “Star Wars” still defines me, our embassies fall to madness, and Iran burns. I love this film.  A