Summary from IMDb: The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.
Before- Oh, I knew some of the references. "Make him an offer he can't refuse." Some things are so well seeped into our culture that you just can't NOT know where they come from and some of the back story on it. I remember thinking that I probably wouldn't think the movie was as awesome as it's been built up to be, but that it would be nice to be able to make the connections and have a more complete understanding of what they mean.
After- Wow. That is an amazing movie. I would watch it again. Repeatedly. I was totally wrong, and I apologize to the masses. The ending itself had me shouting at characters for their behavior. It's like a chick flick for boys; one that guys are allowed to cry at because there's shooting involved. It's amazing.
It makes me wonder how many subsequent mob movies are trying to capture the emotional movement of this movie and settling for random gun fights and poorly played politics.
I can't even begin to describe all the times I've seen this movie referenced or quoted. simpsons, Family Guy, Goodfeathers (Animaniacs), Men in Tights, Shrek and Shrek 2... I could go on. The line "I hope your child is a masculine child" I've heard a couple times and never thought it was connected to Godfather until I saw it. Hell, I've been reading the Taltos series by Steven Brust since I was 10, and the way things are run... the use of words... It's like all Mafia references after Godfather must pull something out of it.
IMDb links-
The Godfather quotes.
The Godfather movie connections.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
It's been a while.
I've been busy. With the RenFest, changes at work, and improv classes and shows, I just haven't had the time to put into this project. But I have watched a few of the movies on the list. I will give very brief thoughts on them. I feel like I'm cheating some very quality films.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Movie #1: Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail
Summary from IMDb: King Arthur and his knights embark on a low-budget search for the Grail, encountering many very silly obstacles.
Before-
I was very happy that Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail won the poll for culturally influential movie. What other movie has their freakin’ CREDITS quoted? Plus, it was one of the movies I had originally seen, so I knew what I was getting into.
Coconuts, swallows, French, black knights, shrubberies, witches, virgins, Tim, k-nig-ghits, and rabbits with sharp pointy teeth, I think most of us know what to expect from this movie.
After-
How the hell do you write about the cultural influence of Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail? This movie is so incredibly ingrained on our culture that it’s hard to know where to start. Practically the entire movie is, and has been, quoted in social engagements and referenced in other movies. Writing a review seems redundant at best.
While I try to get over my writer’s block, let me pause to tell you a quick story about my brilliant son. My little boy has a bunch on Playmobile ™ knights and castles. When I am feeling particularly sick, he will put on a show for me with these toys. One of the first shows he put on with these knights had them singing and dancing. The song that stuck in my mind was about the poor knight’s lack of transportation… the lyrics being “I don’t know how I’ll get there/ my horse is dead/ and cars haven’t been invented yet.”
After that, I borrowed a copy of Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail from a friend of mine so my son could watch it (we had to skip a few scenes- he was barely 6 at the time, and I was not ready to answer questions about castle Anthrax or sooth limbless knights and killer rabbit nightmares). He loved it, of course. I thought my boy would get a kick out of the singing and dancing knights at Camelot, but his favorite part was actually the knights who say “Ni!” He will go back and forth with me, quoting the following:
My son: NI.
Me: NOU.
My son: No, NI.
Me: NOU.
My son: No No, NI... NI.
Me: No,No,No,No... NI.
And maybe that’s why this movie IS so ingrained in our society. It has nothing to do with deeper meaning. There is nothing about this movie that makes you question your life, nothing that changes your fundamental beliefs or defines an unknown. It is just so damned simple and silly that anyone, even a 6 year old, can quote it. It plays to the lowest denominator, and in doing so, makes everyone feel included in the joke.
Obviously, much, much more could be written about Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail and where it’s been referenced in our culture or quoted in our society, but I’m really lazy. IMDb has done a phenomenal job in collecting the relevant information, and I see no need to reinvent the wheel:
IMDb links-
Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail quotes.
Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail movie connections.
'Tis but a scratch.
Before-
I was very happy that Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail won the poll for culturally influential movie. What other movie has their freakin’ CREDITS quoted? Plus, it was one of the movies I had originally seen, so I knew what I was getting into.
Coconuts, swallows, French, black knights, shrubberies, witches, virgins, Tim, k-nig-ghits, and rabbits with sharp pointy teeth, I think most of us know what to expect from this movie.
After-
How the hell do you write about the cultural influence of Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail? This movie is so incredibly ingrained on our culture that it’s hard to know where to start. Practically the entire movie is, and has been, quoted in social engagements and referenced in other movies. Writing a review seems redundant at best.
While I try to get over my writer’s block, let me pause to tell you a quick story about my brilliant son. My little boy has a bunch on Playmobile ™ knights and castles. When I am feeling particularly sick, he will put on a show for me with these toys. One of the first shows he put on with these knights had them singing and dancing. The song that stuck in my mind was about the poor knight’s lack of transportation… the lyrics being “I don’t know how I’ll get there/ my horse is dead/ and cars haven’t been invented yet.”
After that, I borrowed a copy of Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail from a friend of mine so my son could watch it (we had to skip a few scenes- he was barely 6 at the time, and I was not ready to answer questions about castle Anthrax or sooth limbless knights and killer rabbit nightmares). He loved it, of course. I thought my boy would get a kick out of the singing and dancing knights at Camelot, but his favorite part was actually the knights who say “Ni!” He will go back and forth with me, quoting the following:
My son: NI.
Me: NOU.
My son: No, NI.
Me: NOU.
My son: No No, NI... NI.
Me: No,No,No,No... NI.
And maybe that’s why this movie IS so ingrained in our society. It has nothing to do with deeper meaning. There is nothing about this movie that makes you question your life, nothing that changes your fundamental beliefs or defines an unknown. It is just so damned simple and silly that anyone, even a 6 year old, can quote it. It plays to the lowest denominator, and in doing so, makes everyone feel included in the joke.
Obviously, much, much more could be written about Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail and where it’s been referenced in our culture or quoted in our society, but I’m really lazy. IMDb has done a phenomenal job in collecting the relevant information, and I see no need to reinvent the wheel:
IMDb links-
Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail quotes.
Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail movie connections.
'Tis but a scratch.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
