Take the Money and Run

 

                  Knocking off more movies in my brother's list of movies. And strangely enough in his list he wants me to watch a Woody Allen movie, and to those who haven't heard of Woody Allen sure, the guy is a famous director with some iconic movies but long story short the guy later in life married his step-daughter and sure yes, you can argue that it's not technically his daughter but when you add STEP-daughter into how you met your second or third wife! It, really and I mean really becomes weird. 

                  Virgil Starkwell (Woody Allen) is intent on becoming a notorious bank robber. Unfortunately for Virgil and his not-so-budding career, he is completely incompetent. Presented in mockumentary format, the film features interviews of his family and friends as well as his wife. 

                  I still didn't understand at the time before watching this movie, as to why my brother would even tell me to watch a Woody Allen movie, I mean I personally never was interested in Woody Allen as a filmmaker mainly because the guy is almost the same way as Spike Lee in a opposite sense that they both shoot their movies in New York City furthermore they guy beat out George Lucas for best director and best picture at the 1978 Academy Awards for which why would I even watch any of this guy’s movies when the one movie Annie Hall is not as great as the original Star Wars. Anyway, my own brother put what maybe his first movie on his list and I figured why not, I'll give this movie a chance. And ten minutes into the movie I was strangely intrigued as to what I was watching because it pretty much started off as a bizarre documentary and slowly realized that this movie was the first ever Mockumentary format for which really, when you watch earlier episodes of The Office or Parks and Recreation, Woody Allen was one of the first people to actually bring this type of genre to the pioneer stage in film or television. Moreover, I'll have to admit it does have this strange sense of hilariousness and quirkiness that you can't help but want to watch how Woody's character is able to get himself out of any situation and by end of it still gets himself back to prison. Now, I'll still say that even though I haven't seen Annie Hall yet I would still argue and say that Star Wars is a billion times better than Annie Hall and for the winning answer that would explain Annie Hall is that "if you've seen one romantic/comedy, then you've seen every romantic/comedy out there", but in all fairness they're maybe something in Allen's earlier work and I may take the time in watch some of his earlier work in the seventies, though not go to the eighties and then when he talks about marrying his step-daughter sorry, not sorry people but if you don't want me to talk about his most memorable marriage then he shouldn't be doing very weird and disturbing things that even I wouldn't want to talk about on this blog. Of all the Woody Allen movies I've seen which is one, Take the Money and Run is such a fascinating and yet strangely/entertaining movie I've seen out of Woody Allen's filmography and that's not much of saying, and so, if you’re looking to expand your horizons with Woody Allen then I would highly recommend watching Take the Money and Run. Luckily, I found this on YouTube so, if you want to spend a ton of money on a DVD or Blu-Ray or you can take the lazy way out and just watch this movie on YouTube, that way if you don't like the film or love the film you can just keep it or delete it on your YouTube history. 

          

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

 

                 Trying to find some laid back films mostly realizing August is a back to school special in about a couple of weeks from now and I was trying to find some movies to watch and after celebrating my brother's birthday with watching The Big Lebowski (Coen Bro's Classic), and to be fair I was just browsing around my Peacock account and saw Ferris Bueller's Day Off, I figured, well what the hell this is another one of those iconic films that I haven't had the interest to watch at the time and decided to give this movie a chance and yet thought this was the most amusing movie I've ever seen.

                 Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) has an uncanny skill at cutting classes and getting away with it. Intending to make one last duck-out before graduation, Ferris calls in sick, "borrows" a Ferrari, and embarks on a one-day journey through the streets of Chicago. On Ferris' trail is high school principal Rooney (Jeffery Jones), determined to catch him in the act. 

                 I think back on the last John Hughes movie I've seen, was back in high school with my Godparents group, and it was The Breakfast Club and I just wasn't all that interested in the movie basically I was a high school kid who wasn't all interested in high school drama because I was dealing with my own high school drama, hell it's the reasons why I was a hardcore fan of Linkin Park and Evanescence. Watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off for the first time I was actually intrigued of how Matthew Broderick's is able to get away with some of these gimmicks he creates, like it's almost if Ferris Bueller was a serial killer and you take his wacky gimmicks in terms of how he's able to kill his victims that is how I kind of envisioned it if this was a Dexter/John Hughes type of film. All jokes a side I doubt any high school kid now, especially my high school era was able to get away with any of Bueller's gimmicks but it's amusing as well as, loving how charming Broderick's character is through the course of the film and sure he's deceiving in a childish way but he's defiantly one of those kids in High School I would love to hang out, especially if I was in the Chicago area. Hearing that John Hughes was born and raised in Chicago, so of course it makes sense that a good portion of his films are based in Chicago, and claims that writing the movie is a love letter to the city and I would imagine if I made a sort of crime film I would base some of the locations in the Central area of Nebraska. The real scene stealer through the course of the movie and no, it's not Jennifer Grey, it's Alan Ruck who plays Broderick's best friend, and it surprisingly famous for this movie as well as Twister, and TV shows like Spin City and Connor Roy in the HBO hit show Succession. And he has a great character arc of at first being a stickler for rules being worried about everything and then has a come to Jesus realization about how awful is Dad is both great and scary at the same time because it feels like he's having a nervous breakdown and yet finally says F-it and a side from him wearing a Gordie Howe, Red Wings sweater when he's living in the Chicago area but deep down I though Ruck's performance was the best part of the film along with Broderick getting away with anything and rushing back to his house. This film does have me on the edge of how is Bueller able to get away with any of this that you obviously can't do now, because all high school kids including me weren't smart to do any of this, it still put a smile on my face and that's all that matters and now I hope to look into more of John Hughes other films besides the Home Alone films. So, if you have a Peacock account and want to prepare your kids for going back to school, I will highly recommend watching this with your kids as well as enjoying it with them as you go along with their high school years. Though I would tell them to always make good choices and avoid watching any of the High School Musical movies, because that's at least bulls**t in my opinion and this film is at least more steps into the reality realm.