5. Fearless (1993)
4. World War Z (2013)
3. Alive (1993)
2. The Grey (2011)
1. Cast Away (2000)
I try to watch a lot of films. I try to avoid the bad ones, but sometimes you just don't see them coming. The unfortunate thing is you can't get that time back. Life is short. I'll try to steer everyone in the right direction. I rate films on a 5 point scale. This will always be a Spoiler-Free blog.
Showing posts with label plane crash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label plane crash. Show all posts
December 29, 2013
Top 5 Plane Crash Scenes
Plane crash scenes bring you to a place your mind really doesn't want to go. Fear of flying is one of the most common phobias with humans. Although your odds of dying in a plane crash are 1 in 20,000, 25 million people in the United States suffer with a fear of flying. Realistic plane crash scenes on film certainly don't make it any easier, but they surely touch on something visceral. When judging the quality of a particular crash scene, there are certain ideas to consider. Is it more than just pure terror or did the filmmaker do something different with it? Has it become a part of your normal life (like memorable scenes tend to do), if you fear flying do you picture that one crash scene in your mind?
5. Fearless (1993)
The orchestral music selection is a risky artistic choice from Weir but the right one, making the scene almost beautiful in a way.
4. World War Z (2013)
The 2013 zombie apocalypse behemoth's plane crash scene is as relentless and rapid as the rest of the film.
3. Alive (1993)
The early 90's classic. Marshall needs to be commended for pulling off this scene so remarkably well given the limited resources available in terms of effects in 1993. The joyous mood of the passengers on board only adds to the tension, giving you a false sense of security.
2. The Grey (2011)
A surprisingly good scene from a surprisingly good film starring Liam Neeson. The short dream sequence is very well done as well.
1. Cast Away (2000)
This one is permanently embedded in the memory of anyone who hates to fly. So horrifically well-done. Cast Away is an interesting film too; seems to have gotten better with time.
5. Fearless (1993)
4. World War Z (2013)
3. Alive (1993)
2. The Grey (2011)
1. Cast Away (2000)
September 7, 2013
The Snow Walker
Charles Martin Smith, 2003
3/5
Veteran pilot Charlie Halliday (Barry Pepper) agrees to transport a sick Inuk girl named Kanaalaq (Annabella Piugattuk) along in his bush plane to bring her to a hospital after he makes a delivery to a small tribe. Soon after takeoff the plane crashes and he is left in the frozen wilderness to survive. His friends lose hope of finding him in the tundra, but he is fortunate to have taken the ailing passenger along with him.
Based on the short story "Walk Well My Brother", this drama contains some familiar themes. The American man teamed up with the capable native woman is similar to Dances with Wolves. The plane crashing in the wilderness, forcing the characters to utilize their survival skills is similar to The Edge. But this film certainly has some unique qualities, and it is certainly one of the better Survival dramas made. A few minutes into the film you get a feel for Charlie's character, as he boozes it up while playing pool in the bar. He's full of himself, and everyone knows it. Some of the men around him are bothered by it, while some women are attracted to it. It's similar to his character Frank in Spike Lee's 25th Hour. A man with a clear Inuit descent accidentally bumps into him and is clearly apologetic about it, but Charlie pushes him away with dismissive aggression ("I am NOT your brother..."). This shows the divide between his people and the natives, the natives who he would later come to appreciate for helping him survive. Kanaalaq is at first just a coughing girl wrapped in animal furs, but she soon becomes a rather critical key to his survival. Without her help, he without a doubt would not have made it. Her instincts had a relaxing quality, because she never appears to be out of her element. The plane crashes, she immediately throws a line into the water to catch a fish - knowing that they need to be worrying about their next meal. Her lack of English makes it difficult to communicate at first, but she slowly picks up on some words. Piugattuk was very effective at showing someone who was trying to use the English language but was still getting caught up in some of her native tongue. While the barren landscape at times feels a bit too forgiving and lacking natural predators, it was aesthetically pleasing. There were some really beautiful moments in the film such as one scene where you see a purple sunset combined with an Inuit song playing in the background. In the end Charlie is humbled by his circumstances, while watching you imagine that if he ever makes it home - he's going to be a changed man.
3/5
Based on the short story "Walk Well My Brother", this drama contains some familiar themes. The American man teamed up with the capable native woman is similar to Dances with Wolves. The plane crashing in the wilderness, forcing the characters to utilize their survival skills is similar to The Edge. But this film certainly has some unique qualities, and it is certainly one of the better Survival dramas made. A few minutes into the film you get a feel for Charlie's character, as he boozes it up while playing pool in the bar. He's full of himself, and everyone knows it. Some of the men around him are bothered by it, while some women are attracted to it. It's similar to his character Frank in Spike Lee's 25th Hour. A man with a clear Inuit descent accidentally bumps into him and is clearly apologetic about it, but Charlie pushes him away with dismissive aggression ("I am NOT your brother..."). This shows the divide between his people and the natives, the natives who he would later come to appreciate for helping him survive. Kanaalaq is at first just a coughing girl wrapped in animal furs, but she soon becomes a rather critical key to his survival. Without her help, he without a doubt would not have made it. Her instincts had a relaxing quality, because she never appears to be out of her element. The plane crashes, she immediately throws a line into the water to catch a fish - knowing that they need to be worrying about their next meal. Her lack of English makes it difficult to communicate at first, but she slowly picks up on some words. Piugattuk was very effective at showing someone who was trying to use the English language but was still getting caught up in some of her native tongue. While the barren landscape at times feels a bit too forgiving and lacking natural predators, it was aesthetically pleasing. There were some really beautiful moments in the film such as one scene where you see a purple sunset combined with an Inuit song playing in the background. In the end Charlie is humbled by his circumstances, while watching you imagine that if he ever makes it home - he's going to be a changed man.
February 16, 2013
Flight
Robert Zemeckis, 2012
3/5
Flight is a good film. You get a sense of familiarity with Zemeckis at the helm. I forgot how good of actor Denzel Washington is, he deserves more credit than I typically give him - especially in this film. His character Whip Whitaker is a conflicted, yet sympathetic man who is struggling with his alcoholism throughout the film. It is clearly a character study on Whip Whitaker, who is a man of many layers. You get a sense of the unpredictable nature of an alcoholic, someone whose disease has spread to every facet of their life but still remains heavily charismatic. You have to sympathize with Whip's character, because if you don't the film is going to lose its power.
The first half of the film was fantastic. Great pacing, gritty imagery, compelling story-line The plane scene rivaled the scene in "Cast Away" which was probably the most terrifying plane crash scene I have ever seen before on film (even more than "Alive"). The second half for me seemed to have veered off course a bit. I enjoyed John Goodman's character but I would have been satisfied with the first appearance early on in the film. I found the scene with him later in the film distracting and I didn't think the moment was ripe for a comedic tone.
One scene that really stood out to me was when the three characters are in the stairwell of the hospital. Walt Whitaker, Nicole and the cancer patient (Mark Mellon) are smoking when the subject of death comes up. Mark says something along the lines of "anyone who doesn't believe in God is stupid. As soon as you start to see that all of the random events that happen in your life are actually God, the world gets a whole lot easier". I love how this tackles the subject of death and the concept surrounding yourself to the world. You have three people who are in a hospital under completely separate circumstances. Of course the psychology of that comes into play. These traumatic events have just happened, and you're left with a great deal of uncertainty. Why did this happen to me? Perhaps if you believed that it was pre-destined, it softens the blow a bit.
3/5
Flight is a good film. You get a sense of familiarity with Zemeckis at the helm. I forgot how good of actor Denzel Washington is, he deserves more credit than I typically give him - especially in this film. His character Whip Whitaker is a conflicted, yet sympathetic man who is struggling with his alcoholism throughout the film. It is clearly a character study on Whip Whitaker, who is a man of many layers. You get a sense of the unpredictable nature of an alcoholic, someone whose disease has spread to every facet of their life but still remains heavily charismatic. You have to sympathize with Whip's character, because if you don't the film is going to lose its power.
The first half of the film was fantastic. Great pacing, gritty imagery, compelling story-line The plane scene rivaled the scene in "Cast Away" which was probably the most terrifying plane crash scene I have ever seen before on film (even more than "Alive"). The second half for me seemed to have veered off course a bit. I enjoyed John Goodman's character but I would have been satisfied with the first appearance early on in the film. I found the scene with him later in the film distracting and I didn't think the moment was ripe for a comedic tone.
One scene that really stood out to me was when the three characters are in the stairwell of the hospital. Walt Whitaker, Nicole and the cancer patient (Mark Mellon) are smoking when the subject of death comes up. Mark says something along the lines of "anyone who doesn't believe in God is stupid. As soon as you start to see that all of the random events that happen in your life are actually God, the world gets a whole lot easier". I love how this tackles the subject of death and the concept surrounding yourself to the world. You have three people who are in a hospital under completely separate circumstances. Of course the psychology of that comes into play. These traumatic events have just happened, and you're left with a great deal of uncertainty. Why did this happen to me? Perhaps if you believed that it was pre-destined, it softens the blow a bit.
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