pomattovich

I'm going to vote a tepid YES for Shakespeare in Love to be let into The Canon. I am not someone who believes that it inappropriately robbed Saving Private Ryan of the Best Picture oscar. Frankly, SPR justly won Spielberg a directing oscar for the stunning D-Day sequence, but I've always found the rest of the film to be rather clunky and bland. We may think of a film like Shakespeare in Love as typical oscar bait now, but at the time it was a genuine shock to see it win simply because it was a comedy. A comedy hadn't won the top honor since Annie Hall in 1977, and one hasn't won since (unless you find yourself busting your gut over The Artist). I don't think comedies get enough love and attention and I think Shakespeare in Love is a very enjoyable one. Credit that to the screenplay by Mark Norman and the masterful Tom Stoppard, who deftly makes this script feather-light for audiences looking for a fluffy love story, while layering it with obscure facts about Shakespeare, his contemporaries, and the history of theater. And that's the other reason I'm allowing this into The Canon, because it's one of the better films I've seen that is about theater that actually feels like its participants know what they're lovingly lampooning and celebrating. This is a great film about theater. It also has a tremendous cast. I wouldn't have given Gwyneth an oscar over Blanchett for Elizabeth that year, but I do find her to be perfectly nice in the role. Geoffrey Rush is also very funny in the film, and bit roles from Tom Wilkinson, Simon Callow, and Imelda Staunton are most welcomed. I like Amy's point that this celebrating a film like this takes nothing away from its supposed rivals, like Saving Private Ryan. There are better comedies than Shakespeare in Love that should be in The Canon, but I've always had a lot of affection for it and think there's room for it.

This is tough. The first time I saw Juno, going into it with much hype and praise, I wanted to tear my ears off for the first 20 minutes or so. The twee dialogue, hamburger phones, and the like were too much for me. However, Amy & co is right, that really does vanish pretty quickly. It bothers me that it's so aggressive in the early scenes because it makes the rest of the film feel even more separate, but I really love the rest of the film, and have grown more tolerant over the early moments that initially bothered me. I don't really love "Juno the Comedy" but I find "Juno the Drama" to be very effective and still potent to this day. When I first saw Whiplash at the New York Film Festival, I was absolutely floored. The thrill of seeing that movie (though to be honest, mostly that first scene when Teller drums for Simmons) had my heart pounding in a way that movies don't often excite me much anymore. It was maybe my favorite film I saw that year, though not the best as I'm aware of some of the flaws that don't totally work in the film. I found Whiplash more affecting and powerful upon first viewing than I did when I first saw Juno, but I still have to vote JUNO into The Canon over Whiplash because I feel that if we're judging these by blacklist scripts that made the bigger splash and cultural impact (for better or worse), I think Juno wins hands down. The tone and style of not just Juno, but also screenwriter Diablo Cody felt so new and unique that year, that while we still see constant imitations, we're always pretty confident in being able to separate the influences from the original. I think Damien Chazelle has some real talent, and I think Whiplash was a very impressive film for such a young director. The fact that I loathed La La Land does not affect my vote on its own, just as Cody's work on Ricki and the Flash doesn't taint my memories of Juno. But although I may have enjoyed Whiplash more initially, I don't know if I'll see much new in it if I were to revisit it in 5 or 10 years. I don't know if Juno has all that many mysterious layers either, but it does work better as a cultural time capsule, and marks the true arrival of Ellen Page. Welcome to The Canon, JUNO.

This is tough. I'm a much bigger Prince fan than the Talking Heads, but I've only ever seen Sign o' the Times once, while I've seen Stop Making Sense several times. I feel that film is superior as a tool to captivate someone who is not already a fan of the band. Sign o' the Times is a great concert film, but not the film best representative of Prince to be in The Canon. So I'm going with STOP MAKING SENSE.

I'm so incredibly happy that The Canon is back! I agree with Amy that we're letting too many films that we loved in our childhood. We could take a break from considering films like Ghostbusters and some of our favorite and greatest horror movies, fun though they may be. That said, I will give a reluctant YES vote to Ghostbusters. I do think that a high concept, multi-genre comedy is an incredibly rare thing, and even more rare to see a successful one. Ghostbusters really did set the template for these kinds of films in the future, and I don't know if many or any have matched it. I do think that while this may not be my favorite Bill Murray performance, this is the character we think of when we imagine the typical Bill Murray role, at least prior to 1998. I also think that the special effects are beautiful and groundbreaking, and the very notion that someone would even bother to make such creative and inventive effects for just a comedy with a bunch of Saturday Night Live and SCTV cast members is really impressive and the kind of thing you wouldn't see today. I grew up on this movie. From ages 4 through 12, I would undoubtedly say this was my favorite movie. I must be true and let it into The Canon, even if I know I'm viewing it with some rose colored goggles.

This is a big YES for me. And I'm so glad that you're considering a Kazan film that's a little outside of his most famous fare. I feel like so many talk about ON THE WATERFRONT, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, and EAST OF EDEN, but this is one of my all time favorites. I'd also love to see some consideration given to A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, AMERICA AMERICA, and BABY DOLL. I feel like Kazan has become notable in the history books of Hollywood but many of his films have been nearly forgotten. Happy to see this one introduced a wider audience.

STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KAHN is without question the best Star Trek movie. If it weren't a Star Trek movie and had no connections to the rest of the series, it would still be a good movie... but it is connected to it, and therefore I can't abide it being in the Canon. I just don't think that Star Trek needs Canon representation, even if its the best example of what it has to offer. I like this movie a lot, but I don't think I would recommend this movie to someone with no interest in Star Trek, nor would I recommend it to someone who isn't a fan of science fiction. I think that the Canon has good representation of the genre without needing this specific title. This is not a dismissal of the movie, which I enjoy, but I can't simply vote Yes for every eligible title just because I like it. Not that it will matter. I'm sure I'm squarely in the minority on this one.

I voted late since I wanted to watch the film again this week before weighing in. I've always loved this film, and I ultimately believe it should be accepted into The Canon, if for no other reason to highlight this unique period of Scorsese's career when he was experimenting with dark comedy. I much prefer this to After Hours, so I'd give this inclusion before that. It's also one of Deniro's best comedic performances, though I do hope that Midnight Run gets consideration someday.

This is a rare Canon consideration that I didn't revisit before voting. I haven't seen THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT since the summer of its release, and part of the reason for that is that I've always been afraid to. My fear is that it might not actually be a good movie. The initial fear I felt in the theater may be undercut now with the knowing that nothing is ever going to happen. The shaky cam I'm guessing doesn't look great on the home screen, and the dialogue of map discussion and Josh yelling might get old. But I absolutely have to vote YES because this was one of the greatest theatrical experiences of my life. I saw it opening night, and while I was certain it was a fake movie, everyone in that theater wanted to pretend otherwise. I ended up walking home after the movie, at about midnight amidst trees, and I'll never be able to recapture my fear and joy from that night. This movie may have spawned a lot of unfortunate clones, and the film itself might not hold up on subsequent viewings, but it was a seminal moment in marketing and audience enthusiasm. I hope the new sequel is a blast, though I, like Amy, can't stand cheap jump scares. I hope I can get through it.

I've always enjoyed this movie but I can't call it Canon worthy. To me, while a vastly better film, it's not all that far removed from the likes of The Goonies. I like Devin's idea that the reason the storytelling in this is a little too steeped in nostalgia is that perhaps these are idealized versions of the more real life characters shining through Dreyfus' lens, but while I enjoy this film while I watch it, not much of it stays with me when I leave it. I agree with Amy that there's about 5 Rob Reiner movies I'd sooner canonize.

I grew up on this movie and have always loved it, but I'm most definitely voting NO for Canon inclusion. As a Henson fan, I'm still astonished by the puppetry in the film, and as a Bowie fan I get a kick out of his presence, even if his original songs are hardly his greatest work. I feel like there's a fantastic skeleton holding LABYRINTH together, but not nearly enough flesh holding it together. I love the themes introduced about female empowerment and the stuff in the Garbage Lady scene, but I don't think these are fully explored. You can see hints of what could have worked, but I think too much was lost in the multiple drafts of the script. I saw Terry Jones speak at a Python reunion event last year and someone in the audience asked him about Labyrinth and his response was to the effect of that he doesn't even recognize his script in the finished product. I think the reason it's having a cultural resurgence is that the entertainment media is now being run by the children who loved these films when they were growing up but were too young to see any flaws in them, with nostalgia keeping them from seeing them now. This is also why indisputably awful films like HOOK and HOCUS POCUS seem to be celebrated so much today as well. I still have a lot of love for the individual parts of this movie, and if it pops up on cable I'll watch the shit out of it, but I've grown up a bit now and have started to see the cracks. My heart says yes but my mind says no. But I'm all on board for voting in THE MUPPET MOVIE.

I've always been a big fan of this movie. I don't know if I've loved it so much that I would deem it "canon worthy," but Amy's passion persuaded me to vote yes. I'm also still a little bitter about Devin's campaigning for Re-Animator, so perhaps I'm trying to balance things out with karma. I do agree with Devin that Steve Martin was maybe still a little green when he made this film and he might have been more successful in the role slightly later in his career, but that's the only thing that would make me consider voting no and it's not enough. Watching this film again last week I was astonished by how well it has aged. I've always been a big fan of the mini-series, and generally prefer it, but I think that Dennis Potter's condensed screenplay is masterfully done, and the musical numbers are pretty stunning and can stand up alongside some of the classic musicals that it's trying to emulate. So I give this film a big YES, and I hope Amy isn't too afraid to read the forums on this, because the film seems to have more fans than I realized.

As someone who grew up on Mel Brooks' films, the titles that claim the top spot on my list of favorites have shifted frequently. For years it was THE PRODUCERS. I think YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is his most technically proficient film, which could be mistaken as a legitimate Universal Monsters film if you took out the jokes, but for the last several years, BLAZING SADDLES has secured the top spot. I love the range of humor it has, from immature, Looney Tunes style gags to truly subversive and shocking moments. I could go on for hours, and likely would wind up repeating much of what you already covered in the episode, but I think my absolute favorite joke in the film is when Bart and The Waco Kid go into Mann's Chinese Theater to watch the end of the movie. Gene Wilder is holding a bucket of popcorn, and when we see his character back onscreen within the film, he's still holding the popcorn. It's just a bizarrely silly moment that gets absolutely no acknowledgement from the film and floors me every time. I almost feel like the film wouldn't be as strong if it didn't literally break the fourth wall at the end and spill into modern day. I love your thoughts about it being commentary of how racism doesn't change at all over a hundred years later. Anyways, this is absolutely Canon-Worthy, and on a side note to Amy, I actually really like A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST too. No apologies needed for that one.

Too much train stuff, Devin??? This is the definitive train movie! And yes, it's certainly not Keaton's funniest movie. This is much more of an adventure than a comedy. But it's an undeniable masterpiece. Even having seen it numerous times, I'm still in awe every time I watch some of the stunts in the film.

I'm a soft No on Breakfast at Tiffany's. I've never been a huge fan, and after listening to the episode, I gave it a watch for the first time in at least a decade and did like it more than I ever had before. I saw a bit more of what Amy and Devin were saying, and I considered the film in a new light. I've been trying to imagine Marilyn Monroe in the role all week, and while I'm not sure that would have been considerably more successful, but the notion is intriguing. To me I've always found Breakfast at Tiffany's to be more a film of tone and fashion iconography than a compelling and emotional story. I've come around a bit, but not enough. I am however all in favor of making the film's poster part of The Canon.

I would love to get a Preston Sturges film into The Canon, ideally in a verses episode. My personal favorite is THE LADY EVE, but I think SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS tends to get the most love. A fight between those two would ensure that either victor would be a winner. But I wouldn't rule out HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO, THE PALM BEACH STORY, or THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN CREEK. Nearly every film he made was a great one. I adore the films of Frank Capra, but I think in many ways Sturges was more on point with his depictions of quirky whimsy of small town life. And I think that Sturges' edgy satire rivaled even that of some of the films of Billy Wilder. I'd also be very curious to see which Sturges films are Amy and Devin's favorites.

Wow. The results kind of bummed me out. I love both films, but I'll never forget the jaw-dropping sense of discovery I had when first seeing BOOGIE NIGHTS. It birthed a cast of actors, nearly all of which I had seen in other films, that after this film had major career shifts. I think by contrast, THERE WILL BE BLOOD has an unforgettable lead performance and stunning cinematic storytelling, but every time I see it I tend to see something new that bothers me, often just barely but it makes me start to nitpick. I think, in particular, Paul Dano is great in the film but his performance is a little young and green. I think he was impressive for his age and emerged from this film a much better actor, but I wish I could see him playing at the place that he's at now in his life. I guess I can't complain too much about THERE WILL BE BLOOD getting into the Canon, but I hope that BOOGIE NIGHTS gets a second chance in the future. Maybe against MAGNOLIA, another film I adore but to a slightly lesser extent.

I've always loved Re-Animator and last night when I sat down to watch maybe 20 minutes of it to refresh my memory on some points before voting, I found myself sitting through the whole thing. However I'm voting no because I feel Amy is right on this one. It's a lot of fun. It's a movie I've seen many times and will likely watch a few more, but I have a lot of guilty pleasures like this that appeal strongly to me but that I wouldn't necessarily consider showing to others as an example of great cinema. I'm not even certain this is my favorite Stuart Gordon Lovecraft adaptation. So I'm glad The Canon gave me an excuse to watch this again, but I have to give it a soft No.

When KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE was announced as the next title up for consideration, I was really disappointed. I grew up watching this film and always loved it, but it wouldn't necessarily crack my top 5 favorite Miyazaki films. I might even put The Wind Rises in front of it (sorry, Devin). It's a delightful film, but while perfect for children, I always thought it was a bit more of the "Saturday Morning Cartoon" variety to be taken too seriously. But since I hadn't seen it in about a decade, I thought I'd give it another watch before voting. Watching it again I was instantly reminded of how much I truly loved this film, and found new mature layers that I hadn't considered in my earlier viewings. This might not be the Miyazaki film I would most want in the Canon, but if it's the only one that may ever be considered, then I have to allow it in. I might still allow it in even if it weren't the only one considered.

You didn't talk about the film's box office. It wasn't terribly substantial. Only 25 million, still more than you'd expect. But many believe that its opening weekend of nearly 8 million dollars was mostly attributed to the fact that it opened opposite Freddy Got Fingered and kids were buying tickets to Crocodile Dundee and sneaking into Freddy. Which is the lesser of two evils there?

I second a vote for this. The worst film I saw last year. How this didn't kill Jack Black's career is a total mystery.

One of the worst (but funniest) movies ever made. This would be a perfect HOW DID THIS GET MADE Christmas Special. This movie is essentially Sucker Punch, if it had been a family Christmas movie.

Just made a new post for this, not seeing one was already here, but I'll reiterate. Just stumbled upon this on cable. Had almost forgot this existed. Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Demi Moore, and John Candy in one of the worst mashups ever made. Part "comedy," part Twilight Zone horror movie. John Candy dressed as a woman. Dan Aykroyd as 100+ year old goul with a penis for a nose. A rollercoaster that murders traffic violators. In the middle of the film, for no reason, there is a musical number with Digital Underground and Tupac Shakur. Yes. This was Tupac's film debut. Oh. I forgot that Dan Aykroyd also plays a giant junkyard baby. Truly one of the worst films ever made and a blight on the career of all involved (even Chevy Chase). A perfect film for HOW DID THIS GET MADE.