QUICK FIX Movies To Watch #61-65 are a little silly and a little serious
Quick Fix Movies To Watch is a weekly column of mixed movie suggestions for both the avid film fan and the casual movie-goer. Dive in, swim around a little bit, and come up with a new movie or two you think is worth watching. They’re all great!
This week’s Quick Fix takes a look at Antz, Gremlins, Pitch Black, Snatch, and The Grey. Read more about why you should watch them as soon as you can after the jump!
QUICK FIX Movie To Watch #61: ANTZ
Release: 1998 Rating: PG Director: Eric Darnell, Tim Johnson
Stars: Woody Allen, Gene Hackman, Sylvester Stallone, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Lopez, Danny Glover, Dan Aykroyd, Anne Bancroft, Christopher Walken
I remember a time when animated movies weren’t being created by every studio trying to make their mark in a new medium, and during that time it was exciting when someone other than Disney or Pixar brought together an ensemble cast and created a film worth watching. Antz is one of those films. Jam-packed with tremendous talent, and taking a less-than-childish approach to some weighty themes like what it means to be part of a working machine/community and still be happy, Antz follows Woody Allen’s lowly worker ant as he breaks barriers and adventures toward the un-proven idea of a utopia and perfect living.
HIDDEN GEM: There’s a war between the ant colony and a termite colony that’s brutal and raw. Acid spitting termites melting ants fighting with spears and knives. Take that all in for a second. The sequence is short but strong and oh so awesome.
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QUICK FIX Movie To Watch #62: GREMLINS
Release: 1984 Rating: PG Director: Joe Dante
Stars: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Corey Feldman, Dick Miller
When it comes to nontraditional holiday films I like to think everyone has their own guilty pleasures that they break out every Christmas for one reason or another. Gremlins made its way onto my Christmas watch list long ago (pretty much just because the film happens during the holidays) and watching little Gizmo pop out furry-at-first siblings only to have them turn into reptile-like chaotic madness monsters is a pleasure every December. This film is old-school fun from its impressive practical effects to the fully-realized creature design and interactions.
HIDDEN GEM: There’s a boozing old man who’s always complaining about appliances and automobiles that are manufactured outside of the United States, due to the fact that “gremlins” are built into them, and when the Gremlins finally come out to play this guy has the reality check of his life. It makes me laugh every time.
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QUICK FIX Movie To Watch #63: PITCH BLACK
Release: 2000 Rating: R Director: David Twohy
Stars: Vin Diesel, Cole Hauser, Radha Mitchell, Keith David, Claudia Black
Before Vin Diesel was Dominic Toretto (Fast and Furious) or Xander Cage (xXx) he was Riddick – a cold blooded off-world murderer with silver eyes and a taste for violence. It was his performance in Pitch Black that solidified the man as a badass, and it’s unfortunate none of his roles post-Pitch Black have matched how smooth and dangerous he was that first time out as Riddick. Add to his performance a strange planet, artistic atmosphere, and an alien species that thrives in the dark and you’ve got a pretty solid sci-fi flick. The less you know (as is mostly the case) the better, so if you haven’t been introduced to the Pitch Black series (more movies are in the works) definitely start here at the ground floor.
HIDDEN GEM: Aside from Vin Diesel being the hidden gem of Pitch Black, the film is full of unique-yet-familiar sci-fi elements that are used well. Keith David as a holy man is great. Radha Mitchell as a pseudo-leader is enjoyable to take in. Also, the secret surrounding the character Jack was so well hidden I was as surprised as the rest of the crew when it was revealed.
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QUICK FIX Movie To Watch #64: SNATCH
Release: 2000 Rating: R Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Brad Pitt, Jason Statham, Benicio Del Toro, Vinnie Jones, Alan Ford, Dennis Farina, Stephen Graham, Ewen Bremner
Guy Ritchie used to be the man, plain and simple. Snatch (as well as his earlier film Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels) is a testament to the director’s ability to mash quick-talking cockney types with gang violence, intelligent conversations, and intricate capers and wrap them all around a strong narrative thread. His films are smart and speedy while being deep and unlockable like a fun accent-wielding Rubix cube. Snatch peaks into the world of underground bare-knuckle boxing and the bets, highs, lows, and in-betweens for everyone involved.
HIDDEN GEM: Brad Pitts’ pikey character (a gypsy-like, rarely understood, very dangerous trailer-selling bloke) is probably one of his greatest film personas. If you’re a fan of the man’s work you’re doing yourself a disservice by having not seen this film.
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QUICK FIX Movie To Watch #65: THE GREY
Release: 2011 Rating: R Director: Joe Carnahan
Stars: Liam Neeson, Frank Grillo, Dermot Mulroney, James Badge Dale, Joe Anderson
It’s unfortunate that The Grey was advertised as a Liam Neeson vs. Wolves battle to the death film when that’s so far from the truth. The movie is so much more. Granted, I’m sure it would have been cool to see Liam Neeson doing hand-to-hand combat with a pack of wolves, but what we get instead is a look at one man’s fight with life and death and moving on after losing someone he loved. It’s framed by a plane crash in the middle of a frozen wilderness with Neeson helping a group of men survive the elements while being followed by vicious wolves. I read somewhere that the wolves in this film could be seen as a metaphor for death, constantly on our heels and slowly catching up as we struggle on. I like that.
HIDDEN GEM: The plane crash is incredibly engaging and impressive. If you’ve got a surround sound system and a large television it’ll blow you away. Also, there’s a death scene near the beginning that’s so heart-wrenching and raw it’ll be hard to hold back a tear.
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