Twister (1996)

Directed by Jan de Bont (1)

Cast: Helen Hunt (2), Bill Paxton (3), Jami Gertz (4), Cary Elwes (5), Philip Seymour Hoffman (6), and Alexa Vega (7)

(Watch the trailer)

My favourite quotes – “Stop living in the past, and look at what you got right in front of you.”

With Hurricane Sandy on its way to the East Coast, I just had to watch Twister again. Yes, I know that a hurricane is NOT a tornado. But I don’t know why, I just felt compelled to watch Twister with Hurricane Sandy being all over the news.

I also realised something. I was supposed to be in New York City right about now. If not for the fact that I had to cancel the leave that my supervisor had already approved because of the new project I was tasked to handle at work, right now, I would have been stuck in New York City, all alone, and unsure as to what to do, where to stay and how to rush back to Singapore for my project. So to the powers that be that made me miss Hurricane Sandy, thank you so very much.

What got me all started on this twister-mode was this article in The Philly Post written by Joel Mathis titled 'Hurricanes Are Scarier Than Tornadoes' and here's an excerpt that I really liked:

"Here’s the thing about tornadoes: They’re here, and then they’re gone. Yes, they can do a tremendous amount of damage—just look at what one did to Joplin, Mo. last year. But they come and they go in a matter of minutes, and even if you happen to see one, that doesn’t mean it’s going to get you: It might slide on by while you watch. This is why you have TV shows and movies about tornado chasers.

Hurricanes, on the other hand, are like the movie Session 9, which builds up dread for most of two hours before finally unleashing its horror. We’ve spent most of a week watching this storm head our way, and honestly: The anticipation has me all wound up

What’s more: We’re not going to just watch Sandy roll by without any harm to ourselves: If you can see the hurricane, you’re in the middle of it, and it’s already too late to escape. All you can do is hunker down and hope to ride it out."

Now about the film Twister – I love it to bits! I watch it over and over again. In fact, I've watched it so many times I can actually remember the dialogue and the lines without even putting the DVD or Blu Ray into the player. Yes, I have the DVD and the Blu Ray of this film. That’s how much I love this film. I find it pretty amazing how Twister managed to pull off action-packed scenes, science facts, dramatic tension, comedy, and even a little romance in just over 100 minutes. It wasn't a crappy or sloppy job, and it even had a really great cast!

I am weird. The logical and sane part of me never wants to be in a situation where I would encounter a natural disaster. However, the curious and adventurous part of me wants to one day be strung up to a pipe, being swept off my feet, and smack in the middle of the eye of a twister. Yup I’m nuts. Anyway, logic usually wins, so I’m safe from my crazy self for now.

Is it crazy to want to chase storms? Let’s put it this way, if everyone ran from what they didn’t understand or was afraid of, mankind would not have ventured very far from our caves or discovered fire, electricity and a whole lot of other stuff. Maybe it is because I think like this that I enjoy the film so much. Although I cannot actually chase these storms myself, I can live vicariously through them and watch them chase twisters. Yes, the film probably takes a lot of liberties with the truth and the actual science, but I still like it okay.

The film makes me both fear the wrath of a tornado yet still makes me curious about what they are really like. It's scary, and I still jump during scenes when things starts crashing into cars and houses and killing people, but still it draws me in. Now that is why I think Twister an awesome film.

At the heart of it all, it’s a film about passion. These storm chasers have to love the thrill, the danger, and the science of it all to be able to do a job like theirs. Once a chaser, always a chaser. Look at Bill Paxton’s character Bill Harding, at the end of the movie, he got sucked back into the world of tornadoes. Truth be told, I love the action of the film, but also, I think the two leads Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton had something to do with why I liked the film. I loved how the dynamics of their onscreen relationship was so in sync with each storm they encounter in the film.

Bill: Jo. Things go wrong. You can't explain it, you can't predict it. Killing yourself won’t bring your dad back. I'm sorry that he died, but that was a long time ago. You gotta move on. Stop living in the past, and look at what you got right in front of you.

Jo: What are you talking about?

Bill: Me, Jo.

I like this scene the most in terms of the relationship between Jo and Bill, I think it’s because it has my favourite line in the film. Sometimes we examine the past so closely that we forget to take a step back and look at the bigger picture, or look forwards instead of backwards. I am like Jo; while I don’t live in the past any longer I am still a very retrospective person. I think back a lot. But I think what happened in your past shapes the person you are today, which in turn determines what kind of person you want to be in the future. So I constantly remind myself to stop thinking and reflecting about the past, and look at what I have in front of me.

Something this film also reminds me of is that whatever material goods we have are fragile and can be destroyed in a blink of an eye. But the most important thing in our lives should be our family and our friends. Who we love and care about is more important than any material item we can own. We can rebuild a house, or buy a new car, but we cannot replace a loved one and no matter what you do, you’ll never get that person back again. Live for the moment, hope for the future, that’s the best any of us can do.

On a side note, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jami Gertz were awesome supporting actors in this film. Their lines made me laugh out loud so hard. I guess it helped that Jami’s character Melissa is a sex therapist.

(1) Jan de Bont has also directed films like Speed (1994), Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997), and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)

(2) Helen Hunt has also acted in films like The Frog Prince (1988), As Good As It Gets (1997), What Women Want (2000), Pay It Forward (2000), Cast Away (2000), A Good Woman (2004), Bobby (2006), Soul Surfer (2011), and The Sessions (2012). She is also known for playing Jamie Stemple Buchman in the television series Mad About You (1992-1999).

(3) Bill Paxton has also acted in films like Weird Science (1985), Aliens (1986), Predator 2 (1990), True Lies (1994), Apollo 13 (1995), The Evening Star (1996), Titanic (1997), A Simple Plan (1998), Mighty Joe Young (1998), Vertical Limit (2000), Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002), Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003), Haven (2004), Thunderbirds (2004), The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005), The Good Life (2007), and Haywire (2011). He is also known for playing Bill Henrickson in the television series Big Love (2006-2011).

(4) Jami Gertz has also acted the film Jersey Girl (1992) and she is now playing Debbie Weaver in the new television series The Neighbors (2012)

(5) Cary Elwes has also acted in films like The Princess Bride (1987), Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), The Jungle Book (1994), Liar Liar (1997), Saw (2004), Ella Enchanted (2004), Georgia Rule (2007), Saw 3D (2010), No Strings Attached (2011), The Adventures of Tintin (2011), and New Year’s Eve (2011).

(6) Philip Seymour Hoffman has also acted in films like Scent of a Woman (1992), When a Man Loves a Woman (1994), The Big Lebowski (1998), Patch Adams (1998), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Almost Famous (2000), Red Dragon (2002), Cold Mountain (2003), Along Came Polly (2004), Capote (2005), Mission: Impossible III (2006), The Savages (2007), Charlie Wilson’s War (2007), Doubt (2008), The Boat That Rocked (2009), Moneyball (2011), The Ides of Marc (2011), and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013).

(7) Alexa Vega has also acted in films like Spy Kids (2001), Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002), Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003), From Prada to Nada (2011), Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World (2011), and Machete Kills (2013).

The Eclectic Reviewer thinks… Twister will give you plenty of action to keep you on the edge of your seat, but don’t let the action, fancy tornadoes, science, and comedy distract you from the core of the film. Love what you do fiercely and persevere. Love your family and friends because you never know when you might lose them. And love like you’ve never been hurt before. (4.8 of 5)

* Movie Poster from Wikipedia

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PS: I hope Hurricane Sandy doesn't do too much damage. Friends on the East Coast, stay safe!

Bed of Roses (1996)

Writer and Director: Michael Goldenberg (1)

Cast: Mary Stuart Masterson (2) and Christian Slater (3)

(Watch the trailer)

My favourite quotes – “I live on a planet called reality, where stuff like that just doesn't happen" & "Every now and then, everyone's entitled to too much perfection."

Do fairy tales come true? Do happily ever afters happen? This romantic drama wants you to believe they do. After all, the two leads in Bed of Roses manage to work through their personal baggage and end up together.

This may sound like a tale you’ve heard many times before. But as with most things in life, it is not the destination that matters, but the journey you took to get there. This film manages to bring across the point that no matter your past, there is someone out there perfect for you, if you would only let him or her love you.

It might seem incredulous that the two leads fall in love so quickly and through such a non-realistic and overtly romantic “knight in shining armour” manner. However, the beauty of the film is that it shows you the truth behind that romantic fluff. That fate and romance can only take you so far, the rest is up to you. Do you want to take that leap of faith to love and trust someone? Can you accept that person entirely; past, present and future? A relationship isn’t just about the romantic feelings of love, but also about working through your own “shit” and understanding and accepting the other person despite their “shit”. Cos “shit” happens all the time. The question is, can you stick around, do you want to stick around, will you stick around through all that “shit”. 

That is what I love about Bed of Roses.

Sometimes I think that it is because of the romance books I read and all these romantic comedies or dramas that I watch that gives me too high an expectation on love and my partner. Does it have a negative effect on my finding a partner? Maybe, but hey, "every now and then, everyone's entitled to too much perfection" isn't it? I once told myself not to settle for anything but what I want for myself. If I have to live for the rest of my life with this person, then I must be happy and willing to accept that person for all that he is, warts and all. I don't want to settle for something I am not 100% comfortable about. 

Then again, my logical side kicks in and tells me, “I live on a planet called reality, where stuff like that just doesn't happen" and that such a person doesn't exist. And that makes me wonder if I should settle for someone rather than be alone for the rest of my life. And my feelings about the matter so far is that I'd rather accept the truth that I'd be alone and single for the rest of my life than to struggle with someone else I may not be fully certain of because I don't want to feel pressurised or obliged to be happy for that person. That isn't fair to me or that person. And its gonna be such a drag isn't it? 

So it looks like I better get used to the idea of being a spinster. But you know what, being a spinster isn't so bad. There's all sorts of negative connotation to the term spinster. But why? Is it so bad that someone is single? Yes, maybe they have high expectations. Yes, maybe those expectations are unreasonably high. But you know what, its THEIR expectation! If they cannot feel happy or cannot stomach the idea of settling for less than perfection, then why judge them for their choice. Maybe in a few years when my biological clock starts counting down, I might sing another tune and panic. But right now, yes, I want to be loved by someone and have someone special to "go home to", but I'm not in such a hurry yet that I'd compromise what I think is perfection in my eyes. I'm waiting for that imperfect someone who is just perfect for me, thank you very much. 

Now in terms of the actors and their chemistry. With Christian Slater and Mary Stuart Masterson, there's something about their pairing that I find odd. I watched Untamed Heart first so I guess I prefer the pairing of Christian Slater and Marisa Tomei more than this one. But in terms of their acting, well, they are convincing enough as a couple to be able to stir such emotions and opinions about my life. So in all, Bed of Roses is a film I'd watch over and over again. 

(1) Michael Golenberg has written films like Contact (1997), Peter Pan (2003), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), and Grenn Lantern (2011)

(2) Mary Stuart Masterson has acted in films like Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) and The Cake Eaters (2007)

(3) Christian Slater has acted in films like Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) and Untamed Heart (1993)

The Eclectic Reviewer thinks… Bed of Roses will remind you that love isn’t easy and not always a bed of roses, but when two people love each other they will be willing to work things out. And don't forget, everyone deserves too much perfection in their lives even if you live in a planet called reality. (3 of 5)

* Movie Poster from Wikipedia

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That Thing You Do! (1996)

Writer and Director: Tom Hanks (1)

Cast: Tom Everett Scott (2), Liv Tyler (3), Charlize Theron (4), Ethan Embry (5), Tom Hanks, and Alex Rocco (6)

(Watch the trailer)

My favourite quote - "Ain't no way to keep a band together. Bands come and go. You got to keep on playin', no matter with who." 

I love watching a film over and over again because each time you watch a film, you notice something different and affects you in a different way. Watching That Thing You Do! again for the umpteenth time, I caught a few details that brought a smile to my face. 

When The Wonders were going on television, I noticed all the little backstage details I never used to in the past. Probably because now I am so used to stuff like that at work that when I see it in a film, it screams and jumps out at me. We got a glimpse of the television production going on and it reminds me of why I love my job. When the director said to his crew that the "supers" were coming up I actually know what they mean now. In the past, I never noticed that line because I wasn't aware of what it meant. Everything about that live television debut of The Wonders was so surreal. It was like I was watching myself at work, except it wasn't actually my production. Kudos to the crew on making the film so realistic. (Click here to see the part with The Wonders' performance on television)

The costumes and the set was amazing! I really felt like I was living in those days, watching the television live show on my brand new colour TV. I never really paid attention to the character or the actress who played Tina too. No, I'm not saying that Charlize Theron wasn't good in the role, just that the role was so small and really a minor plot in the entire story. Looking at her performance now, she really captured the ditzy blonde personality really well.

Jazz! It dawned on me that this film is probably the reason why I started liking jazz. I like the emotion in jazz music and how it makes me feel. Jazz makes me feel like I could enjoy the music and forget all my troubles. 

One other thing that really got to me was the fact that the film felt so real that I actually walked out of the cinema thinking this film was based on a true story. Yes! I believed that this was true for a while before realising it wasn't at all based on fact! When I went on Google to find out more about The Wonders, all I could find was about the band in the film. I think the ending where there were snippets of information given about what happened to each of the band members helped fuel that belief for a while. I like it. I like closure and knowing what happened to my favorite characters, even those I don't like, and even if they're fictional. 

Now, let's get down to the why. Why I love this film and the quote I mentioned. Simply put, I love it because it reminds me to stick to my passions. It reminds me to keep on writing, no matter with who. I also love it cos of the great characters in the film. I love watching how each character interacts with the other band members and how each character react differently to the situations they face. Working in a team is like playing in a band, each person has a specific role and no one should be more important than the other. Yes there should be a leader, but everyone needs to work together harmoniously for a band or a team to succeed in their endeavors.