#1992 movies

[hedleylamarr]

Wayne's World (1992)

[cressida-jayoungr]

One Dress a Day Challenge

October: White Redux

Orlando / Tilda Swinton as Orlando

Orlando is seen trying on this gown soon after waking up in the eighteenth century as a woman. Frock Flicks objects to it on the basis that wide panniers of this sort were only for court dress. While this is true, we don't really know the context of why she is wearing the dress in the movie; she was accustomed to spend a lot of time at court in her earlier time as a man, so why wouldn't she have a court dress made, and perhaps spend some time getting used to walking around in it? I do agree that that central bit at the bottom of the petticoat looks a little odd, but I think it's trick of the light that makes it look shorter than it is.

I'm including a couple of shots of her shift and stays from the dressing scene. I've also included a close-up showing the texture of the material.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Army of Darkness (1992)

Army of Darkness is full of memorable scenes and big laughs. It may not be as ghoulishly funny as Evil Dead 2 but look at the film’s title. This isn’t Evil Dead 3; it’s its own thing. Remarkably well-directed and sturdy for a low-budget production, this is a movie you'll come back to.

Following the events of Evil Dead 2, Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) has been sent to the Middle Ages. After an initial scuffle with the locals, our hero embarks on a quest for the magical Necronomicon Ex-Mortis. With it, he can return to his own time, but Ash isn’t the only one after the book.

The plot of Army of Darkness is episodic. On his quest to find the Book of the Dead, Ash has to fight miniature versions of himself, gets split into two, must save his love interest from the Deadites, trains villagers to fight against the incoming Army of Darkness, and more. The character does not grow or learn anything. He makes his way through these obstacles, all of which are wildly creative and a riot to see, but most of them could be swapped around without affecting the plot. The film film is not deep but it is fully aware of this. That may or may not be a flaw. It depends on your preferences.

For the most part, the special effects look terrific considering the $11 million budget. There is a wide assortment of creatures in this dark fantasy horror comedy even before we get to the titular army. There are a few instances where the budget does show, however. Mostly, a shot where tiny creatures attack Ash Gulliver’s Travels’s style and some close-ups of the undead. This is the kind of movie that plays better on VHS or DVD than Blu-ray, let me put it that way.

The wildly different tone of this picture will initially be off-putting for fans of Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2 but if you give this film a chance, it will win you over. Bruce Campbell has excellent comedic timing and it’s hard to imagine anyone else pulling off some of the wild sight-gags director Sam Raimi (who directed, wrote and edited the film) dreamt up. I don’t know if anyone else would’ve even agreed to perform this part. It’s so bizarre. Army of Darkness" has a unique take on A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, with Ash being the ultimate reluctant hero. The score is terrific. The events keep you guessing and wondering what's coming next, even when you sort of know. Above all else, the picture is just fun to watch.

Army of Darkness is not as good as The Evil Dead or Evil Dead II and it's significantly different from them tone- and story-wise. I'm still calling this one of the best "trilogies" (I put that in quotations because there is a sequel series and films that follow, but they only came in fairly recently). Unlike other series whose third installment you could only imagine people revisiting because they’re making their way through the whole franchise (cough Blade cough), Army of Darkness will have a special place in many fans' hearts. (Theatrical cut on DVD, March 10, 2023)

[retrocinemv]

12. reservoir dogs (1992) dir. quentin tarantino

[ghettobillgates]

[randomcapz]

Far and Away (1992).

[spacecrew]

Wind (1992)

Directed by Carroll Ballad

Cinematography by John Toll

[bkenber]

Favorite Opening Titles: 'A Few Good Men'

When I started thinking of writing about my favorite opening credits to movies, the first which came to mind were the ones for “A Few Good Men.” Directed by Rob Reiner, it is based on the play by Aaron Sorkin who also wrote the screenplay, and it is about the court-martial of two United States Marines who have been charged with the murder of a fellow Marine. Furthermore, it deals with the…

[zachfett]

Under Siege (1992) Directed by Andrew Davis Cinematography by Frank Tidy

I didn't realize until now that I only took shots of the ship lol.

[girlstevebuscemi]

Steve Buscemi for the New York Times / shot by Finlay Mackay, 2007

[hedleylamarr]

Lethal Weapon 3 (1992).

[cressida-jayoungr]

One Dress a Day Challenge

November: Oscar Winners

Bram Stoker's Dracula / Sadie Frost as Lucy Westenra

Year: 1992

Designer: Eiko Ishioka

Since we're coming right off of Halloween, this seems like an appropriate way to start a month of Oscar winners. I've considered featuring this one before for the theme of white and the theme of weddings, and each time I've held off because I find it so bizarre and hideous.

Eiko Ishioka, the designer, said she based the look on the Australian frilled lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii):

But as far as I'm concerned, that raises more questions than it answers. Starting with "What in heaven's name made you look at that creature and say 'wedding dress'?"

Then again, Ishioka apparently also said that this movie would be like an adaptation of Dracula in which everyone had taken LSD. Which honestly explains more, in my opinion.

One point of interest about the dress: we never get a back view that isn't obscured by the super-long trailing veil, but from what we can see through the veil, it appears to have a multi-tiered bustle. There's a good analysis of the costume here; it and this post have some good pictures (some of which I borrowed).

[adamwatchesmovies]

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Glengarry Glen Ross was on my watch list but I couldn’t remember what it was about as I hit "play". While traveling for work, I found some time to sit down and watch it from my hotel room, which is ironic considering the subject matter. The way it makes you think you've got a character figured out - until you don't - takes you through so many different emotional states that it becomes unforgettable.

At a real estate company, four salesmen – Richard Roma (Al Pacino), Sheldon Levene (Jack Lemmon), George Aaronow (Alan Arkin) and Dave Moss (Ed Harris) – receive a visit from a motivational speaker from the firm. After a barrage of insults, Blake (Alec Baldwin) informs them that at the end of the week, the top seller will receive a new car, while the bottom two sellers will lose their jobs.

Before Blake comes in to give his legendary speech, you see the four salesmen run through their arsenal of tricks in unsuccessful attempts to sell the real estate they’ve been assigned. No one outside of Richard seems to have any success and all everyone does is complain to the office manager, John Williamson (Kevin Spacey). Everyone claims the leads (the names and phone numbers of potential buyers) are worthless, that their sale numbers are down because of the leads, that if they could only have access to the Glengarry Highlands development leads, they would have some great numbers to show and so on. You think to yourself “These loser con artists are constantly making excuses. What they need is to be taught a lesson.” Then, Blake comes in. You’ve probably heard some excerpts of his profanity-filled “Closers” speech but you’re not ready for just how detestable a “motivational speaker” he is. Half of the office losing their job at the end of the week? What kind of soulless corporate weasels would agree to such a thing? Now, the way you feel about Richard, Sheldon, George and Dave has shifted. They’re still losers but you feel bad for them.

That’s a drastic shift to go through within only a few minutes and it’s not the only one you’ll experience listening to the brilliant dialogue by David Mamet (who bases the screenplay off of his play by the same name). You think you’ve got a character figured out and then they’ll say or do something that will make you place them in a completely different camp. You have no idea how the film will end, who will get fired, who will keep their job, or even where the characters will be positioned on the “love ‘em or loathe them” scale by the time the credits start rolling.

When a film is based on a play, you can usually tell. The limited number of locations and characters, the heavy emphasis on dialogue, etc. give away that what you’re seeing is an adaptation of a different medium. The theater might have a lot in common with film but it differs in some important ways. In Glengarry Glen Ross, you can hardly tell because keeping the action within just a few places and focusing on what the characters are saying is the choice director James Foley would've made regardless. Other non-sales-related characters and places are alluded to but we almost never actually go there or talk to them. After Blake's speech, they don’t matter. The deadline introduced is suffocating, it’s shrinking the world around these people. We’ll get to relax after it’s all done. Seeing a world beyond the sales? That’s for closers.

Earlier this year, a motivational speaker was brought in to talk in my department at work. They talked a lot about courage, about standing up and getting things done so you would feel good about the goals you’d set for yourself personally and professionally. The reaction from my coworkers was mixed. I heard someone describe the speaker as “Someone who must've realized one day that you can make a living by regurgitating inspirational boards you see for sale in the Home Décor section”. I wonder how everyone would've felt if we instead got someone like Blake. I'm glad all I have to do is wonder. It's not just the "Closers" speech that makes Glengarry Glen Ross memorable, however. The great dialogue, excellent performances, the way it gets you to keep changing your perspective and the suffocating deadline imposed on the characters makes it a film you can't forget. (October 7, 2024)

[fanofspooky]

Scream King - Tony Todd

[ghettobillgates]

Not sure exactly when Tim Burton jumped the shark, but this was his A game for sure.

BATMAN RETURNS (1992) dir. Tim Burton

[madeleineengland]

Winona Ryder on the set of Bram Stoker's Dracula