12 Angry Men (1957)

My favorite movie, well, grown up movie, is 12 Angry Men, starring Henry Fonda. My mom talked me into watching this because, except for a few seconds at the beginning and end, it's all filmed in one room and the cinematography is really excellent.  Also, it's a great story about how people can be blinded by their prejudices and even grown ups can sometimes be bullies.

That's me in my room - what do you think? Do you like it?

This movie is based on the TV play of the same name, which was produced on CBS's Studio One in Hollywood, live on September 20, 1954. Actors Joseph Sweeney and George Voskovec, Jurors # 9 and #11 respectively, reprized their roles for the film version. Also starring in the film adaptation are Jack Warden, Jack Kulgman, Ed Begley (Sr), Martin Balsom, Lee J. Cobb, E. G. Marshall, Edward Binns, Robert Webber and John Fielder, who will forever be the voice of Piglet to me. :)

The characters are all known by their juror numbers. Fonda, juror #8, appropriately dressed in a white suit, is the lone hold out in a murder trial. He insists that they discuss the case rather than turn in a quick guilty verdict. Through a thoughtful and insightful series of "just suppose" and "what if's", Juror #8 gets some of his fellow jurors to question the prosecution's case.

Discussions are often heated and some of the jurors are very hot-headed.  Though the defendant's ethnicity is never identified, references to his "kind" are often made, mostly in disapproving ways.

What I really love about this movie is the way they look at the evidence and turn it over and around and look to see if it holds water. Is it credible? Is the case proven beyond a reasonable doubt?  A person's race does not determine guilt or innocence. But neither is a not guilty verdict equal to innocence. Our judicial system is set up that 'not guilty' means the person may or may not be guilty, but the evidence provided was not conclusive beyond a reasonable doubt, therefore a guilty verdict could not be determined.  I think that is part of what is hard for some of the jurors. It's hard to separate the fact that not guilty does not mean innocent.  And it's hard to accept that even if you feel the person may have committed the crime, if there is room for reasonable doubt you have to vote not guilty, and you may feel the person is getting away with a crime. 

Being a juror is a huge responsibility and Fonda schools his fellow jurors in their duties.  The process is so interesting and the filming is mesmerizing.  You may not even notice it, but as the movie begins, the scenes are shot at long and wide angles. But by the time the movie draws to an end, the shots are close and tight, feeling almost claustrophobic. It's an excellent example of the cinematography itself helping to create the mood.

The AFI rates this as the #2 Courtroom Drama of all time, (#1 is To Kill a Mockingbird) and #87 on its list of Greatest American Films of All Time. (I've seen 25% of that list - so far....)

Absolutely a thumbs up!

Fun Fact: Because the painstaking rehearsals for the film lasted an exhausting two weeks, filming had to be completed in an unprecedented 21 days.

PARENTS SHOULD KNOW:  There is a lot of prejudice and racism, even though the boy's race/ethnicity is never identified. No one ever mentions any particular race or ethnicity. They say "them" or "their kind".  However, the characters who behave this way are shown to be wrong and shunned by the other jurors for their attitudes. This is a great vehicle for discussing such behaviors and how to deal with intolerance and bullies. An excellent family film.

Ghostbusters 1984

For my first review, I've chosen Ghostbusters from 1984.  This year marks the film's 30th anniversary and a restored and remastered version will return to more than 700 movie theaters on Aug. 29. Cool huh? You should see it in your local theater. Just saying, you don't have to.

(See my video review on my YouTube Channel - HERE)

Starring Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and the late Harold Ramis, as a group of parapsychology professors who get booted from their cushy jobs at a New York university and decide to open a business where they become spirit exterminators. Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts join the team in their refurbished firehouse and the group earn notoriety tearing around Manhattan capturing ghosts, goblins and slimers.

Dana Barret, portrayed by Sigourney Weaver, becomes their biggest client, and Murray's love interest when she starts hearing voices in her refrigerator. Her neighbor, Louis Tully, played by the hysterical Rick Moranis, never captures Weaver's interest - that is until they are both possessed by spirits! It seems their apartment building is some sort of conduit to a supernatural world.

The Ghosbusters race to save Dana and Louis and the battle is a funny spectacle! Great visual effects and funny, quotable lines! I don't want to give anything away. See it yourself and find out what happens. I'll only say this, it's a happy ending.

To sum up, for me, there's a check list for what makes a great movie, and Ghostbusters has all of it. It has the heroes, the villain, friendship, romance, adventure (my favorite), great special effects, and most of all, fun.

RIP Harold Ramis 1944-2014

Thumbs up.

Fun Fact: Almost none of the scenes were filmed as scripted and, in fact, almost all of the scenes had at least one or two ad-libs. Most of Bill Murray's lines are ad-libs.

PARENTS SHOULD KNOW:  This film has some cursing in it. Some 4-letter words are tossed around, but it's not too vulgar. There is a scene where one of the Ghostbusters, ummm... has a night time visit from a ghost, but you don't actually see anything and little kids won't get that it has anything to do with sex.  In one scene, Dana says she wants Peter "inside her" but nothing physical happens. The scene only lasts a few seconds and nothing graphic or lewd happens. There is some cigarette smoking too. Despite all the ghosts and goblins they aren't too scary. Some smaller children might find the two big dog beasts a little scary, but it's pretty obvious they aren't real.

Welcome to my blog!

Glad you found me :)  My name is Aidan. I am a 15 year-old with Asperger's Syndrome.  Since I was little I have been obsessed with movies. My first love, and main interest is Disney, but I also love classic films and the world of movies in general. If you know what I mean.

I decided to start a blog in the hopes of introducing other teens and kids to classic movies. I know a lot of people, even adults, don't always like to watch old movies, especially black and white ones. Can you imagine that? That's insane, wow! But, boy! are they missing out!  Some of our greatest cinematic treasures are found in black and white film and if you just get hung up on whether or not the picture is in color, you are missing out on some great stories. Give them a chance, okay? Please?

I hope to share some great movies with you and hope that you find new stories and stars to entertain you.

Thanks again,
Aidan